Harry Bowcott was a Welsh

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 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 London Welsh and later became president of the Welsh Rugby Union

Welsh Rugby Union

The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...

.

Club career

Bowcott was a product of the Welsh Secondary Schools Rugby Union system, playing competitive matches while still a schoolboy. Educated at Cardiff High School

Cardiff High School

Cardiff High School is a comprehensive school in the Cyncoed area of Cardiff, Wales. Cardiff High School is two miles from the city centre, serving a neighbourhood of privately-owned houses. According to the 2007 ESTYN Report, "Cardiff High School is a very good school with many outstanding...

 he was taught rugby by school's rugby coach Eric Evans

Eric Evans (Welsh Rugby Union)

William Eric Evans was a Welsh rugby player and the secretary of the Welsh Rugby Union from 1948–1955....

. Bowcott was part of the Wales Secondary Schools team that beat Yorkshire Schools 18-13 at Pontypridd in April 1926, playing alongside him in that young team were future Welsh internationals J.D. Bartlett and Guy Morgan

Guy Morgan (rugby player)

Guy Morgan was a Welsh rugby union player who captained Wales in 1929. He also played cricket for Glamorgan County Cricket Club.-Rugby career:...

. He graduated to St Catharine's College, Cambridge

St Catharine's College, Cambridge

St. Catharine’s College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1473, the college is often referred to informally by the nickname "Catz".-History:...

 and while at university was awarded the Sporting Blue playing on the winning team in the 1927 and 1928 Varsity match. Bowcott would later play for Cardiff and then London Welsh when he moved to London to become a civil servant.

Bowcott later became a Welsh selector from 1963 to 1974, and in 1974 was made president of the Welsh Rugby Union. He died in 2004 in Wenvoe

Wenvoe

Wenvoe is a Welsh village between Barry and Cardiff in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Nearby is the Wenvoe Transmitter near Twyn-yr-Odyn and the HTV Wales Television Centre at Culverhouse Cross in the suburbs of Cardiff.-History:...

, Vale of Glamorgan

Vale of Glamorgan

The Vale of Glamorgan is a county borough in Wales; an exceptionally rich agricultural area, it lies in the southern part of Glamorgan, South Wales...

 at the age of 97.

International rugby career

Bowcott was first capped 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...

 in 1929, while still at Cambridge, at Swansea

St 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...

 against Scotland

Scotland national rugby union team

The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...

 alongside fellow school friend Guy Morgan. The next year Bowcott was captain of Wales, and he would play for his country on eight occasions. He was also part of the famous 1933 Welsh team that finally beat England at Twickenham

Twickenham Stadium

Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...

. Although it was Ronnie Boon

Ronnie Boon

Ronald Winston "Ronnie" Boon was an international rugby union wing for Wales who played club rugby for Cardiff. Boon possessed a tremendous self-confidence in his own ability and this was reflected in his nickname Cocky. Boon was a quick runner, representing Wales at the 220 yard sprint, and was...

 who scored all the Welsh points, Bowcott's kicking during the second half of the match ensured that the English were unable to get back into the game.

Bowcott was chosen to join the Lions on their tour of New Zealand and Australia in 1930, and played in 20 of the 27 matches, including all four test matches. He was partnered at centre with Carl Aarvold, a former light blue.

International matches played

Wales 1930, 1931, 1933 1929 1929, 1933 1929, 1931

Great Britain 1930 1930, 1930, 1930, 1930