The Fans
Legends
In its rich history, Bristol has nurtured some of the great stars of the past and present.
We would like to thank Dave Fox and Mark Hoskins for allowing us to take advantage of the superb research they did for their book "Bristol Football Club (RFU) - 100 Greats". Dave and Mark contributed the information and the images.
If you would like to get more information on the club, its players and its history, then you can buy their book at most leading bookshops in Bristol.
To search for a particular player, use the Search box below.
'Bunny' Chantrill
Position Full Back
Date of Birth 11/2/1897
Date of Death 1988
Honours Gloucestershire, England
Career 1922-26 127 games
Scored 130 pts (1t, 40c, 9pg, 5dg)
"Bunny" Chantrill was one of the most capable full backs to have donned the Bristol jersey. A small but immensely powerful man, he relished the physical side of the game. Tackling was his forte, and countless attacking players were "Chantrilled", as the local press described his powerful tackling.
Bevan Stanislaw Chantrill was educated at Bristol Grammar School, and played rugby for Clifton before the First World War. He served in the Queens Own Hussars, Gloucestershire Regiment and latterly the Royal Flying Corps during the war.
He played for Richmond and Weston super Mare immediately after the war before joining Bristol and making his debut as a centre against Cardiff in January 1922. He scored a try in a rare victory at the Arms Park.
After a couple of seasons during which Chantrill terrorised sundry attackers he was selected for England. He played in all four matches in the 1924 championship in which England won the Grand Slam. He had an exceptional game against Scotland, a hugely talented side, and it was only through his courage and appetite for the tackle that England won.
Injury robbed Chantrill of the chance to add to his international caps the following season but the genial full back played for Bristol and Gloucestershire. He also continued to play tennis, another sport at which he excelled.
Chantrill was an outstanding kicker of the ball, both from hand and floor. He wasn't the regular place kicker for Bristol but when asked to kick goals he proved more than capable. He was also remarkably fit and used weights to build his upper-body strength, an unusual practice at the time.
In the summer of 1926 he moved to London on business. He played for Rosslyn Park before heading for South Africa to prospect for gold in 1929. His last game for Bristol was against Guys Hospital in October 1926 when Bristol made their first visit of the season to London.
Chantrill played rugby for Natal before returning to Bristol in 1931. He finally emigrated to South Africa shortly afterwards and remained there until his death in 1988. He served in the South African Air Force during the Second World War.
Chantrill had strong views on the amateur ethos of rugby, and had little time for those who strove to gain financially from the game. Bunny Chantrill will forever be associated with his defence and he once said: "I love tacking more than anything else in rugby. What a glorious feeling it is".
