Harry Day (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Henry "Harry" Thomas Day (September 1863 – 12 July 1911) was a Welsh
international rugby union
forward who played club rugby for Newport and Cardiff
. Day was awarded five caps for Wales
, and was most notable for being part of the 1893
Welsh Triple Crown
winning team. A carpenter by trade, he was also the uncle of Harry Phillips
, who was also a Newport player who represented Wales.
team, who brought with them a strong physicality which the Newport team found difficult to match. Although only losing by five minors to nil at half time, Newport's defence crumbled in the second half with the Māoris winning by three tries
to nil.
Day had to wait five years from the New Zealand game to win his first cap, but was given his chance when he was called in to fill in for Tom Graham
in the final game of the 1892 Home Nations Championship
. Day joined a pack that was becoming an established fixture of the Welsh team, and although losing to Ireland, the selectors kept faith in him bringing him back into the squad for the 1893 Championship
. Day represented Wales for the first two games of the tournament, a narrow win over England at Cardiff
and a more convincing victory over the Scottish away at Raeburn Place
. Although Day was replaced by Swansea's
David Samuel
for the final game, the resulting win over Ireland gave Wales the Championship, and made Day a Triple Crown winner.
Day played two more international games for Wales, both as part of the 1894 Home Nations Championship
. Day missed the opening match away to England, but was chosen as the replacement when Arthur Boucher
was forced to withdraw for the game against Scotland. The Welsh team, which contained eight Newport players, beat the Scottish, but lost to Ireland in the final game of the tournament. The next season saw the return of Boucher, and Day did not represent Wales again.
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...
forward who played club rugby for Newport and 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...
. Day was awarded five 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 was most notable for being part 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...
Welsh 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 team. A carpenter by trade, he was also the uncle of Harry Phillips
Harry Phillips
Henry 'Harry' Thomas Phillips was a Welsh international rugby union lock who played club rugby for Cross Keys and Newport and international rugby for Wales...
, who was also a Newport player who represented Wales.
Rugby career
Day was a strong forward player, noted for the muscle he brought to the pack. This strength was required for his first notable game, played against the 1888 touring New Zealand Māori1888-1889 New Zealand Native football team
The 1888–1889 New Zealand Native football team was a New Zealand football team that toured Britain, Australia and New Zealand in 1888 and 1889. The team was composed mainly of players of Māori ancestry, although several Pakeha were included in the squad. The tour was a private endeavour, and was...
team, who brought with them a strong physicality which the Newport team found difficult to match. Although only losing by five minors to nil at half time, Newport's defence crumbled in the second half with the Māoris winning by three tries
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
to nil.
Day had to wait five years from the New Zealand game to win his first cap, but was given his chance when he was called in to fill in for Tom Graham
Tom Graham
Thomas 'Tom' Cooper Graham was an England-born rugby union international forward who played club rugby for Newport. He won 12 caps for Wales and was seen as intelligent, mobile forward player...
in the final game 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....
. Day joined a pack that was becoming an established fixture of the Welsh team, and although losing to Ireland, the selectors kept faith in him bringing him back into the squad for the 1893 Championship
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...
. Day represented Wales for the first two games of the tournament, a narrow win over England at Cardiff
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 a more convincing victory over the Scottish away at Raeburn Place
Raeburn Place
Raeburn Place is the main street of Stockbridge, Edinburgh, and the name of the playing fields there.-Rugby:The first international rugby football game was played on the playing fields at Raeburn Place on 27 March 1871 between England and Scotland. It was won by Scotland, though England got revenge...
. Although Day was replaced by Swansea's
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...
David Samuel
David Samuel (rugby player)
David Samuel was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Swansea and international rugby for Wales. He is most notable as being a member of the very first Welsh Triple Crown winning team, in 1893....
for the final game, the resulting win over Ireland gave Wales the Championship, and made Day a Triple Crown winner.
Day played two more international games for Wales, both 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:...
. Day missed the opening match away to England, but was chosen as the replacement when 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...
was forced to withdraw for the game against Scotland. The Welsh team, which contained eight Newport players, beat the Scottish, but lost to Ireland in the final game of the tournament. The next season saw the return of Boucher, and Day did not represent Wales again.