Ronnie Poulton-Palmer
Poulton in 1911
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| Full name | Ronald William Poulton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 12 September 1889 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Oxford, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 4 May 1915 (aged 25) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Ploegsteert | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Balliol College, Oxford | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) |
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| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Military career |
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| Buried at | Hyde Park Corner (Royal Berks) Cemetery | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
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| Service/branch |
 British Army
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| Years of service | 1912–1915 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Lieutenant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unit | 1/4 Royal Berkshire Regiment | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Centre or wing | ||
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| Senior career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
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| National team(s) | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
| 1909–1914 | England | 17 | (28) |
Ronald 'Ronnie' William Poulton (later sometimes Poulton-Palmer) (12 September 1889 – 5 May 1915) was an English rugby union footballer, who captained England and was killed in the First World War.
Born in north Oxford, he was the son of Sir Edward Bagnall Poulton, the zoologist and his wife Emily Palmer. He was educated at the Dragon School, Rugby School, and Balliol College, Oxford.
Poulton played for Balliol College, Oxford University RFC, Harlequins and Liverpool F.C. Poulton is one of three men to score a hat-trick of tries in The Varsity Match – he scored five, still the individual record for the fixture, in 1909. He captained England during the 1913–14 unbeaten season (now what would be called a 'Grand Slam'), scoring four tries against France in 1914, in the last test match prior to the outbreak of World War I. Poulton was renowned for his elusiveness and glamorous style of play – "the very mention of swerving sends ones thoughts to the late Ronald Poulton, the swerver par excellence ... swerving and Poulton are almost synonymous terms".
Ronnie Poulton was born on 12 September 1889, the son of Edward Bagnall Poulton and Emily Palmer Poulton, at Wykeham House, Oxford. Edward Poulton was Hope Professor of Zoology at Oxford University, and a Fellow of Jesus College. Ronnie was born into a wealthy family, and brought up at Wykeham House, an impressive residence on Oxford's Banbury Road, with six servants. His siblings were Edward, Hilda, Margaret, all older, and his younger sister, Janet.
He was educated at Oxford Preparatory School ("OPS", now the Dragon School) from 1897 to 1903. The headmaster of OPS described Poulton as "the best all-round athlete who had ever been at the school". School records reveal that he scored 15 tries in one match against St Edward's Juniors. After OPS, he went to Rugby School from 1903 to 1908. There, he was in the rugby XV for four years, joint-captain with C. C. Watson for the last. He was also in the cricket XI in 1907 and 1908, and was the winner of the 'Athletic Cup' in his final three years.
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