Tributes have been paid to former Exeter Rugby and England international Martin Underwood, who has passed away.
He was respected both nationally and internationally as a leader in sport and education and was best known locally for his connection to Exeter Rugby, St. Luke’s College, and Exeter University.
In retirement, his latter years were spent in Bath to be nearer to family support. He passed away peacefully at his care home on June 9 2017 after a long but dignified battle with dementia, leaving behind his loving family, wife Sandra, daughter Sharon, and son
Martin was raised as a farm labourer’s son in Worcestershire and was educated at King Charles 1 School in Kidderminster.
He was a student at St. Luke’s College, Exeter between 1958-1961, where he completed his teacher training, before taking up his first teaching post at Northampton Grammar School.
He returned to Exeter in 1963 to take up a lecturing post on the Physical Education staff at St. Luke’s College, where he remained for the next 40 years.
Martin’s rugby career started at Centre and Wing in a star studded Northampton Saints team. Martin was capped five times for England before injury finished his playing career at the age of only 23. He won his first cap for England in his first season of senior rugby at Northampton, and gained his last cap after moving to Exeter in 1963.
In his 17 years as coach of St. Luke’s College in Exeter he was instrumental in the development of hundreds of first-class rugby players including 35 full internationals and seven British Lions.
Such was the strength of St. Luke’s during this era, the College held down a formidable first-class fixture list against the likes of Gloucester, Wasps, Bristol, Rosslyn Park, Neath and Llanelli.
The coaching axis between Martin Underwood at St. Luke’s, and the revered Jim Greenwood at Loughborough was the most productive of them all, feeding the national game with talent for nearly two decades.
Additionally the coach (Mike Davis) and the RFU Director of Rugby (Don Rutherford) were also “ex-Lukies” and former students of Martin’s.
Such was his coaching talent, in 1968 the RFU recruited Martin on to their Coaching Advisory Panel to help develop the game in new areas and at grassroots level.
This saw him represent the RFU abroad, visiting Canada, Holland and the West Indies, working with national teams and coaches and also in underprivileged areas.
Part of his brief with the RFU was to develop resources for teachers and coaches to enhance curriculum provision in schools, support rugby at grassroots level, and find ways to expand into new areas and communities.
This resulted in his book “Better Rugby” which was first published in 1973 and became the standard text for aspirant coaches and teachers worldwide. Reprinted 6 times as “Even Better Rugby” it became a very successful publication for the RFU.
Working alongside other outstanding staff, Martin was part of a golden era of teacher training that put Exeter, and St. Luke’s College at the forefront of teacher training nationally.
His dedicated and innovative approach to coaching rugby was equally apparent in his teaching and Martin was behind much of the thinking in advanced teaching methodologies that have become the norm today in physical education.
When St. Luke’s College became part of Exeter University in 1978, Martin was encouraged by his great mentor, Professor Ted Wragg (Director of the School of Education and acclaimed columnist and broadcaster) to make his unique approach the subject of research. Martin was to become a renowned authority in teaching styles that led to the award of his PhD in 1985.
Above all else, his former student’s, players, colleagues and friends will best remember Martin for his inspirational qualities, his energy, enthusiasm, sense of fun and ever-caring nature, A humble and modest man who took far more pleasure out of the achievements of others than his own.
With Martin Underwood’s passing, Exeter may have lost a piece of its sporting history, but it keeps a legacy that will live long in the fond memories, ambitions and achievements of all those inspired by him.
- Based on a tribute in published in Aug 2017 DevonLive.com =