Stanley Wakefield Harris

Stanley Wakefield Harris CBE (13 December 1894 – 3 October 1973) was an English all-round sportsman regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders to have played for the British and Irish Lions. As a rugby union international, he represented England in 1920, and the British Lions in 1924. where he excelled at rugby union.

Sporting career Stanley Harris has been described as a "Boy’s Own" hero for his sporting prowess. After his service in World War I, in which he was wounded, he spent some time convalescing, but his boredom at this predicament led him to take up ballroom dancing. A year later he reached the finals of the World Ballroom dancing championship, in which he won the waltz section.

After being sufficiently healed, he returned to his school boy passion of rugby union and became the leading try-scorer for Blackheath F.C. and also played for East Midlands RFC. Having played in the trial match in December 1919 on the victorious side where The South beat England, he made his international debut on 14 February 1920 at Lansdowne Road in the Ireland vs England match On many occasions Harris was known to have stood up for his men, on one occasion preventing 700 of his wounded soldiers being simply left in the jungle outside the camp.

Later life Harris was awarded the CBE in 1946. He married Leila Mary Roberts in Cape Town and lived in Kenilworth with her children, Peter Graham Roberts, Sally Jane Roberts and Mark Archer Roberts. He died in 1973 at Cape Town.