Wakefield reinvented back-row forward play, transforming the position from a static role to one where mobility and being in the right place at the right time was key. 

One of the standout players of his generation, Wakefield led England to back-to-back Grand Slams in 1923 and 1924 and won a total of 31 caps. He also captained Cambridge University, served in the Royal Air Force towards the end of World War I, and was a stalwart of the Harlequins club.

Wakefield retired in 1930 and went on to be a Conservative MP, being knighted in 1944 and on his retirement from parliament in 1963 became the first Baron Wakefield of Kendal.

President of both the Rugby Football Union and Harlequins, Wakefield also served as a long-serving member of the International Rugby Board.