Bert Holcroft joined the Royal Navy at aged 18 and was 20 when he served aboard the Flower-class corvette HMS Petunia.
[2] In the 1960s Holcroft and his wife, Bridget, moved to Australia where he coached junior side Murwillumbah Brothers to successive premierships in the Tweed Rugby League in 1961 and 1962.
[4] Holcroft was appointed as coach of Eastern Suburbs in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership in 1965.
Easts were a weak side at the time, having won just five matches in the two preceding seasons under Dick Dunn and fellow Englishman Nat Silcock Jr..
[5] Over the years Holcroft developed his training and fitness techniques into a series of books for rugby and football.