Budworth first came to note as a rugby player when he represented
Oxford University while studying at Magdalen College. He played in three
Varsity Matches, from 1887 to 1889 winning his sporting 'Blues'. During the 1889/90 season and now playing for Blackheath, Budworth was first selected for the England national team, playing in the first English game of the
1890 Home Nations Championship. The English team, although talented, was fairly inexperienced after they missed the previous two Championships. In windy and snowy conditions, England lost to
Wales at
Crown Flatt in Dewsbury. Budworth then missed the two remaining games of the Championship, but was reselected for the
1891 Championship for the encounters with Wales and
Scotland. After away victories over Wales and then Ireland, the later of which Budworth missed, the England team faced the Scottish in the tournament decider. Despite great early performances from the pack, against Scotland the forwards were routed and the Scottish won in a convincing manner. Budworth never represented his country again. As well as his international career, Budworth was also of note in the field of rugby football as he was one of the original members of the invitational touring team,
the Barbarians. He played in their inaugural match at
Hartlepool in 1890 and went on to represent the side on five occasions, competing in his last match in 1892 against the Corinthians. ==Bibliography==