Charlie Pugh
Encyclopedia
Charles Henry Pugh was a Welsh
international rugby union
player who played rugby for three notable Welsh clubs, Aberavon
, Maesteg
and Neath
. He was capped seven times for Wales
and was part of the Welsh team that faced the touring 1924 New Zealand team
.
. Played at home at St Helen's, Wales faced England, who had finished the previous season as home nations Grand Slam
winners. Under the captaincy of Joe Rees
, Pugh was one of nine new Welsh caps in the team who would eventually lost 17-9 to England. Pugh was reselected for the next game of the tournament, away to Scotland, but this was an even worse result than the English game, with the Welsh team letting in eight tries. Six of the Wales team never played for the national team after this match, though the selectors kept faith in Pugh for the next match against Ireland. After Jack Whitfield
's lone spell as captain in the Scotland game, the Welsh were now led by Rowe Harding
, though the result remained the same. In a close game at the Cardiff Arms Park
, Pugh scored his only international points when he scored one of two Welsh tries
, though this was not enough to gain victory over the Irish team. In the final game of the tournament, Pugh found himself again selected, the only forward to have played in all four matches of the Championship.
Towards the end of 1924, Pugh was part of the Welsh squad who faced George Nepia
's touring New Zealand team. Wales were beaten in a one-sided affair, though Pugh worked tirelessly under the pack leadership of Steve Morris
. Pugh played two more games for Wales, both in the 1925 Championship
, against England and Scotland. Wales lost both matches, leaving Pugh with only a single victory in a seven match international career.
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...
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 rugby for three notable Welsh clubs, Aberavon
Aberavon RFC
Aberavon RFC is a rugby union club located in the Welsh town of Port Talbot, although the club's name refers to the older settlement of Aberavon which lies on the western side of the town...
, Maesteg
Maesteg RFC
Maesteg Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the town of Maesteg, South Wales. The club presently play in the Welsh Rugby Union Division One West and is a feeder club for the Ospreys.-Club history:...
and Neath
Neath RFC
Neath Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. The club's home ground is The Gnoll, Neath. The first team is known as the Welsh All Blacks because of the team colours: black with only a white cross pattée as an emblem...
. He was capped seven times 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...
and was part of the Welsh team that faced the touring 1924 New Zealand team
The Invincibles (rugby union)
The Invincibles was a nickname given to the 1924-25 New Zealand rugby union team which toured the United Kingdom, Ireland, France and Canada. The team was captained by Cliff Porter, and numbered among its top players George Nepia and brothers Cyril and Maurice Brownlie.Between September 1924 and...
.
Rugby career
Pugh was first selected to represent Wales in the opening match of the 1924 Five Nations Championship1924 Five Nations Championship
The 1924 Five Nations Championship was the tenth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the thirty-seventh series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby...
. Played at home at St Helen's, Wales faced England, who had finished the previous season as home nations Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
winners. Under the captaincy of Joe Rees
Joe Rees
Joseph "Joe" Rees was a Welsh international rugby union full-back who played club rugby for Swansea. Rees made his debut for Swansea in 1919 and captained his club in the 1922/23 season. Rees would play 12 times for Wales, and captained them on one occasion...
, Pugh was one of nine new Welsh caps in the team who would eventually lost 17-9 to England. Pugh was reselected for the next game of the tournament, away to Scotland, but this was an even worse result than the English game, with the Welsh team letting in eight tries. Six of the Wales team never played for the national team after this match, though the selectors kept faith in Pugh for the next match against Ireland. After Jack Whitfield
Jack Whitfield
Jack Whitfield was a Welsh international rugby union hooker who played club rugby for Newport and club rugby for Monmouthshire...
's lone spell as captain in the Scotland game, the Welsh were now led by Rowe Harding
Rowe Harding
W. Rowe Harding was a Welsh international rugby union wing who played club rugby for Swansea. An intelligent player, Harding played for several teams at club and international level. In 1926 he attended Cambridge University and played for Cambridge in a varsity match...
, though the result remained the same. In a close game 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...
, Pugh scored his only international points when he scored one of two Welsh 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...
, though this was not enough to gain victory over the Irish team. In the final game of the tournament, Pugh found himself again selected, the only forward to have played in all four matches of the Championship.
Towards the end of 1924, Pugh was part of the Welsh squad who faced George Nepia
George Nepia
George Nepia was a Māori rugby union and rugby league player. He is remembered as an exceptional full-back and one of the most famous Māori rugby players. He was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. In 2004 he was selected as number 65 by the panel of the New Zealand's Top...
's touring New Zealand team. Wales were beaten in a one-sided affair, though Pugh worked tirelessly under the pack leadership of Steve Morris
Steve Morris (rugby union player)
Steve Morris was a Welsh international rugby union flanker who played club rugby for Cross Keys. A hard man, Morris was extremely physical in the way he played the game, sometimes over physical and he was unafraid to turn to violence if it was warranted. It is reported that he once knocked out a...
. Pugh played two more games for Wales, both in the 1925 Championship
1925 Five Nations Championship
The 1925 Five Nations Championship was the eleventh series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the thirty-eighth series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby...
, against England and Scotland. Wales lost both matches, leaving Pugh with only a single victory in a seven match international career.