Fred Hutchinson (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Frederick Osborne Hutchinson (1867–1941) was a Welsh
international rugby union
back row who played club rugby for Maesteg
, Bridgend and Neath
and international rugby for Wales
.
, before eventually joining one of the largest clubs in the area, Neath. While representing Neath, Hutchinson was selected to represent Wales as part of the 1894 Home Nations Championship
, facing Ireland away in Belfast. Hutchinson was one of three new caps to come into the Welsh squad, with Jack Elliott
at three-quarters and David Nicholl
joining Hutchinson in the pack. Although Wales had been beaten heavily by England in the opening game of the tournament, a morale-boosting win over Scotland had lifted Welsh hopes of a victory over Ireland. The match was played on a boggy pitch at Ballynafeigh, with the Irish winning by a single penalty goal.
Hutchinson was not re-selected for the next season, with the reintroduction of Charles Nicholl
, who Hutchinson had himself covered during the 1894 Ireland encounter. The opening game of the 1896 Home Nations Championship
saw Wales suffer a terrible seven try to nil defeat away to England. This forced the Welsh selectors to make massive changes to the Welsh pack, which contained several veteran Welsh forwards of the 1893
Triple Crown
winning side. Five new caps were brought into the team for the second match of the Championship, with Hutchinson regaining his place as one of only three returning players in the pack. Under the captaincy of Arthur 'Monkey' Gould, the Welsh beat Scotland 6–0 at the Cardiff Arms Park
, and Hutchinson was brought back for the final game of the series away to Ireland. Again the Welsh struggled in Ireland losing 4–8. Hutchinson was replaced the next season by Fred Cornish
and did not represent Wales again.
In 1894, Hutchinson was a member of the Glamorgan County
team that faced Devonshire.
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...
back row who played club rugby for 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:...
, Bridgend 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...
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...
.
Rugby career
Hutchinson originally played club rugby for his local team MaestegMaesteg 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:...
, before eventually joining one of the largest clubs in the area, Neath. While representing Neath, Hutchinson was selected to represent Wales as part of 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:...
, facing Ireland away in Belfast. Hutchinson was one of three new caps to come into the Welsh squad, with Jack Elliott
Jack Elliott (rugby player)
John "Jack" Elliott was a Welsh rugby union scrum-half who played club rugby for Cardiff and international rugby for Wales, winning three caps....
at three-quarters and David Nicholl
David Nicholl (rugby player)
David Nicholl was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Llanelli and international rugby for Wales.-Rugby career:...
joining Hutchinson in the pack. Although Wales had been beaten heavily by England in the opening game of the tournament, a morale-boosting win over Scotland had lifted Welsh hopes of a victory over Ireland. The match was played on a boggy pitch at Ballynafeigh, with the Irish winning by a single penalty goal.
Hutchinson was not re-selected for the next season, with the reintroduction of Charles Nicholl
Charles Nicholl
Charles "Boomer" Bowen Nicholl was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cambridge University and Llanelli...
, who Hutchinson had himself covered during the 1894 Ireland encounter. The opening game of the 1896 Home Nations Championship
1896 Home Nations Championship
The 1896 Home Nations Championship was the fourteenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 4 January and 14 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.-Table:-Results:...
saw Wales suffer a terrible seven try to nil defeat away to England. This forced the Welsh selectors to make massive changes to the Welsh pack, which contained several veteran Welsh forwards of the 1893
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...
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...
winning side. Five new caps were brought into the team for the second match of the Championship, with Hutchinson regaining his place as one of only three returning players in the pack. Under the captaincy of Arthur 'Monkey' Gould, the Welsh beat Scotland 6–0 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...
, and Hutchinson was brought back for the final game of the series away to Ireland. Again the Welsh struggled in Ireland losing 4–8. Hutchinson was replaced the next season 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 did not represent Wales again.
In 1894, Hutchinson was a member of the Glamorgan County
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...
team that faced Devonshire.