James Frederick Byrne was a sportsman who captained Warwickshire at first-class cricket and was capped in rugby for both England and the British and Irish Lions.
J. F. Byrne
Byrne caricature on postcard
Birmingham Moseley Rugby Club is an English rugby union club, based in Birmingham, that compete in the third tier of English rugby. They were historically the premier rugby club in Birmingham, reaching the final of the John Player Cup three times in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They originally played at the Reddings, but after attempting to keep up with the transition to professional rugby, the club ran into financial difficulties and were forced to sell their 125-year home to property developers. An unsuccessful five-year spell based at the University of Birmingham followed, during which time they were relegated to National Division Two. In 2005 the club moved to its new home at Billesley Common, and were promoted to National Division One in 2006. In 2009 they won their first cup in 27 years beating Leeds 23–18 in the final of the National Trophy at Twickenham. On the weekend starting 15 April 2016; defeat to Bristol, combined with results elsewhere during the same weekend, confirmed Moseley's relegation to National League 1 for the 2016–17 season.
Moseley team of 1895
Moseley against Coventry in the 2009 Boxing Day Derby at Billesley
Birmingham Moseley Rugby Grandstand, pictured in 2018