Jeff Robson (sportsman)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Jeffrey Ellis Robson |
| Born | 30 September 1926 Palmerston, New Zealand |
| Died | 5 September 2022 (aged 95) Auckland, New Zealand |
| Alma mater | University of Otago |
| Spouse | |
| Sport | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Sport | Tennis, badminton |
Jeffrey Ellis Robson MBE (30 September 1926 – 5 September 2022) was a New Zealand badminton and tennis player.
Early life and family
[edit]Born in Palmerston on 30 September 1926, Robson was the son of Maurice Alexander Robson, who later served as president of the New Zealand Badminton Federation between 1965 and 1967.[1][2] He was educated at King's High School, Dunedin, where he represented the school in association football.[3]
In 1951, Robson graduated from the University of Otago with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery.[4]
In 1953, he married Heather Redwood, who also played international badminton for New Zealand. The couple had one child.[5]
Sporting career
[edit]Badminton
[edit]As a badminton player, Robson won nine New Zealand singles championships, seven national men's doubles and four mixed doubles titles.[6]
Tennis
[edit]In tennis, Robson won the New Zealand men's singles title three times, in 1949, 1952 and 1956.[6] He also won five national men's doubles titles, and twice won the national mixed doubles championship.[6] He represented New Zealand in the Davis Cup for three years, and was later the team captain.[6]
Honours and awards
[edit]In the 1976 New Year Honours, Robson was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to tennis and badminton.[7] In 1990, he was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame.[6] That same year, Robson was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.[8]
Later life and death
[edit]Robson's wife Heather died in Auckland on 11 October 2019.[9] Robson died in Auckland on 5 September 2022, at the age of 95.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Kings, William (6 September 2022). "Badminton community mourns passing of Jeff Robson". Badminton World Federation. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
- ^ "Births". Evening Star. No. 19376. 9 October 1926. p. 6. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
- ^ "School football". Otago Daily Times. No. 24993. 13 August 1942. p. 6. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
- ^ "NZ university graduates 1870–1961: Q–R". Shadows of Time. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- ^ Taylor, Alister, ed. (2001). New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa 2001. Auckland: Alister Taylor Publishers. ISSN 1172-9813.
- ^ a b c d e "Jeff Robson". New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- ^ "No. 46778". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 1 January 1976. p. 37.
- ^ Taylor, Alister; Coddington, Deborah (1994). Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa. p. 319. ISBN 0-908578-34-2.
- ^ "Heather Robson death notice". The New Zealand Herald. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
External links
[edit]- Jeff Robson at the Association of Tennis Professionals
- Jeff Robson at the International Tennis Federation
- Jeff Robson at the Davis Cup
- Jeff Robson at the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- 1926 births
- 2022 deaths
- People from Palmerston, New Zealand
- People educated at King's High School, Dunedin
- University of Otago alumni
- New Zealand male badminton players
- New Zealand male tennis players
- New Zealand Members of the Order of the British Empire
- 20th-century New Zealand sportsmen
- 21st-century New Zealand people