OLDHAM RUFC has been saddened to hear of death of former club captain and Irish international Ron McCarten aged 84.
Ron, who played for Ireland against England, Wales and France in the 1960-61 Five Nations Championship, contracted Covid-19 in the care home in Ireland where he lived.
He had been taken into hospital in September with pneumonia and where he was diagnosed with dementia.
Ron, an Oldham vice-president, was discharged from hospital into a care home and had the first Covid vaccination 10 days before his death.
“Regretfully this proved of no avail as he caught that dreadful disease and could not fight it,” explained former Oldham RUFC president Steve Fox.
“Fortunately, his wife Edna had a call from the home saying that Ron was fading, and she managed to spend 10 minutes with him before he died.”
Ron, despite his Irish roots, was born in Workington where he played for the town’s RU club.
He played for London Irish, Middlesex and Cumbria and arrived in Oldham to take up a teaching post at St Alban’s and joined Oldham.
Playing most of his rugby at full back for Oldham, he was a fast elusive player with great defensive qualities, captaining the club in the 1967-68 and 1969-70 seasons.
“He was full of fun, a great character and one of life’s gentlemen,” explained Steve.
“Yet another iconic club member we have lost. The club sends its condolences to Edna, James and Philip and extended families.”
With the current travel restrictions in place Ron’s sons James and Phillip and their families, who live in England, will not able to attend the funeral which takes place at Castleknock College, where he once taught, on Wednesday, February 3.
The mass and crematorium service can be seen on YouTube – details of the funeral, donations etc are shown in the link below.
Ronald (Ron) McCarten Death Notice | Cunninghams Funeral Directors (cunninghamsfunerals.com)
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