B. B. Mann
Encyclopedia
Bathurst Bellers Mann was an Irish
-born international rugby union
forward who played club rugby for Cardiff
and international rugby for Wales
. He won a single cap for Wales, in the country's first international match
.
In 1881 Newport Athletic secretary Richard Mullock
needed to quickly form a Welsh team to face England
after a successful application to the Rugby Football Union
. He turned to two of Wales
' main rugby clubs, Newport and Cardiff, to form the bulk of the team. Mann was vice-captain of Cardiff RFC during the 1880/81 season and was one of four players that represented Cardiff during the period to make up the first Wales team; the other three members were Leonard Watkins
, Barry Girling
and William David Phillips
.
The Welsh team was poorly organised before the game began, with no trial games organised, and a group of players whom had very little experience of each other's style of play. Many members of the team were picked on their college background or the geographic location of their club. The game began poorly when Mann and Lewis
were both injured after just ten minutes of the match and eventually had to leave the field. The game ended in humiliation for the Welsh team, with England winning by eight goals to nil. Eleven players were dropped from the next Wales game, Mann being one of those to never play at an international level again.
Mann later emigrated to the United States
and he died in Los Angeles in 1948. He is buried in Bellevue Cemetery, Ontario, California
.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
-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...
forward who 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 international rugby for Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
. He won a single cap for Wales, in the country's first international match
1880-81 Home Nations rugby union matches
The 1880-81 Home Nations rugby union matches were a series of international rugby union friendlies held between the England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales national rugby union teams. This season is most notable for the introduction of Wales as an international rugby union nation, playing their first...
.
Rugby career
Richard Mullock
Richard Mullock was a Welsh sporting administrator and official, who is most notable for organising the first Welsh rugby union international game and was instrumental in the creation of the Welsh Football Union, which became the Welsh Rugby Union in 1934...
needed to quickly form a Welsh team to face England
England 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...
after a successful application to the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
. He turned to two of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
' main rugby clubs, Newport and Cardiff, to form the bulk of the team. Mann was vice-captain of Cardiff RFC during the 1880/81 season and was one of four players that represented Cardiff during the period to make up the first Wales team; the other three members were Leonard Watkins
Leonard Watkins
Leonard Watkins was a Welsh international rugby union half-back who played club rugby for Cardiff Rugby Football Club and international rugby for Wales. He won just a single game for Wales when he was selected for the first ever Welsh rugby international.- Rugby career :Watkins was born in...
, Barry Girling
Barry Girling
Barry Edward Girling was an English-born international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cardiff and international rugby for Wales. He won a single cap for Wales, in the country's first international match.-Rugby career:...
and William David Phillips
William David Phillips
William David Phillips was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cardiff Rugby Football Club and international rugby for Wales...
.
The Welsh team was poorly organised before the game began, with no trial games organised, and a group of players whom had very little experience of each other's style of play. Many members of the team were picked on their college background or the geographic location of their club. The game began poorly when Mann and Lewis
Edward John Lewis
Edward John Lewis was a Welsh medical doctor and international rugby union half-back who played club rugby for Llandovery College and international rugby for Wales...
were both injured after just ten minutes of the match and eventually had to leave the field. The game ended in humiliation for the Welsh team, with England winning by eight goals to nil. Eleven players were dropped from the next Wales game, Mann being one of those to never play at an international level again.
Mann later emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and he died in Los Angeles in 1948. He is buried in Bellevue Cemetery, Ontario, California
Ontario, California
Ontario is a city located in San Bernardino County, California, United States, 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire region, it lies just east of the Los Angeles county line and is part of the Greater Los Angeles Area...
.