Peter Kininmonth

Oct 16 2007 by David Charters, Liverpool Daily Post

TO THOSE who expected their Scottish heroes to wear kilts, sprout hairs on their kneecaps and skirl a bagpipe at the first scent of haggis, he was something of a surprise.

This rugby player spoke with an accent so far-back that even his English friends called him “Peetah” in affectionate mockery.

But when the Auld Country called him, Peter Kininmonth, who had been brought up in suburban Bebington, Wirral, was always there.

His most famous performance came at Murrayfield against Wales in 1951. As holders of the Grand Slam, who had crushed England at Twickenham, the Welsh were hot favourites.

Scotland went in at half-time with a 3-0 advantage, but it was not expected to last.

That was until Kininmonth caught the ball some 45 yards from the Welsh post and let loose. His drop-kick cleared the bar, opening the way for a 19-0 Scottish triumph.

Even more surprisingly, Kininmonth only played in the third fifteen when he was at Sedbergh School, Cumbria, where he was better at cricket.

His parents were well-to-do expatriates.

After leaving school towards the end of the war, Kininmonth volunteered for service in the Indian Army and enlisted with the 3rd Gurkha Rifles at Dehra Dun.

He saw action in Italy and in the immediate post-war years fought Afghan tribesmen on the North West Frontier.

His indomitable mother, who had been one of the first female graduates from Liverpool University, helped gain him a place at Brasenose College, Oxford. There, he read history.

However, it was his immense stature and mighty chest, developed with 50 press-ups a morning at Sedbergh, which were noted by the rugby fraternity, resulting in his being selected as a back-row forward in the university team, touring Argentina in 1949, where he met Eva Peron.

By then, he was also a Scottish international. He played 21 times for his country, eight as captain and was in the British Lions’ squad which toured New Zealand in 1950.

Kininmonth, married with four children, was a respected insurance broker in the City and captained the Lloyd’s golf and rugby clubs. He was High Sheriff of the City of London and a patron of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera.

He also devoted much energy to creating award-winning cheeses at his wife’s farm in Dorset.

Peter Kininmonth, rugby player; born June 23, 1924, died October 2, 2007.