...and when you put him in the company of his younger brother Lawrence, their wealth of knowledge of local cricket and rugby, past and present, is engaging. Perhaps that’s not surprising, given that Raymond was our last double cricket and rugby Ireland international, and a British Lion, while Lawrence was a rugby international who should also have been capped at cricket, given his prolific form even in an era when Ireland was well endowed with some outstanding fast bowlers.
I had the pleasure of playing both cricket and rugby with Lawrence for many years, but only saw Raymond at the tail end of his cricket career. However, I was fully aware of his contribution as an administrator as his upfront forthright views were always a refreshing contribution to the sometimes stuffy NCU administration of the seventies. He wasn’t afraid to speak his mind and that didn’t sit easy with some established administrators, but with the benefit of hindsight a lot of what he predicted has come to pass.
Sadly, both of these fine sportsmen were stricken down by illness almost thirty years ago, and while each has been able to maintain a passive interest in sports, their close involvement and inspirational leadership were taken from us while they were in their prime. That remains a tremendous loss to local sport as both set high standards on and off the pitch, and had much to give. It was therefore a great pleasure to be in their company last week and to hear their views on the two sports that they have graced with such panache.
Unfortunately Raymond doesn’t watch much cricket these days, but with three talented sporting sons and a new generation of grandchildren coming through the ranks, the Hunter name will never be lost to Ulster sport. Lawrence still retains his connection to North Down, but it is a far cry from the seventies when he was the inspirational captain who was one of the driving forces that brought a sleeping cricket giant back to the forefront of local cricket. Interestingly, the brothers have different opinions on how professionalism has infiltrated the local game in the last thirty years, but they are 100% agreed on the preservation of the spirit of the game. Both set high standards of sportsmanship throughout their playing careers, so understandably their concerns about how the game is played these days is something that arouses most passion in conversation.
The Hunter brothers were Dunmurry boys who made it to the top of their chosen sports and such was the all round ability of Raymond that he might have made it on the football stage had he chosen that path, as he was a schoolboy international. As it was, his rise in the rugby world was meteoric to say the least, as barely 12 months after starting his rugby career on CI 6ths; he was selected to tour South Africa with the 1962 British Lions! It was an amazing burst into the rugby hierarchy by any standards, but the local sporting world had already seen plenty of the ‘Big Man’ in local cricket. Now starring in a great Lisburn side that included some of the club’s finest players, he had scored 133 in the 1957 senior cup final and was already an established Ireland player. Winning international recognition in both sports is a rare achievement, and almost fifty years later Raymond Hunter remains that last sportsman to achieve that honour. Lawrence came painfully close, but typical of the sportsman he is, the ‘near miss’ is not something that he dwells too much on as his career had so many outstanding highlights in both codes.
Talking sport with two outstanding achievers was a privilege and if there was one tinge of regret then it was the cruel twist of fate that robbed both of them of their full health, and local sport of their contribution as administrators.
Clarence Hiles
Editor
