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Frank Mills (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Frank Musgrave Mills was an English
-born rugby union
forward who played club rugby for Cardiff
and Swansea
and won 13 caps for Wales
. He is best remembered as being one of the Wales squad that won the Triple Crown
for the first time in 1893.
, he came to note as a rugby player when he represented first-class club Swansea, which he joined in 1892. His first season at Swansea also saw him selected for Wales, coming into the pack with fellow new caps, Wallace Watts
and Arthur Boucher
. Although Watts and Boucher were Newport players, Mills' international career would mirror theirs; playing 11 games with Boucher and 12 with Watts.
His debut Wales campaign was a poor one for the country. Mills played in all three games of the 1892 Home Nations Championship
, and Wales lost all of them. Despite this, the selectors kept faith with the team and in particular the forwards, which paid dividends the next season
when Wales, under the captaincy of Arthur 'Monkey' Gould won the Triple Crown for the first time in their history. Mills played in all three games, in a pack which was recognised for its weight, strength and scrummaging tactics.
Mills was reselected for the 1894 Home Nations Championship
, but a mixture of poor pitch conditions and Welsh in-fighting resulted in two loses and just a single win. At the end of the 1894 season, Mills is recorded playing at least one match for Glamorgan
, alongside Swansea team-mate Billy Bancroft
. The next season Mills had switched clubs from the Whites of Swansea to the Blues of Cardiff, but retained his position in the Welsh squad. By playing in all three games of the 1895 Championship
Mills had represented Wales in 12 consecutive international games, and his final game for Wales was the opening match of the 1896 tournament, which saw England run seven tries passed the Welsh without reply. The Welsh selectors lost faith in the pack, bringing in five new caps for the next game. Mills was one of those players replaced and never represented Wales again.
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 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 Swansea
Swansea RFC
Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
and won 13 caps 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 is best remembered as being one of the Wales squad that 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...
for the first time in 1893.
Rugby career
Although Mills originally played for Mountain AshMountain Ash RFC
Mountain Ash RFC is a Welsh rugby union team from the town of Mountain Ash, in the Cynon Valley, South Wales. Mountain Ash RFC is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Cardiff Blues.-Early history:...
, he came to note as a rugby player when he represented first-class club Swansea, which he joined in 1892. His first season at Swansea also saw him selected for Wales, coming into the pack with fellow new caps, Wallace Watts
Wallace Watts
| ru_amclubcaps =| ru_amclubpoints =| ru_amupdate =| ru_nationalteam = Wales| ru_nationalyears = 1892–1896| ru_nationalcaps = 12| ru_nationalpoints = | ru_ntupdate =| ru_coachclubs =| ru_coachyears =| ru_coachupdate =| other =| occupation =...
and Arthur Boucher
Arthur Boucher
Arthur Boucher was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Newport. Boucher was an adaptable player, who although selected mainly as a forward, often played at centre. He was strong, quick for his position and passed well on the run...
. Although Watts and Boucher were Newport players, Mills' international career would mirror theirs; playing 11 games with Boucher and 12 with Watts.
His debut Wales campaign was a poor one for the country. Mills played in all three games of the 1892 Home Nations Championship
1892 Home Nations Championship
The 1892 Home Nations Championship was the tenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 2 January and 5 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales....
, and Wales lost all of them. Despite this, the selectors kept faith with the team and in particular the forwards, which paid dividends the next season
1893 Home Nations Championship
The 1893 Home Nations Championship was the eleventh series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 17 January and 11 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales...
when Wales, under the captaincy of Arthur 'Monkey' Gould won the Triple Crown for the first time in their history. Mills played in all three games, in a pack which was recognised for its weight, strength and scrummaging tactics.
Mills was reselected for the 1894 Home Nations Championship
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:...
, but a mixture of poor pitch conditions and Welsh in-fighting resulted in two loses and just a single win. At the end of the 1894 season, Mills is recorded playing at least one match for Glamorgan
Glamorgan County RFC
Glamorgan County RFC is a Welsh rugby union club that manages an invitational team, known as Glamorgan that originally played rugby at county level...
, alongside Swansea team-mate Billy Bancroft
Billy Bancroft
Billy Bancroft was a Welsh international fullback who played club rugby for Swansea and a county cricketer for Glamorgan, becoming their first professional player in 1895....
. The next season Mills had switched clubs from the Whites of Swansea to the Blues of Cardiff, but retained his position in the Welsh squad. By playing in all three games of the 1895 Championship
1895 Home Nations Championship
The 1895 Home Nations Championship was the thirteenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 5 January and 16 March...
Mills had represented Wales in 12 consecutive international games, and his final game for Wales was the opening match of the 1896 tournament, which saw England run seven tries passed the Welsh without reply. The Welsh selectors lost faith in the pack, bringing in five new caps for the next game. Mills was one of those players replaced and never represented Wales again.