Lewis Cobden Thomas 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...

 forward who played club rugby for Neath

Neath RFC

Neath Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. The club's home ground is The Gnoll, Neath. The first team is known as the Welsh All Blacks because of the team colours: black with only a white cross pattée as an emblem...

 and Cardiff Rugby Football Club

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 international rugby 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 1900 he became the Mayor of Neath

Neath

Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...

.

Personal history

Thomas was born in 1865, and was educated at various colleges before matriculating to Aberystwyth University. He became a solicitor and founded a legal firm in Neath. He was elected onto Neath Town Council in 1897 and was made mayor in 1900. As well as a keen rugby player, Thomas was also a powerful swimmer and rescued a man from drowning in the Blue Pool, Pontsarn in Merthyr. For this action he was awarded Certificate of the Royal Humane Society.

Rugby career

Thomas was capped for Wales twice. He was first selected for the Welsh squad in the opening game of the 1885 Home Nations Championship

1885 Home Nations Championship

The 1885 Home Nations Championship was the third series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Four matches were played between 3 January and 21 February 1885. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales...

 in a match played at St Helen's against England. Thomas was one of three first caps in the Welsh pack for the game, the other two were Ernest Rowland

Ernest Rowland

Ernest Melville Rowlands was a Welsh international rugby union player who played rugby for Lampeter University and international rugby for Wales.-Personal life:...

 from Lampeter University and 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...

 Evan Richards

Evan Richards

Evan Sloane Richards was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Swansea, captaining the club through three seasons during the 1880s. Richards' father was Member of Parliament for Ceredigion, Evan Matthew Richards.- Rugby career :Richards first came to prominence within...

, but the team is best remembered for introducing Arthur Gould to the Wales team. Wales lost the game, but Thomas was re-selected for the very next game, away to Scotland. Wales drew the game in a nil - nil result and Thomas was dropped for the next tournament. His cap and jersey are held at the Neath clubhouse.