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Cliff Brittle

1942 – 2011

English rugby union player

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About Cliff Brittle

Lived 1942 – 2011 (aged 68–69). Cliff Brittle was a rugby union player.

Benjamin Clifford "Cliff" Brittle (January 1942 – 11 September 2011) was an English businessman and former rugby union player who was the chairman of the Rugby Football Union from 1996 to 1998.

Rugby career Brittle was born in Leek, Staffordshire. He first played rugby as a student while at Longton High School, and as a senior played for Old Longtonians, Stoke-on-Trent and most notably for Sale. He also played county rugby for Staffordshire.In 1996 he took the post of Chairman of the Rugby Football Union, the year after the game of rugby union adopted professionalism. In his role of chairman, Brittle appointed Fran Cotton as vice-chairman who in turn recommended Clive Woodward as England head coach. Brittle's time in office was turbulent; he resisted attempts by club owners and the media to overpay players in a rushed attempt to cash in on the professional era. This caused Brittle to be vilified by sections of the media, and in 1998 Cotton resigned when Brittle was excluded from talks between the English clubs and the RFU.

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Important facts

Born
1942
Birth century
Occupation

People in Cliff Brittle's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Cliff Brittle's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Cliff Brittle?

English rugby union player

When was Cliff Brittle born?

Cliff Brittle was born in 1942.

When did Cliff Brittle die?

Cliff Brittle died on 11 September 2011.

What was Cliff Brittle's occupation?

Cliff Brittle was a rugby union player.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Cliff Brittle

· Wikidata: Q5132552

· DBpedia: Cliff Brittle

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Cliff Brittle. https://biography.guide/cliff-brittle/

MLA: "Cliff Brittle." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/cliff-brittle/.

Chicago: "Cliff Brittle." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/cliff-brittle/.

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