Ian Beer (rugby union)

Ian Beer

Full name	Ian David Stafford Beer
Date of birth	(1931-04-28) 28 April 1931
Place of birth	Croydon, England
School	Whitgift School
University	University of Cambridge
Notable relative(s)	Stafford Beer (brother)
Occupation(s)	Schoolmaster
Rugby union career
Position(s) Back-row International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1955 England 2 (3)

Ian David Stafford Beer CBE (born 28 April 1931) is an English former international rugby union player and schoolmaster.

Born in Croydon, Beer is the younger brother of academic Stafford Beer and attended Whitgift School, where he learned his rugby, before studying for a zoology degree at St Catharine's College, Cambridge.

Beer, a back-row forward, gained three Cambridge blues and captained them to victory in the 1954 Varsity Match. He also captained a combined Oxford-Cambridge side on a 1954 tour of North America. Capped twice, Beer played as a number eight for England in the 1955 Five Nations, debuting against France at Twickenham. In his second match, Beer scored the decisive try, to prevent Scotland from securing the triple crown. He played for Harlequins until being appointed to a teaching position at Marlborough College in Wiltshire, after which he played for Bath.

Beer was appointed headmaster of Ellesmere College aged 29 and remained in the role through the 1960s. He then took over as Lancing College headmaster and in 1981 replaced Michael Hoban as headmaster of Harrow School. After retiring in 1991, Beer had a term as Rugby Football Union president, serving from 1993 to 1994.

See also

• List of England national rugby union players

External links

• Ian Beer at ESPNscrum