An Evening in Surrey with the Three Amigos

}

24 March 2026

Pete Jenkins

0 Comments

Rob Henderson (compere), Peter Winterbottom, Dean Richards and Mike Teague Photo: ©Pete Jenkins/ www.Fromthebackofamotorbike.co.uk

It was a pleasant surprise when I received a call from Leicester, England and Lions rugby Legend Dean Richards asking me for some photographs of himself and fellow England back row players Mike Teague (Gloucester, England and British Lions) and Peter Winterbottom (Headingley, Harlequin, England and British Lions), for a forthcoming ‘ Evening with’ that the three former rugby players were putting on at the Esher Theatre on Monday 16^th and Wednesday 18^th March 2026.

Rugby is my first love when it comes to photography, and my formative business years up to the early 2000s were spent photographing rugby and other sports for the Newspapers of London’s Fleet Street (as was). My regular weekly clients at the time were the Daily Telegraph, Daily Express, Daily Mail, The times, The Guardian and their Sunday partners. Indeed, I was the Sunday Telegraph’s rugby bod for more than ten years.

I put together a selection of images featuring the three back row forwards, playing for their respective clubs and regions Richards – Midlands, Teague – Southwest and Winterbottom both the North and London at different times.

Player(s): Peter Winterbottom Date: 12/1/1986 Match: England training session Venue: St Paul's School, London

Player(s): Mike Teague Date: 22/04/1993 Match: Lions Training Venue: Bisham Abbey Biography (as appropriate) Michael Clive Teague (born 8 October 1960) is a former England and British Lions rugby union footballer. Teague spent his youth in The Shed watching Gloucester. After cutting his teeth with the local All Blues club, Teague joined the Cherry and Whites during the 1978–79 season aged 18 making 4 appearances, his debut coming at Kingsholm against Exeter University on 15/11/1978 in which he scored a try in a comfortable victory. He combined his rugby with his career as a fitter for the local water authority before becoming a builder in what was the amateur era, eventually setting up his own building firm with his brother-in-law. Known to Gloucester fans as 'Iron Mike' he played the majority of his club rugby for his home town club, but also had brief spells at Cardiff RFC[ for half a season and Stroud RFC with his close friend and Gloucester back row colleague John Gadd, before re-joining Gloucester on both occasions. During the later years of his senior rugby career he played for Moseley, before re-joining Gloucester once again to see out his playing days. Teague made a total of 291 appearances for Gloucester, winning the John Player Cup in 1982 (although they had to share the title with Moseley after a 12-12 draw in extra time – the only time the cup has ever been shared) and the John Smith's Merit Table in the 1985–1986 season. He was twice a runner up with Gloucester in National Courage League 1 (now the Premiership) in both the 1988–89 and 1989–90 seasons. He also played in the 1990 Pilkington Cup final defeat to Bath, scoring a try in both the 26-16 quarter final away win over Nottingham and the 17-12 semi-final away win over Northampton that secured Gloucester’s spot in the Twickenham showpiece. During the 1981–82 season he scored 21 tries, which remains the club's record for most tries scored by a forward in one season. He was sent off 3 ti

Players l-r- Bath: Graham Dawe Leicester: Matt Poole Dean Richards Referee: Date: 9th April 1994 Match: Bathn v Leicester Courage League 1 Venue: The Recreation Ground, Bath, Avon Photo Credit: Pete Jenkins

Players l-r- Bath: Leicester: Dean Richards Referee: Date: 9th April 1994 Match: Bathn v Leicester Courage League 1 Venue: The Recreation Ground, Bath, Avon Photo Credit: Pete Jenkins

Peter Winterbottom, Dean Richards and Mike Teague Photos: ©Pete Jenkins/ www.Fromthebackofamotorbike.co.uk

The Three Amigos: Dean Richards, Mike Teague and Peter Winterbottom

The travel down to the Esher Theatre was straight forward and as it was a Monday afternoon traffic was not too complicated, a three-hour trip down the M1 and M25. The boys and I all arrived around the same time.

The theatre was ‘cozy’, seated an audience of around two hundred, with a central access staircase between two blocks of tiered seats.

In these hours before the start, the stage appeared cluttered, as so often Theatre stages do. The banks of light above the audience an impressive and complicated mass of fittings, spotlights, each having a specific function, but careful thought had been put into their placement and the seats for the four chaps were well lit and consisted on leather armchairs and a sofa, and once the evening began properly the stage looked completely different

The empty stage before the performance Photo: ©Pete Jenkins/ www.Fromthebackofamotorbike.co.uk

20260316-PJ-9940-The-Three-Amigos-before-the-doors-open.webp

There was still a while before the doors would open to the public, so we spent a little time chatting, unsurprisingly mostly about rugby touching on the recent England performance in the Six Nations topurnament whilst the final preparations were made around us for the imminent arrival of the audience. The technician checked the lights and sound, and Peter Winterbottoms wife and daughter Trish and Emily made sure the refreshments were ready of the VIP guests as part of the meet and greet, taking place behind the stage area

The lads taking a breather in the final minutes before the VIP guests arrived for the meet and greet Photo: ©Pete Jenkins/ www.Fromthebackofamotorbike.co.uk

At 6.15 the doors were opened and the VIP guests in the audience arrived and were taken backstage and offered food and drink and chatted to the boys about all matter’s rugby. As England had just lost to France 48-46 that Saturday there was plenty to talk about.

The VIP Guests taken back stage for refreshments and the chance to talk to the chaps Photo: ©Pete Jenkins/ www.Fromthebackofamotorbike.co.uk

20260316-PJ-9973-The-Three-Amigos-before-the-doors-open.webp

Whilst the VIP guests were backstage quaffing, munching and chatting to the boys, Rob Henderson talked to the audience as the seats started to fill.

Rob Henderson entertaining the audience as the auditorium started to fill Photo: ©Pete Jenkins/ www.Fromthebackofamotorbike.co.uk

At last, the time to start was upon us, the audience settled down and Rob introduced the Three Amigos. First on stage was Mike Teague, followed by Peter Winterbottom and finally Dean Richards, all wearing sombreros and emulating the ‘Three Amigos’ from the 1986 film of the same name starring Chevy Chase, Steve Martin and Martin Short. (Not sure who was meant to be who).

The Three Amigos, Peter Winterbottom, Dean Richards and Mike Teague Photo: ©Pete Jenkins/ www.Fromthebackofamotorbike.co.uk

The three backrow men took their seats, and we learned about their lives and days before rugby went professional. The delights of farming from Peter, tales of daring do in the police force from Dean and the ins and outs of life as a builder from Mike. The topics discussed soon wandered into tales of antics whilst ‘on tour’.

[divi8_image_carousel divi8_arrow_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” _i=”7″ _address=”0.9.0.7″ /]

When half-time came there were no oranges, but the audience went to refresh glasses and the chaps came amongst the audience for a chat.

The second half was more of the same. Tours were discussed, tall tales were told. As I faced the three hours plus journey back to Nottingham, I was not able to stay until the very end, much to my regret. My journey back was an adventure itself with the M1 blocked at numerous junctions.

Here are a few more photos taken on the night.

24 March 2026

Uncategorized

Pete Jenkins

0 Comments