Glyn Davidge
Encyclopedia
Glyn Davidge was a Welsh
international flanker who played club rugby for Tredegar
and Newport. He was awarded nine caps for Wales
and toured with Arthur Smith's
1962 British Lions
squad.
. In the Army he joined the South Wales Borderers and represented The Army rugby team. On his return to civilian life he rejoined Newport who he would play for until 1965. He captained Newport dueing the 1962.63 season. While at Newport he would play in the teams that faced all three great Southern Hemisphere sides, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. He was on the winning side against Australia (1957) and New Zealand (1963), but Newport were narrowly defeated 3-0 by the 1961 touring South Africans. Although losing the game, Davidge was considered to have been the most outstanding forward on the field that day. Davidge controlled the Springbok's attack and tackled heavily at every opportunity. Davidge was also a keen player of rugby sevens
and was part of the Newport team that won the Snelling Sevens
on three occasions between 1961 and 1963.
. He would play for Wales nine time in total including the South Africans who he would later play so well against for Newport.
Davidge was selected to play in the 1962 British Lions tour to South Africa
, but was injured after playing three games against club opposition.
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 flanker who played club rugby for Tredegar
Tredegar RFC
Tredegar Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in Tredegar. The club was founded in 1893 but at that time played under the name Tredegar Harriers. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons....
and Newport. He was awarded nine 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...
and toured with Arthur Smith's
Arthur Smith (rugby player)
Arthur Robert Smith was a wing of extraordinary ability and intelligence. He captained both Scotland and the British Lions. He won 33 caps for Scotland and was never dropped until his retirement in 1962, although he did miss the odd match due to injury...
1962 British Lions
1962 British Lions tour to South Africa
In 1962 the British Lions rugby union team toured Southern and Eastern Africa. Overall the tourists played twenty-five matches, winning sixteen, losing five and drawing four....
squad.
Club career
During the 1952/53 season, at the age of 18, Davidge played for Newport having previously been a member of Tredegar. As an adolescent, he had shown form and had played for Wales Youth, but before he could start a second season with Newport was called up for National ServiceNational service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
. In the Army he joined the South Wales Borderers and represented The Army rugby team. On his return to civilian life he rejoined Newport who he would play for until 1965. He captained Newport dueing the 1962.63 season. While at Newport he would play in the teams that faced all three great Southern Hemisphere sides, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. He was on the winning side against Australia (1957) and New Zealand (1963), but Newport were narrowly defeated 3-0 by the 1961 touring South Africans. Although losing the game, Davidge was considered to have been the most outstanding forward on the field that day. Davidge controlled the Springbok's attack and tackled heavily at every opportunity. Davidge was also a keen player of rugby sevens
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
and was part of the Newport team that won the Snelling Sevens
Snelling Sevens
The Snelling Sevens was an annual Welsh Rugby Union sevens competition that ran from 1954 until 1995....
on three occasions between 1961 and 1963.
International career
Davidge was selected to represent Wales on 4 April 1959 against France at Stade ColombesStade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir
The Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir - stadium in Colombes, near Paris, France . Named in memory of French rugby player Yves du Manoir in 1928. Was the main stadium for the 1924 Summer Olympics and had a capacity of 45,000 at the time...
. He would play for Wales nine time in total including the South Africans who he would later play so well against for Newport.
Davidge was selected to play in the 1962 British Lions tour to South Africa
1962 British Lions tour to South Africa
In 1962 the British Lions rugby union team toured Southern and Eastern Africa. Overall the tourists played twenty-five matches, winning sixteen, losing five and drawing four....
, but was injured after playing three games against club opposition.