Peter Hans Konig


Peter Hans Konig, more correctly König, is an Austrian-born retired sportsman. Konig was a prominent rugby union player for Leicester Tigers between 1952 and 1960 and played one first class game for Leicestershire County Cricket Club in 1949. Konig was a right-handed batsman who played as a wicket-keeper.

Early life and cricket

Born in Vienna to Jewish parents, his family fled Austria following its annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938, arriving in Leicester before the Second World War. Konig later made a single first-class appearance for Leicestershire against Northamptonshire at the County Ground, Northampton in 1949. In Northamptonshire's first-innings of 239 all out, Konig made a single stumping when he stumped Gordon Garlick off the bowling of Gerry Lester. In Leicestershire's first-innings response, Konig was the last man out, dismissed for 6 runs by Des Barrick. In Northamptonshire's second-innings of 350/5 declared, Konig caught Percy Davis off the bowling of Charles Wooler. This was his only major appearance for the county as Konig was not kept on by Leicestershire.

Rugby

Konig made his Leicester Tigers debut on 14 April 1952 in a 19–0 win away to Plymouth Albion on the club's Easter tour. Konig established himself in the club's first team the next season immediately starting the first 11 games of the 1952–53 season and 27 overall. Konig was particularly prominent in Leicester's 8–3 win away to Bath on 3 January 1953, scoring one try and creating another through a crucial interception and break. In 1953-54 Konig was the club's joint top try scorer with 8 in 23 games, and in 1956 he started as Leicester played at Welford Road. His try-scoring form in a December 1956 win against Blackheath saw the Daily Mirror speculate he could be called up by, but he was never selected for the national side and made his final Tigers appearance in April 1960.