Haydn Tanner
Encyclopedia
Haydn Tanner was a Welsh international rugby union
player who also played for the British and Irish Lions
and the Barbarians
.
Tanner was educated at Gowerton Grammar School and was still a schoolboy when he played at scrum-half for Swansea
against the All Blacks
at St. Helens in 1935. Swansea won the game by 11 points to 3, with Tanner and his cousin Willie Davies
outstanding. The New Zealand captain, Jack Manchester, is said to have passed back the message to New Zealand: "Tell them we have been beaten, but don't tell them it was by a pair of schoolboys".
In December the same year Tanner won his first cap for Wales
at the age of 18 years and 11 months, making him one of the youngest players to appear for Wales. The match was again against the All Blacks and Tanner was again on the winning side. He went on to win 25 international caps, 12 as captain, despite his career being interrupted by the Second World War.
Tanner toured South Africa
with the British and Irish Lions in 1938 and played in only one test owing to injury. In 1948 he was captain of the Barbarians
against Australia
. His last international match was against France
in 1949.
He was undoubtedly one of the greatest scrum-halves to ever play the game and, according to the 1950 Lion, Bleddyn Williams
, he was ‘the greatest’: "Among all the scrum-halves I’ve seen and played with, he would reign supreme," said Williams. "He had a superb pass – the best I ever played with. His service was even better than Gareth Edwards
."
Tanner died in his sleep on the 5 June 2009, aged 92.
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...
player who also played for the British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
and the Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
.
Tanner was educated at Gowerton Grammar School and was still a schoolboy when he played at scrum-half 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...
against the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
at St. Helens in 1935. Swansea won the game by 11 points to 3, with Tanner and his cousin Willie Davies
Willie Davies
Willie Davies was a Welsh international dual-code rugby fly half who played rugby union for Swansea and rugby league for Bradford Northern. He won six caps for the Wales rugby union team and nine caps for the Wales rugby league side...
outstanding. The New Zealand captain, Jack Manchester, is said to have passed back the message to New Zealand: "Tell them we have been beaten, but don't tell them it was by a pair of schoolboys".
In December the same year Tanner won his first cap 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...
at the age of 18 years and 11 months, making him one of the youngest players to appear for Wales. The match was again against the All Blacks and Tanner was again on the winning side. He went on to win 25 international caps, 12 as captain, despite his career being interrupted by the Second World War.
Tanner toured South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
with the British and Irish Lions in 1938 and played in only one test owing to injury. In 1948 he was captain of the Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
against Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
. His last international match was against France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
in 1949.
He was undoubtedly one of the greatest scrum-halves to ever play the game and, according to the 1950 Lion, Bleddyn Williams
Bleddyn Williams
Bleddyn Williams MBE , was a Welsh rugby union centre. He played in 22 internationals for Wales, captaining them five times, winning each time, and captained the British Lions in 1950 for some of their tour of Australia and New Zealand...
, he was ‘the greatest’: "Among all the scrum-halves I’ve seen and played with, he would reign supreme," said Williams. "He had a superb pass – the best I ever played with. His service was even better than Gareth Edwards
Gareth Edwards
Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey"....
."
Tanner died in his sleep on the 5 June 2009, aged 92.