Mike Rafter pictured playing for England against Ireland in February 1979.
at Lansdowne Road. **
Career Record: Played 17: Won 6, Drew 2, Lost 9.
1977 v Scotland (Twickenham) W 26-6 (FN)
1977 v France (Twickenham) L 4-3 (FN)
1977 v Wales (Cardiff) L 14-9 (FN)
1978 v France (Paris) L 15-6 (FN)
1978 v Wales (Twickenham) L 9-6 (FN)
1978 v Scotland (Murrayfield) W 15-0 (FN)
1978 v Ireland (Twickenham) W 15-9 (FN)
1978 v New Zealand (Twickenham) L 16-6
1979 v Scotland (Twickenham) D 7-7 (FN)
1979 v Ireland (Dublin) L 12-7 (FN) **
1979 v France (Twickenham) W 7-6 (FN)
1979 v Wales (Cardiff) L 27-3 (FN)
1979 v New Zealand (Twickenham) L 10-9
1980 v Wales (R) (Twickenham) W 9-8 (FN)
1981 v Wales (Cardiff) L 21-19 (FN)
1981 v Argentina (Buenos Aries) D 19-19
1981 v Argentina (Buenos Aries) W 12-6
Honours England U19, England U23, Barbarians, Devon, Gloucestershire,
England & Wales XV, England.
Club Career 1973-1984. 255 games
Scored 30 tries = 120 pts
Mike, one of 11 children, trained to be a PE teacher
at St Luke’s, in Exeter, alongside Jeff Squire, Mike Slemen,
John Scott and Dave Burcher. He became a director with
sports and leisure clothing firm Monsoon Ruggur.
After having initially been an association football player (going on trial at
Bristol City Football Club as a 14-year-old), Rafter became a rugby union
convert as a pupil at St Brendan's College and signed up for Bristol,
making his debut in 1973 against Exeter. He went on to become captain
of the Bristol team, and led them to their historic cup victory over
Leicester in the 1982–83 season.