Harry Payne
Encyclopedia
Harry Thomas Payne was a Welsh
international rugby union
prop who played club rugby for Swansea
and was capped for Wales
on one occasion. A hard forward player Payne was described as 'tough-as-teak' and was still playing for veteran teams at the age of 84.
before joining first class side Swansea in 1931. On the 28 September 1935, Payne was chosen to play for the Swansea team to face the touring New Zealand team
. When Swansea beat the All Blacks, they became the first club team to do so and also the first team to beat all three major Southern Hemisphere teams.
Later in 1935, Payne was selected to face the same touring New Zealand team for Wales along with team mates Don Tarr
, Haydn Tanner
and Claude Davey
. This was Payne's one and only cap for his country, but it was a memorable game for Wales as they won 13-12, with fourteen men for the last ten minutes after Tarr was stretchered off with a broken neck. Although being selected as a reserve player on several occasions, Payne never played for Wales again.
During the 1938/39 season Payne was chosen to captain Swansea, but with the outbreak of war, Payne joined the Royal Marines
. While in the marines he played rugby for both the marines and the Royal Navy and played in two wartime international for Wales against England. He saw action as a soldier in North Africa, Sicily and Italy, and was awarded six battle medals. On returning to Wales during peacetime he returned to working in the mines.
His later career included playing for veteran teams; and in 1989 at the age of 82, he turned out for a match against Bordeaux. His rugby career was finally halted after he broke his ankle while playing for Swansea Veterans RFC, in a match in Holland in 1992.
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...
prop who played club rugby for Swansea
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...
and was 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...
on one occasion. A hard forward player Payne was described as 'tough-as-teak' and was still playing for veteran teams at the age of 84.
Rugby career
Payne was born in Llangyfelach and at the age of 14 had left school to join his father in the coal industry, tending the pit ponies. Payne initially had a trial for local soccer team Swansea A.F.C. but switched sports to rugby union playing for both Mynyddbach and MorristonMorriston RFC
Morriston Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the village of Morriston, Swansea in West Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Ospreys....
before joining first class side Swansea in 1931. On the 28 September 1935, Payne was chosen to play for the Swansea team to face the touring New Zealand team
1935-36 New Zealand rugby union tour of the British Isles and Canada
-Matches:-Three-Quarters:* N. Ball * H.M. Brown * G.F. Hart * N.A. Mitchell * C.J. Oliver -Five-eighths:* J.L. Griffiths * T.H.C. Caughey * J.R. Page...
. When Swansea beat the All Blacks, they became the first club team to do so and also the first team to beat all three major Southern Hemisphere teams.
Later in 1935, Payne was selected to face the same touring New Zealand team for Wales along with team mates Don Tarr
Don Tarr
Donald "Don" James Tarr was a Welsh international hooker who played club rugby for Swansea and Cardiff, county rugby for Hampshire and invitational rugby for the Barbarians...
, Haydn Tanner
Haydn Tanner
Haydn Tanner was a Welsh international rugby union player who also played for the British and Irish Lions and the Barbarians....
and 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...
. This was Payne's one and only cap for his country, but it was a memorable game for Wales as they won 13-12, with fourteen men for the last ten minutes after Tarr was stretchered off with a broken neck. Although being selected as a reserve player on several occasions, Payne never played for Wales again.
During the 1938/39 season Payne was chosen to captain Swansea, but with the outbreak of war, Payne joined the Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
. While in the marines he played rugby for both the marines and the Royal Navy and played in two wartime international for Wales against England. He saw action as a soldier in North Africa, Sicily and Italy, and was awarded six battle medals. On returning to Wales during peacetime he returned to working in the mines.
His later career included playing for veteran teams; and in 1989 at the age of 82, he turned out for a match against Bordeaux. His rugby career was finally halted after he broke his ankle while playing for Swansea Veterans RFC, in a match in Holland in 1992.