Helped introduce cricket to UBC and proved to be one of the best to play the sport. Prolific scorer on UBC soccer team. President of his class, Associate Sports Editor for the "Ubyssey," he was also selected the Rhodes Scholar for 1940.
Basil Robinson first appeared on the UBC athletic scene in 1938, turning out for the Thunderbird rugby team under coach A.B. Carey. This 1938/39 team was one of UBC's stronger teams and "Bas" was one of its leaders, receiving honourable mention for his excellent sportsmanship and outstanding performances. The team's victories this year were the result of “…the point-garnering toe of booting Basil Robinson.” He "...was the spearhead of nearly every varsity attack, while his feats of kicking to touch with three or four Clubbers dangling around his neck..."
1938 also saw the introduction of a new form of athletics to the university as the first cricket club to wear the Blue and Gold was formed, with Robinson along with fellow student/athlete Dave Carey and Dr. Harry Warren the guiding influences behind this organization. The team finished third in a seven team league in this, its first year, with Robinson a major contributor finishing second in club batting with a 46.7 average.
Robinson also contributed off the field as he was the 1938/39 Associate Sports Editor of the Ubyssey and frequently submitted a column, "Onside with Basil Robinson." He was also president of the Arts 1940 class and elected by acclamation to the position of Men's Undergraduate Society representative on council.
In 1939 Robinson, now captain of the UBC cricket team, led it to both the BC Mainland league championship and the Fyfe-Smith Shield. The Ubyssey reported, "the main reason for the brilliant victories of the students has been Basil Robinson, who has shown great versatility with both the bat and the ball." Robinson in fact was UBC's leading batter this season as well as his "usual flawless self" as one of the team's two bowlers.
Early this 1939/40 session it was reported that Basil, who starred for North Shore United when it won the Canadian soccer championship in 1938, would forsake English rugby this season in favour of soccer, his old love. Because of his position on Student Council, he found it difficult to find time for either sport but decided finally to turn out for the soccer team, much to the delight of the "roundballers" led by their stellar captain, Jack Rush. Robinson had an immediate impact on the team and was found in the scoring statistics virtually every game, including a four-goal game against Kerrisdale in January 1940. Despite missing the first few games of this season, Robinson finished in first place in league scoring. Never in UBC's history had the campus seen such a prolific soccer goal scorer.
As it turned out Robinson could not resist the game of rugby this season as, in between soccer games, he suited up for a few games with the UBC Thunderbirds rugby squad, including the January 1940 McKechnie Cup championship game against Victoria.
In February 1940 Robinson's contributions as an athlete, scholar and elected official were recognized as he was UBC's choice to receive the Rhodes Scholarship for 1940. Basil indicated that he did not expect to take advantage of the scholarship immediately as it was being held in abeyance until after the end of the war.
During the summer of 1940 Robinson again was captain of UBC's cricket team. He was the team's leading bowler and along with Dr. Harry Warren, led the Blue and Gold to the First Division championship and the finals for the Fyfe-Smith Shield.
It was not until 1946 that Robinson was able to take advantage of the scholarship. He had spent the first half of the decade serving Canada in the Second World War. After the war, he joined the Department of External Affairs which allowed him educational leave so that he could take up the scholarship. While at Oxford he played soccer, rugby, and cricket, starring particularly at cricket, where the Oxford University team played against first-class county cricket teams, its schedule culminating in the annual 'varsity' match between Oxford and Cambridge. The UBC athletic fraternity was particularly proud of him when they learned, in 1947, that he had become the first Canadian to be awarded his "blue" for cricket at Oxford - the most coveted university cricket award in the Commonwealth. On leaving Oxford in 1948, he went on to rejoin the Department of External Affairs which he served until his retirement in 1982.
Basil Robinson, who in 1991 was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, left an impression on UBC sports as an athlete, organizer and reporter as well as being a popular student and scholar.
Researched and written by Fred Hume, UBC Athletics Historian
