Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mohammed Ikram Butt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1968-10-25)25 October 1968 (age 56) Leeds,West Riding of Yorkshire, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Wing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ikram Butt (born 25 October 1968[4]) is an English former professionalrugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. He played at representative level forEngland, and at club level forFeatherstone Rovers,Leeds,London Broncos,Huddersfield Giants andHunslet Hawks as awing.[2]
Ikram Butt was born inLeeds,West Riding of Yorkshire,[4] on 25 October 1968. He was the first south Asian to play either code of international rugby for England in 1995. He is ofPakistani descent.
Whilst with theLondon Broncos, he was convicted of perverting the course of justice and spent three months in prison as a result of a driving misdemeanour.[5]
He is the founder of the British Asian Rugby Association, and the British Pakistani rugby league team.
In 2002-3 Ikram joined grass-roots side Victoria Rangers ARLFC for three seasons. During this time he showed he hadn't lost any of his skill from his professional days, The main reason for joining the Vics was to link up with Nigel Goodings who had formed a successful team at Victoria Rangers.
In 2009 Ikram released an autobiography calledTries and Prejudice.[6] The book has sold close to 1,000 copies with more still to be sold, he gave all the proceeds to charity. The book's foreword is written by Bollywood starRahul Bose.[7]
He currently works for Leeds Rugby as a Manager of the connecting communities project, as Sports Campaign Manager as a consultant for White Ribbon Campaign, and is vice president of "World Rugby League"
Ikram Butt made his début forFeatherstone Rovers on Sunday 26 August 1990, and he played his last match for Featherstone Rovers during the1994–95 season.
Butt played on thewing inFeatherstone Rovers' 20-16 victory overWorkington Town in the1992–93Division Two Premiership Final atOld Trafford,Manchester on Wednesday 19 May 1993.[8]
In 1995, Butt joined theLondon Broncos, and played their inauguralSuper League season, he later joinedHuddersfield Giants in 1997 before playing his final season as a professional player atHunslet Hawks in 1998.[9]
Ikram Butt won acap forEngland while at Featherstone Rovers in 1995 against Wales, and in doing so he became the first South Asian to play for England rugby league.[3]
He also captainedPakistan in their first ever match on 30 November 2011.[10]
Ikram Butt is the brother of therugby league footballer who played in the 1980s forLeeds and Featherstone Rovers;Tony Butt.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
