Jim Unwin was one of the great Corinthian sportsmen of the 1930s, playing county cricket for Essex as well rugby union for England and the British Lions.

Unwin played seven matches for Essex between 1932 and 1939, but it was as a rugby player that he made his mark. Unwin, who played his club rugby for Rosslyn Park, was renowned for his lightning pace and was also a mean drop-kicker. He toured Argentina in 1936 with the Lions, winning his full England cap in 1937 in the Triple Crown victory over the Scots at Murrayfield. He was subsequently chosen for the prestigious Lions trip to South Africa in 1938 where he played in two of the Tests. In all he played four times for England. His sporting career was ended by the Second World War, although he continued to play in representative matches.

Unwin retired from the army in 1949 with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel and joined the family business of corn and seed merchants.
Martin Williamson