Arthur Harding
Encyclopedia
Arthur Flowers Harding was an English
-born international rugby union
player who played for and captained the Wales national team. Often called 'Boxer' Harding, he was a member of the winning Wales team who beat the 1905 touring All Blacks in a game considered one of the greatest in the history of rugby union. He played club rugby for Cardiff
and London Welsh and county rugby for Middlesex.
at Blackheath
in January 1902, while still in his first season for Cardiff. When he first joined the Welsh team he played alongside George Boots
from whom he learned much about improving his game. Harding played in all three 1902 Triple Crown
games which saw Wales win the championship. After representing Wales for their fourth Triple Crown in 1905, Harding was chosen to face the Original All Blacks on the New Zealander's first tour of Britain. The fact that Harding had faced the New Zealand side earlier in the tour, when they crushed Harding's Middlesex County, may have played a part in the Welsh tactics that disrupted the All Black's loose-head scrummaging.
. By 1908 Harding himself was chosen to captain a British Isles team on a 26 match tour of Australia and New Zealand
. Although the Australia leg of the tour was successful, the British and Irish team were outclassed by a very strong All Black team, drawning the second test but losing heavily in the first and third tests.
, New Zealand
becoming a station-master at Greymouth
for several years. Harding lived in New Zealand until his death in 1947.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
-born international rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player who played for and captained the Wales national team. Often called 'Boxer' Harding, he was a member of the winning Wales team who beat the 1905 touring All Blacks in a game considered one of the greatest in the history of rugby union. He played club rugby for Cardiff
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
and London Welsh and county rugby for Middlesex.
Club career
As an early forward, Harding was a surprisingly nimble player with a good running and passing style along with an excellent kicking ability. After being chosen to represent Wales in 1902 while playing for Cardiff he moved to England to play for London Welsh in the early part of the 1902/03 season. During the 1903/04 season Harding was chosen to captain London Welsh, a position he held for three seasons.International career
Wales
Harding made his international debut for Wales against EnglandEngland national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
at Blackheath
Blackheath, London
Blackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...
in January 1902, while still in his first season for Cardiff. When he first joined the Welsh team he played alongside George Boots
George Boots
John George Boots was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Newport and county rugby with Monmouthshire. He won 16 caps for Wales....
from whom he learned much about improving his game. Harding played in all three 1902 Triple Crown
Triple Crown (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship: England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the...
games which saw Wales win the championship. After representing Wales for their fourth Triple Crown in 1905, Harding was chosen to face the Original All Blacks on the New Zealander's first tour of Britain. The fact that Harding had faced the New Zealand side earlier in the tour, when they crushed Harding's Middlesex County, may have played a part in the Welsh tactics that disrupted the All Black's loose-head scrummaging.
International games played
- EnglandEngland national rugby union teamThe England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1908 - IrelandIreland national rugby union teamThe Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907 - New Zealand 1905
- ScotlandScotland national rugby union teamThe Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1908 - South AfricaSouth Africa national rugby union teamThe South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
1906
British Isles
In 1904 Harding was one of two Welsh forwards chosen to tour Australasia under the captaincy of Bedell-SivrightDavid Bedell-Sivright
David Revell "Darkie" Bedell-Sivright was a Scottish international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cambridge and Edinburgh Universities. Bedell-Sivright was one of the true characters of the sport of rugby and was chosen to lead a British Isles team on a tour of Australia...
. By 1908 Harding himself was chosen to captain a British Isles team on a 26 match tour of Australia and New Zealand
1908 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia
The 1908 British Isles tour to New Zealand and Australia was the seventh tour by a British Isles team and the fourth to New Zealand and Australia. The tour is often referred to as the Anglo-Welsh Tour as only English and Welsh players were selected due to the Irish and Scottish Rugby Unions not...
. Although the Australia leg of the tour was successful, the British and Irish team were outclassed by a very strong All Black team, drawning the second test but losing heavily in the first and third tests.
Later career and death
After the end of his international career, Harding emigrated to WanganuiWanganui
Whanganui , also spelled Wanganui, is an urban area and district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Manawatu-Wanganui region....
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
becoming a station-master at Greymouth
Greymouth
Greymouth is the largest town in the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The population of the whole Grey District is , which accounts for % of the West Coast's inhabitants...
for several years. Harding lived in New Zealand until his death in 1947.