Robert A. Irving (15 February 1948 – 18 April 1999) was an English World Cup winning professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s.
A Great Britain and England international, and Yorkshire representative second-row, he played at club level for Oldham, Wigan, Salford, Barrow, Blackpool Borough and Swinton.
He was active in the Catholic Church, and undertook charity work in his spare time, regularly manning a soup kitchen for homeless and displaced people, and he died aged 51, following a heart attack in Blackpool, Lancashire, England.
[7] Irving played rugby league for St Joseph's (in Huddersfield) until the age of 16 when he turned professional with Oldham in January 1965.
[9] Bob Irving played at second-row in Oldham's 13–16 defeat by Wigan in the 1966–67 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1966–67 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 29 October 1966,[10] and played at second-row in the 2–30 defeat by St. Helens in the 1968–69 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1968–69 season at Central Park, Wigan on Friday 25 October 1968, played at second-row in Wigan's 19–9 victory over Salford in the 1973–74 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1973–74 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Saturday 13 October 1973,[11] and played at prop in the 13–16 defeat by Workington Town in the 1977–78 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1977–78 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Saturday 29 October 1977.