Bob Taylor

Saints Number: #1295
Saints Career: 1962-1979
Appearances: 313
Position: Flanker

Representative Honours

East Midlands
Midlands
England (16 caps)
Barbarians
British & Irish Lions (1968 South Africa)

Hall of Fame

Inducted: 2017

Bob Taylor

Robert Bainbridge ‘Bob’ Taylor became one of the finest flankers of his generation despite rugby not originally being his first sporting love.

A talented footballer, Taylor turned down the opportunity to pursue a professional career with Northampton Town and instead committed himself to rugby. The decision proved inspired. He broke into the Northampton first team as a 20-year-old in 1962 and quickly established himself as one of the most effective forwards in English rugby.

His athleticism, mobility and ability to arrive at crucial moments made him a standout performer throughout the 1960s and 1970s. By 1964/65 he was part of a Saints side that went 18 matches unbeaten, and representative honours soon followed. In 1968 he toured South Africa with the British & Irish Lions, appearing in all four Tests against the Springboks.

Taylor earned 16 England caps and later captained his country, leading England during the 1970 Five Nations Championship and the prestigious RFU Centenary Test at Twickenham. Alongside his England career, he represented the East Midlands, the Midlands and the Barbarians.

Reflecting on his time with the Barbarians, Taylor once remarked: ‘All my time playing rugby was fun, but playing for the Baa-Baas was more enjoyable than any other. You were always playing with good players who were determined to throw it about and have fun.’

After retiring with 313 Saints appearances, Taylor continued to make a profound impact on the Club. A PE teacher by profession, he served as Northampton Saints President between 1993 and 1995 and as Honorary Secretary from 1995 to 2013. He also chaired the East Midlands Rugby Union and remained heavily involved with the annual Mobbs Memorial Match.

In 2007 he became President of the Rugby Football Union, only the third Northampton Saint to hold the office. His Hall of Fame induction in 2017 recognised both an outstanding playing career and decades of service to the wider game.

Hall of Fame profiles have been researched and compiled, with the Club’s grateful thanks, by the volunteers of Northampton Saints Foundation’s Heritage Department – whose work helps preserve and share the rich history of Northampton Saints.