A former rugby player who led Cornwall RFU to victory and captained his side against the South African Springbocks will be remembered at his funeral next week, writes Phil Westren.

Peter Michell, a former captain of the Cornish Pirates and also Cornwall, as well as a past president of Cornwall RFU, passed away on Tuesday last week, aged 90.

It has now been confirmed that his funeral service will take place at Madron Church next Friday, November 10, starting at 12.30pm.

A burial will take place at the Penzance Cemetery and the wake is to be held at the Queens Hotel, Penzance.

Falmouth Packet: Peter was a past president of Cornwall RFUPeter was a past president of Cornwall RFU (Image: Supplied)

P.J.B. Michell - Peter James Bennett Michell – was born in Penzance. He first played rugby when a pupil at St Erbyn’s School in Clarence Street, under the guidance of Rex Carr, and would later be educated at Wycliffe College in Gloucestershire.

As a scrum half, besides initially playing for Cornwall Schools, Peter would make 60 appearances for the senior county team (1953-65), after being the first ‘Pirate’ to win the heraldic shield for county selection in 50 games. He was also captain in both the 1959-60 and 1960-61 seasons.

Falmouth Packet: Peter getting a pass away when he captained Cornwall & Devon against the Springboks at Camborne in 1960Peter getting a pass away when he captained Cornwall & Devon against the Springboks at Camborne in 1960 (Image: Supplied)

For the Pirates he played in 522 games, including skippering the club in 1956-67, 1959-60, and 1963-64, when he also captained the team’s Cornwall RFU sevens winning side.

As for other honours achieved in rugby, Peter was captain of the Cornwall & Devon team that played the South Africa ‘Springboks’ in 1960-61, plus he played for the SW Counties against the touring All Blacks in 1963-64. Having been a Major in the Territorial Army, he also played for the Army.