Francis Nathaniel Tarr (14 August 1887 – 18 July 1915) was an English international rugby union player.

He was killed in July 1915 near Ypres on the Western Front, after being hit by a shell splinter while serving as a lieutenant in the 1/4th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment.

[5] In his first season at Oxford, Tarr played for the 'A' team, which also included another future England player Anthony Henniker-Gotley.

[10] On 12 December, the 1908 Varsity Match resulted in a hard-fought 5–5 draw, the Cambridge pack having improved considerably since the previous year.

"[1] Tarr earned his first England cap on 9 January 1909 against the touring Australians at Rectory Field, Blackheath.

Also earning their first caps that day were Edgar Mobbs on the right wing and Alex Ashcroft, of Cambridge University, at fly-half.

[1] Two weeks later, on 30 January, England played France with a half back combination of Frank Hutchinson, earning his first cap, and Williamson; Poulton making his debut at centre alongside Tarr; and Mobbs and Tom Simpson on the wings.

England won the game comfortably 22–0, with Tarr scoring two tries,[13] one through good interplay with Mobbs and the other, a fine individual run.

[1] For the 1909 Varsity Match, Cunningham announced his choice of Poulton at a meeting on 2 December which Vassall was unable to attend.

With Oxford eight points ahead at the end of the first quarter, Tarr was forced off the field after breaking his collarbone making a tackle, and missed much of what was described by referee F.C.

[24] After his death, he was particularly noted for his side step and ability to create tries for others, particularly Percy Lawrie the Tigers left wing & record try scorer,[25] as well as his tactical brain & knowledge of the game.

[25][26] Although Tarr spent the majority of his rugby career with Oxford and Leicester, he is recorded as representing club teams Headingley and Richmond F.C.

In 1913, he was promoted to lieutenant and when war was declared the following year, Tarr enlisted almost immediately,[2] becoming the regiment machine-gun officer.

[32] His battalion was deployed to the Western Front with the 46th (North Midland) Division and landed at le Havre, France, on 3 March 1915.

[34] Captain John Milne, in Footprints of the 1/4th Leicestershire Regiment, described Tarr as "...the most attractive personality in the battalion, young, good-looking, full of charm, with an eye that always had a twinkle in it, a born leader, yet the kindest person possible, a Rugger international, the idol of the machine-gun section, which he commanded before he became adjutant.