David Daniel
Encyclopedia
David John Daniel was a Welsh
international rugby union
forward who played club rugby for Llanelli
and international rugby for Wales
.
he became British light-heavyweight boxing champion in 1927. Daniel was a mason by trade but also worked as a brewery worker.
. Daniel was one of three new caps in the Welsh squad for the Scotland game, but the only one brought into the pack. Under the captaincy of veteran forward Willie Thomas
, Wales were outclassed by Scotland, who scored seven tries without reply. The next game of the Championship saw a vastly altered Welsh pack with four new caps, Daniel was one of the players dropped.
Daniel failed to be reselected for three years, but in 1894
, the year after Wales had won the Triple Crown
, he was brought back into the pack as a replacement for Newport's David Samuel
. Daniel kept his place throughout the Championship, which saw Wales lose to England and Ireland, but win at home to Scotland. Despite the fact the Daniel had held down a position for the full series, the next season he was again replaced, this time by William Elsey
who was in turn replaced by Ernie George
after a single game.
Another four seasons passed, and Daniel was again back in favour with the Welsh selectors, when he came into the Welsh squad to face Ireland as part of the 1898 Home Nations Championship
. This was the first Wales match after the Gould Affair, and Daniel found himself the veteran pack leader, with five of the pack newly capped that match, and the other two positions held by Fred Cornish
and Dick Hellings
, both having played just a single game each. This meant that Daniel had twice as many caps as the entire seven other pack members combined. Despite the inexperience of the Welsh pack, Wales were victorious over the Irish, winning 11-3. The selectors reacted by keeping faith in the Welsh squad, which saw no newly capped players, and Daniel leading out an almost unchanged pack against England at Blackheath
. Despite a try and a dropped goal from Viv Huzzey
, Wales lost the game.
Daniel's final season with Wales was during the 1899 Home Nations Championship
. After a record win over England, Daniel missed the away game to Scotland, replaced by Fred Scrine
, but returned for the home game to Ireland at the Cardiff Arms Park
; Daniel's final Wales international match.
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...
forward who played club rugby for Llanelli
Llanelli RFC
Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
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...
.
Personal history
Daniel was born in 1871 in Llanelli. He married Francis Ann Roberts and they had thirteen children. His son William Daniel was a boxer of some note, fighting under the name Gipsy DanielsGipsy Daniels
William "Gipsy" Daniels , was a Welsh Light-heavyweight boxing champion of Britain who, in an eighteen-year career, took in 141 contests, including eight fights in New York, and notably knocked out Max Schmeling in the first round of a 1928 encounter.There is some confusion as to Daniels' actual...
he became British light-heavyweight boxing champion in 1927. Daniel was a mason by trade but also worked as a brewery worker.
Rugby career
Daniel came to note as a rugby player for first class side Llanelli. It was while playing for Llanelli that Daniel was first selected to represent Wales, an away game against Scotland as part of the 1891 Home Nations Championship1891 Home Nations Championship
The 1891 Home Nations Championship was the ninth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 3 January and 7 March...
. Daniel was one of three new caps in the Welsh squad for the Scotland game, but the only one brought into the pack. Under the captaincy of veteran forward Willie Thomas
Willie Thomas
William 'Willie' Henry Thomas was a Welsh international rugby union player who played club rugby for Llanelli and London Welsh. He was capped eleven times for Wales and captained the team on two occasions. In 1888, Thomas was chosen to tour New Zealand and Australia as part of the first British...
, Wales were outclassed by Scotland, who scored seven tries without reply. The next game of the Championship saw a vastly altered Welsh pack with four new caps, Daniel was one of the players dropped.
Daniel failed to be reselected for three years, but in 1894
1894 Home Nations Championship
The 1894 Home Nations Championship was the twelfth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 6 January and 17 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.-Table:-Results:...
, the year after Wales had won the 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...
, he was brought back into the pack as a replacement for Newport's David Samuel
David Samuel (rugby player)
David Samuel was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Swansea and international rugby for Wales. He is most notable as being a member of the very first Welsh Triple Crown winning team, in 1893....
. Daniel kept his place throughout the Championship, which saw Wales lose to England and Ireland, but win at home to Scotland. Despite the fact the Daniel had held down a position for the full series, the next season he was again replaced, this time by William Elsey
William Elsey (rugby player)
William Elsey was an English-born rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cardiff and won a single international cap for Wales in 1895.-Rugby career:...
who was in turn replaced by Ernie George
Ernie George
Ernest "Ernie" Edward George was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for a variety of teams, but is most associated with Pontypridd and Cardiff...
after a single game.
Another four seasons passed, and Daniel was again back in favour with the Welsh selectors, when he came into the Welsh squad to face Ireland as part of the 1898 Home Nations Championship
1898 Home Nations Championship
The 1898 Home Nations Championship was the sixteenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Five matches were played between 5 February and 2 April. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales....
. This was the first Wales match after the Gould Affair, and Daniel found himself the veteran pack leader, with five of the pack newly capped that match, and the other two positions held by Fred Cornish
Fred Cornish
Frederick "Fred" Henry Cornish was an English-born rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cardiff and international rugby for Wales. Cornish 'Went North' in 1899 switching to rugby league, joining Hull.-Rugby career:...
and Dick Hellings
Dick Hellings
Richard 'Dick' Hellings was an English born rugby union forward who played international rugby for Wales and club rugby for Llwynypia. Hellings was noted for his strength built from years cutting coal as a Rhondda miner...
, both having played just a single game each. This meant that Daniel had twice as many caps as the entire seven other pack members combined. Despite the inexperience of the Welsh pack, Wales were victorious over the Irish, winning 11-3. The selectors reacted by keeping faith in the Welsh squad, which saw no newly capped players, and Daniel leading out an almost unchanged pack against England at Blackheath
Rectory Field
Rectory Field is a playing field in Blackheath, London. It was developed in the 1880s by Blackheath Cricket, Football and Lawn Tennis Company and became the home of Kent County Cricket Club and rugby union team Blackheath F.C....
. Despite a try and a dropped goal from Viv Huzzey
Viv Huzzey
Viv Huzzey was a Welsh rugby union wing who played club rugby for Cardiff and won five caps for Wales. Huzzey was also an international baseball player.-Club career:...
, Wales lost the game.
Daniel's final season with Wales was during the 1899 Home Nations Championship
1899 Home Nations Championship
The 1899 Home Nations Championship was the seventeenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 5 January and 18 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales....
. After a record win over England, Daniel missed the away game to Scotland, replaced by Fred Scrine
Fred Scrine
Fred Scrine was a Welsh international rugby union scrum-half who played club rugby for Swansea. Scrine's style of play was as a fast spoiling player and was first capped for Wales in 1899 against England.-Rugby career:...
, but returned for the home game to Ireland 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...
; Daniel's final Wales international match.