Roger Pickering

{{Short description|England international rugby union player}} {{Infobox rugby biography | name = Roger Pickering | image = | caption = | full_name = Roger David Austin Pickering | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1943|06|15|df=y}} | birth_place = Birmingham, England | death_date = | death_place = | height = | weight = | occupation = | school = | university = | relatives = | position = Scrum-half | repyears1 = 1967–68 | repteam1 = {{nrut|England}} | repcaps1 = 6 | reppoints1 = 0 }} '''Roger David Austin Pickering''' (born 15 June 1943) is an English former rugby union international.

Pickering, born in Birmingham, was educated at Whitcliffe Mount School in Cleckheaton, Yorkshire, which also produced England centre Jeff Butterfield. He played his rugby for Bradford.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shaw |first1=Martin |title=Cleckheaton school aiming to encourage rugby stars of the future |url=https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/local-news/cleckheaton-school-aiming-encourage-rugby-4937017 |work=Yorkshire Live |date=11 December 2012 |language=en}}</ref>

Capped six times by England, Pickering debuted in the 1967 Five Nations. His first England cap was meant to come against the touring Wallabies in 1967, but after being named in the XV he had to withdraw at the last minute due to pharyngitis. He made his last appearance in a win over Scotland at Murrayfield in the 1968 Five Nations.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hawthorne On Target In Wallaby Win At Twickenham |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/876238559 |work=Evening Post |date=7 January 1967}}</ref>

Pickering was the inaugural Five Nations chief executive and is also a former tournament director of the Heineken Cup.<ref>{{cite news |title=Five Nations chief executive appointed |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/five-nations-chief-executive-appointed-1335152.html |work=The Independent |date=1 June 1996 |language=en}}</ref>

Pickering resigned as Six Nations CEO in 2002.<ref name="Irish Examiner - 30 September 2022 -Six Nations chief resigns">{{cite news |title=Six Nations chief resigns |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/arid-30070531.html |access-date=17 January 2024 |work=Irish Examiner |date=30 September 2022}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{ESPNscrum|7184}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pickering, Roger}} Category:1943 births Category:Living people Category:English rugby union players Category:England international rugby union players Category:Rugby union players from Birmingham, West Midlands Category:Rugby union scrum-halves Category:Bradford RFC players Category:People educated at Whitcliffe Mount School Category:English rugby union executives Category:20th-century English sportsmen