Roger Spong

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Roger Spong (23 October 1906 – 27 March 1980) was an English rugby union fly-half who played for England and the British & Irish Lions in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

Early life
- Born in Barnet, England, into the Spong family who ran Spong & Co, a well-known maker of kitchen utensils and hardware founded by his grandfather in 1856.
- Educated at Mill Hill School.

Rugby career
- Position: Fly-half.
- England career: Won seven England caps between 1929 and 1932. Made his England debut on 1 April 1929 in Colombes against France; his final England appearance was on 16 January 1932 in Swansea against Wales.
- British & Irish Lions: Represented Great Britain on two Lions tours, in 1927 (Argentina) and 1930 (New Zealand and Australia), totaling nine appearances on Lions tours.

Business career
- In 1935, became a director of Spong & Co, later rising to joint managing director in 1944.
- Spong & Co remained a leading producer of kitchen utensils and related goods. The company became a public entity in 1960 and underwent several changes in the following decades, including sales and name changes (ultimately involving Lion Heart plc and Brit Nit).

Family
- His son Christopher joined the business in 1955; his grandsons Nicholas and Simon Spong also pursued successful careers and sport.

Death
- Roger Spong died on 27 March 1980 in southwest Surrey, aged 73.