Historic Pender-Murphy Sporting Connection

This photograph is amazing, both from a sporting context as well as a family one.
Michael Murphy, of the 15 Murphy children, attended St. Mary's Grammar School in Crosby. He captained the school's first XV Rugby tean, then after leaving school played for St. Mary's Old Boys.
His prodigious rugby talents were soon noticed by Waterloo RFC who quickly signed him up, together with Mick's old school-mate, Mick Collins. In the photograph we see Mick Murphy in the back row, and Mick Collins in the front. But also in the front row is A. Ashcroft, an England International, and also a British Lions player.
Alan Ashcroft is the daughter of Maggie Ashcroft (née Pender), who was the daughter of Tom Pender,  the brother of our grandmother, Mary Pender (Da's wife). If you look at an earlier blog posting, sent  in by Duncan, (great grandson of Tom Pender), you'll see a picture of Alan as a young boy, with brothers Wally (Duncan's father) Dougie, and mother Maggie.
A big thank you to Mick Murphy and son Michael, who dug out this treasured photograph from Mick's sporting archives!