England rugby fly-half Richard Sharp, February 18, 1960. Photo: Getty Images
Dashing former England captain Richard Sharp was not only a sports star; he lent his name to author Bernard Cornwell’s Napoleonic hero Richard Sharpe. Born in India and raised in England, Sharp grew up in Redruth and made his name at the Cornish town’s club before representing Wasps and Bristol. Sharp made his England debut while at Oxford University and captained his country to the Five Nations title in 1963. The year before Sharp toured with the British and Irish Lions to South Africa, where he scored 45 points in 11 matches. Described as an elegant fly-half, Sharp is regularly featured in any discussion of England’s best ever first-five. His England career spanned seven years and 14 caps, Sharp scoring 26 points. While playing rugby, Sharp also rose through the ranks of the armed forces, becoming an officer in the Royal Marines. Sharp made his mark in cricket, representing Cornwall in the Minor Counties Championship from 1957-70. Bernard Cornwell used his name as a placeholder while drafting the first Sharpe novel, Sharpe’s Eagle, and it stayed — with the addition of an "E" — when he could not think of a better name. Sharp became a teacher, and was also a rugby correspondent for The Sunday Telegraph. Sharp was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1986 for services to sport. He died on November 3 aged 87. — Agencies/Allied Media
