Stanley Williams (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Stanley Williams DSO
(2 November 1886 - 30 April 1936) was a Welsh
rugby union
fullback who played club rugby for Newport. He won five caps for England
and was selected for the British Lions
1910 tour of South Africa
, in which he played in all three test games.
and was at one stage selected as a reserve for the team, but was never officially selected to represent his birth country. In 1910 Williams was one of five Newport players chosen to represent the British Isles on their tour of South Africa. Williams played in all three test matches.
When the English rugby union invoked Newport's rugby union membership Williams switched his international allegiance to England. Williams was first capped for England on 21 January 1911 when he played against Wales at St Helens
. England lost the match 11-15, but in the second game of the Championship
Williams finished on the winning side when the English team crushed France 37-0. Williams played in the next two games for England when they lost in tight game to Ireland and beat Scotland to leave them with the Wooden Spoon.
British Isles 1910, 1910, 1910
In 1936 on a return trip form Rio de Janeiro to Southampton on the Royal Mail ship Arlanza
Williams fell overboard and was declared lost.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(2 November 1886 - 30 April 1936) 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...
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...
fullback who played club rugby for Newport. He won five caps for England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
and was selected for the British 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...
1910 tour of South Africa
1910 British Lions tour to South Africa
The 1910 British Isles tour to South Africa was the eighth tour by a British Isles team and the fourth to South Africa. It is retrospectively classed as one of the British Lions tours, as the Lions naming convention was not adopted until 1950. As well as South Africa, the tour included a game in...
, in which he played in all three test games.
Rugby career
Williams first played for Newport in 1901 and was part of the team that faced the touring 1908 Australians. Whilst with Newport he had several trials with WalesWales 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 at one stage selected as a reserve for the team, but was never officially selected to represent his birth country. In 1910 Williams was one of five Newport players chosen to represent the British Isles on their tour of South Africa. Williams played in all three test matches.
When the English rugby union invoked Newport's rugby union membership Williams switched his international allegiance to England. Williams was first capped for England on 21 January 1911 when he played against Wales at St Helens
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...
. England lost the match 11-15, but in the second game of the Championship
1911 Five Nations Championship
The 1911 Five Nations Championship was the second series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the twenty-ninth series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby...
Williams finished on the winning side when the English team crushed France 37-0. Williams played in the next two games for England when they lost in tight game to Ireland and beat Scotland to leave them with the Wooden Spoon.
International matches played
England 1911 1911 1911 1911British Isles 1910, 1910, 1910
Later life
Williams served his country during World War I, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his actions during the conflict.In 1936 on a return trip form Rio de Janeiro to Southampton on the Royal Mail ship Arlanza
RMS Arlanza (1912)
RMS Arlanza was an ocean liner of the Royal Mail Lines in service from 1912 to 1938.Arlanza was built by Harland & Wolff in Belfast for service between Southampton and the east coast of South America, in the same slip that earlier had been used to build the Olympic. The Britannic was built in the...
Williams fell overboard and was declared lost.