Bernard Cowey
Encyclopedia
Brigadier
Bernard 'Bun' Cowey DSO
, OBE
(20 November 1911 – 20 August 1997) was an English
rugby union
wing who played club rugby for Newport and international rugby for Wales
. Unlike most rugby internationals Cowey was most associated with the Army Rugby Union
rather than club or county rugby. In his later life he became Chairman of the Army Rugby Union.
, traditionally the reserve of Welsh
nationals. He played rugby while on duty, for his regiment and later played for the Army's own rugby team. Outside the army, Cowey played for two first class rugby union clubs' London Welsh and Newport. It was while playing with Newport that he was selected to play for Wales, after his service with the Welch Regiment made him eligible to represent his adoptive country.
Cowey's first cap was in the 1934 Home Nations Championship
, where he was one of 13 new caps to be tested by Wales, in a match at the Cardiff Arms Park
against England. Wales's inexperience showed and they lost 9-0. Although five of the players from that match were never selected for Wales again, Cowey wasn't amongst them, and returned for the next game against Scotland. The Scottish game was far more successful for Wales, with a strong performance from Cliff Jones
. Cowey repaid the selectors trust in him with two tries
in the Scotland match, and again in the last game of the tournament when he scored another against Ireland. Cowey's final game for Wales was during the 1935 Championship
when he again faced England. Under the captaincy of Wilf Wooller, Wales drew the match after a late penalty goal from Boughton.
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
Bernard 'Bun' Cowey DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(20 November 1911 – 20 August 1997) was an English
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...
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...
wing who played club rugby for Newport 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...
. Unlike most rugby internationals Cowey was most associated with the Army Rugby Union
Army Rugby Union
The Army Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in the British Army and a constituent body of the Rugby Football Union . The ARU was formed on 31 December 1906 and marked the fulfilment of Lieutenant J.E.C...
rather than club or county rugby. In his later life he became Chairman of the Army Rugby Union.
Rugby career
Cowey was born in Tidworth, Wiltshire in 1911 but when he joined the British Armed Forces, he was posted in the Welch RegimentWelch Regiment
The Welch Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1969.-History:It was formed as the Welsh Regiment during the Childers Reforms of 1881, by the amalgamation of the 41st Regiment of Foot and the 69th Regiment of Foot...
, traditionally the reserve of Welsh
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...
nationals. He played rugby while on duty, for his regiment and later played for the Army's own rugby team. Outside the army, Cowey played for two first class rugby union clubs' London Welsh and Newport. It was while playing with Newport that he was selected to play for Wales, after his service with the Welch Regiment made him eligible to represent his adoptive country.
Cowey's first cap was in the 1934 Home Nations Championship
1934 Home Nations Championship
The 1934 Home Nations Championship was the thirtieth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Five Nations, and prior to that, the Home Nations, this was the forty-seventh series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Six matches...
, where he was one of 13 new caps to be tested by Wales, in a match at the Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World...
against England. Wales's inexperience showed and they lost 9-0. Although five of the players from that match were never selected for Wales again, Cowey wasn't amongst them, and returned for the next game against Scotland. The Scottish game was far more successful for Wales, with a strong performance from Cliff Jones
Cliff Jones (rugby player)
Clifford 'Cliff' William Jones OBE was a Welsh international rugby union fly-half who played club rugby for many teams but is most associated with Cardiff and Cambridge University...
. Cowey repaid the selectors trust in him with two tries
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
in the Scotland match, and again in the last game of the tournament when he scored another against Ireland. Cowey's final game for Wales was during the 1935 Championship
1935 Home Nations Championship
The 1935 Home Nations Championship was the thirty-first series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Five Nations, and prior to that, the Home Nations, this was the forty-eighth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Six...
when he again faced England. Under the captaincy of Wilf Wooller, Wales drew the match after a late penalty goal from Boughton.
International matches played
Wales 1934, 1935- 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...
1934 1934