[2] He was educated at St. George's College, Quilmes, and began his rugby union career playing for the Old Georgian Club in Buenos Aires.
[1] Holmes's form for Cambridge University in the 1948–49 season led to two appearances in the trial matches for the England team and also an invitation to play for the Barbarians in their annual fixture against Leicester.
[1] Holmes won four caps for England and scored a conversion in each match against Ireland and France for a total of four points.
[2] After playing on the Barbarians' 1949 tour of South Wales, Holmes returned to live in Argentina and was selected for the national team after only two games for Old Georgians.
[1] England rugby historian Barry Bowker described Holmes as a "steady fullback" while Clem Thomas, a teammate at Cambridge and a Wales international himself, called him "a marvellous man and a great footballer" and said that the news of his death "depressed us enormously".