Frank Williams (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Frank L Williams was a Welsh
international rugby union
centre for Wales
who played club rugby for Cardiff
, Wakefield
and Headingley. Williams was a solid defensive player, who not only tackled well but was also unafraid to cover a grounded ball and accepted the punishment meted out.
. Wales won 14-7, ending a run of four consecutive home defeats to Scotland. Williams was reselected in Wales's next two games, a victory over France and a trip to Ireland for the final game of the 1929 Championship
. Williams was among the majority of the Welsh players to wake up feeling ill on the morning of the Ireland game, with only tee-totalers Morley
and Peacock
unaffected. Ireland took an early lead in a brutal, defensive encounter. Williams managed to break through the Irish defence to score his first international try, which Dai Parker
converted to give Wales a draw.
In 1929 Williams was appointed as the sports master of Wakefield Grammar School
in Yorkshire, and played the rest of his club career in Yorkshire, playing club rugby for Wakefield
and Headingley and county rugby for the Yorkshire XV. Williams continued to represent Wales, turning out for all four matches in the 1930 Five Nations Championship
, in which Wales finished second, losing to Scotland and England and beating Ireland and France. In the same year Williams was offered a position in the 1930 British Lions tour
, but turned down the invitation.
Williams was back in the Wales squad for the 1931 Championship
, though he missed the first two games against England and Scotland. In the match against France he linked up with Claude Davey
and Dicky Ralph
to form a strong midfield triangle which over-ran the French. Wales scored seven tries, with Williams scoring his second try for his country. In the final match of the tournament Wales beat Ireland 15-3 and won the Five Nations Championship.
At the end of the 1930/31 season, Williams was chosen to tour south Wales with the Barbarians. It was a very successful set of matches for the invitational Baa-Baas, winning all their matches in south Wales for the first time. At the end of 1931, the touring South Africans
arrived in Britain and Williams faced them twice. Williams was on the losing side twice, firstly for Wales in December, and then as part of a joint Yorkshire/Cumberland team in January the next year.
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...
centre 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...
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...
, Wakefield
Wakefield RFC
Wakefield RFC was an English rugby union club, founded in 1901, and which dropped out of the English leagues in 2004 as a result of the effects of professionalism...
and Headingley. Williams was a solid defensive player, who not only tackled well but was also unafraid to cover a grounded ball and accepted the punishment meted out.
Rugby career
Williams was first selected for Wales on 2 February 1929 in a game against Scotland at St HelensSt Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground
St. Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground is a spectator venue in Swansea, Wales. It is used for both rugby and cricket.It is owned and operated by the City and County of Swansea council and is also used to host the local annual Guy Fawkes night fireworks display.-History:Since the ground opened in...
. Wales won 14-7, ending a run of four consecutive home defeats to Scotland. Williams was reselected in Wales's next two games, a victory over France and a trip to Ireland for the final game of the 1929 Championship
1929 Five Nations Championship
The 1929 Five Nations Championship was the fifteenth 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 forty-second series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby...
. Williams was among the majority of the Welsh players to wake up feeling ill on the morning of the Ireland game, with only tee-totalers Morley
Jack Morley
John 'Jack' Cuthbert Morley was a Welsh international rugby wing who played rugby union for Newport and rugby league with Wigan...
and Peacock
Harry Peacock
Harry Peacock was a Welsh international rugby union flanker who played rugby union for Newport. He won six caps for Wales and faced two international touring teams with Newport....
unaffected. Ireland took an early lead in a brutal, defensive encounter. Williams managed to break through the Irish defence to score his first international try, which Dai Parker
Dai Parker
David 'Dai' Parker was a Welsh international rugby union prop who played club rugby for Swansea. He won ten caps for Wales and was selected to play in the 1930 British Lions tour of New Zealand and Australia.-Club career:...
converted to give Wales a draw.
In 1929 Williams was appointed as the sports master of Wakefield Grammar School
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School is an independent school in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. QEGS is distinct from most other schools in that it was founded by Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I in 1591 at the request of leading citizens in Wakefield 75 in total and some of whom formed the...
in Yorkshire, and played the rest of his club career in Yorkshire, playing club rugby for Wakefield
Wakefield RFC
Wakefield RFC was an English rugby union club, founded in 1901, and which dropped out of the English leagues in 2004 as a result of the effects of professionalism...
and Headingley and county rugby for the Yorkshire XV. Williams continued to represent Wales, turning out for all four matches in the 1930 Five Nations Championship
1930 Five Nations Championship
The 1930 Five Nations Championship was the sixteenth 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 forty-third series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby...
, in which Wales finished second, losing to Scotland and England and beating Ireland and France. In the same year Williams was offered a position in the 1930 British Lions tour
1930 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia
The 1930 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia was the twelfth tour by a British Isles team and the fifth to New Zealand and Australia...
, but turned down the invitation.
Williams was back in the Wales squad for the 1931 Championship
1931 Five Nations Championship
The 1931 Five Nations Championship was the seventeenth 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 forty-fourth series of the annual northern hemisphere...
, though he missed the first two games against England and Scotland. In the match against France he linked up with Claude Davey
Claude Davey
Claude Davey was a Wales international rugby union player who played club rugby for several teams, most notably Sale and Swansea. He was awarded 23 caps for Wales and captained his country eight times...
and Dicky Ralph
Dicky Ralph
Dicky Ralph was a Welsh international rugby fly-half who played rugby union for Newport and rugby league with Leeds. He won six caps for Wales at rugby union and also represented his country at rugby league....
to form a strong midfield triangle which over-ran the French. Wales scored seven tries, with Williams scoring his second try for his country. In the final match of the tournament Wales beat Ireland 15-3 and won the Five Nations Championship.
At the end of the 1930/31 season, Williams was chosen to tour south Wales with the Barbarians. It was a very successful set of matches for the invitational Baa-Baas, winning all their matches in south Wales for the first time. At the end of 1931, the touring South Africans
1931-32 South Africa rugby union tour
The 1931-32 South Africa tour of Britain and Ireland was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the South Africa national rugby union team against the four British Home Nation teams. The tour also took in several matches against British and Irish club, county and invitational teams...
arrived in Britain and Williams faced them twice. Williams was on the losing side twice, firstly for Wales in December, and then as part of a joint Yorkshire/Cumberland team in January the next year.
International matches played
Wales 1930, 1932 1929, 1930, 1931- 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...
1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933 1929, 1930, 1932 1931