in 1986 and scoring a try on his debut. Later that season he played in the 22–11 victory over Middlesex in the 1986–87 Rugby Union County Championship final at Twickenham on 11 April 1987. He went on to make twenty one appearances for Yorkshire in the County Championship. Whitcombe played for England U23 against England Students at Walsall RUFC on 10 April 1985 after this game he was picked to represent England 'B' for their game against Italy 'B' at Twickenham on 17 April 1985. After leaving the RAF in 1987, Whitcombe accepted an opportunity to play in South Africa for Durban High School Old Boys, (DHSOB), a club he had represented in 1984. DHSOB were led by former Natal hooker Don Spiers as chairman the team had some first class players including, the Blakeway brothers, Andrew & Lyle, Peter Edmonds and Greg Hamilton. As a result of Whitcombe's move to South Africa Ian McIntosh the then Natal, (now ), coach picked him to make his debut for the province along with his fellow prop Gerard Harding of Durban Harlequins and Empangeni number 8 Byron Kankowski to play for the provincial side against the touring Pacific Coast Grizzlys at Kings Park Stadium, Durban on 16 July 1988. The 1988 Currie Cup was the 50th season in the Currie Cup competition since it started in 1889. On 23 July Whitcombe made his Currie Cup debut in Round Nine at home against Transvaal (now the Golden Lions) in the winning Natal team 22–18. In the Transvaal side that day was fellow Yorkshire team mate Peter Winterbottom. Along with England and Harlequin's No 8 Chris Butcher (Natal) these three players represent only a handful of English players to play in the Currie Cup in the Apartheid era in South Africa. In June 1989 Whitcombe & Winterbottom were due to tour Zimbabwe with Yorkshire. Due to their breach of the Gleneagles Agreement both were declared undesirable alien's Persona non grata by Robert Mugabe's ZANU PF government as a result the tour was cancelled. Whitcombe played for the Rest v England in the final Trial at Twickenham on 3 January 1987 he was then selected for the England 'B' side to play against France 'B' at Welford Road Leicester, on 3 March 1989. Northern Division Together with Sale FC & England 'B' No 8 Andy McFarlane these two players played for the Northern Division for