T. Williams
Encyclopedia
T. Williams was a rugby union
forward who played club rugby for Swansea
and London Welsh and played international rugby for Wales
. Very little is known of Williams and he is often confused with his contemporary Tom Williams
who also played for Wales around the same period, and who also had connections with London Welsh.
exile team, London Welsh. The team contained six players who were, or would soon, be capped for Wales, Williams, Arthur 'Monkey' Gould, Martyn Jordan
, Thomas Judson
, Charles Taylor
and Rowley Thomas
. Williams became a regular player for London Welsh, and was one of the team's players to be included in an 'exiles' team, along with players from London Scottish
, to face a London XV in a charity match at The Oval
, in the presence of the Prince of Wales
.
By 1888, Williams was playing for Swansea, and on 4 February he earns his first international cap when he is selected for the team to face Scotland, as part of the Home Nations Championship
. Under the captaincy of Tom Clapp
, Williams came into a very inexperienced pack to face a team that Wales had yet to beat in a rugby international. Williams was one of seven new Welsh caps in the match, which included Swansea team mates John Meredith
and William Howell
. Wales won an historic match, beating Scotland for the first time, thanks to a debut try from Thomas Pryce-Jenkins
, who was at the time playing club rugby for London Welsh. Williams was reselected for the very next match, his second and final international for Wales. Played away from home at Lansdowne Road
, Wales were beaten by Ireland two goals to nil.
Towards the end of 1888, the world's first touring Southern Hempisphere rugby team, the New Zealand Natives
, challenged several Welsh teams. The Māoris had already been beaten by Llanelli
and Wales, and on 24 December, they faced Swansea in a match played in continuous heavy rain. Williams lined up in the pack with his team captain William Towers, but the squad was missing two of their influential backs, Whapham and Gwynn
. Swansea had only lost one match that season before the game, and after a clear New Zealand victory, the Swansea team was criticised for its "Boundless complacency".
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 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 London Welsh and played 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...
. Very little is known of Williams and he is often confused with his contemporary Tom Williams
Tom Williams (Welsh rugby player)
Thomas Williams was a Welsh rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cardiff and Pontypridd and international rugby for Wales. A solicitor by profession, Williams would later become a national selector for the Welsh Rugby Union...
who also played for Wales around the same period, and who also had connections with London Welsh.
Rugby career
Williams' first notable connection to rugby occurred on 24 October 1885, when he turned out for the very first match for the LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
exile team, London Welsh. The team contained six players who were, or would soon, be capped for Wales, Williams, Arthur 'Monkey' Gould, Martyn Jordan
Martyn Jordan
Martyn Jordan was an English-born international rugby union player who played club rugby for London Welsh and Newport and international rugby for Wales...
, Thomas Judson
Thomas Judson
Thomas Haigh Judson was an English-born international rugby union player who played club rugby for Llanelli and international rugby for Wales...
, Charles Taylor
Charles Taylor (rugby player)
Engineer Captain Charles Gerald Taylor LVO was a Royal Navy officer and Wales international rugby union player who played club rugby for Blackheath. He was the first Welsh international to be killed in action during World War I...
and Rowley Thomas
Rowley Thomas
Rowland 'Rowley' Lewis Thomas was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for London Welsh, of whom he was a founding member, and county rugby for Middlesex...
. Williams became a regular player for London Welsh, and was one of the team's players to be included in an 'exiles' team, along with players from London Scottish
London Scottish F.C.
London Scottish Football Club is a rugby union club in England. It is a member of both the Rugby Football Union and the Scottish Rugby Union.-History:...
, to face a London XV in a charity match at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
, in the presence of the Prince of Wales
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
.
By 1888, Williams was playing for Swansea, and on 4 February he earns his first international cap when he is selected for the team to face Scotland, as part of the Home Nations Championship
1888 Home Nations Championship
The 1888 Home Nations Championship was the sixth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Three matches were played between 4 February and 10 March. It was contested by Ireland, Scotland and Wales. England was excluded from the Championship due to their refusal to join the...
. Under the captaincy of Tom Clapp
Tom Clapp
Tom Clapp was an English-born international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Newport and Nantyglo RFC. He won 14 caps for Wales and captained the team on three occasions...
, Williams came into a very inexperienced pack to face a team that Wales had yet to beat in a rugby international. Williams was one of seven new Welsh caps in the match, which included Swansea team mates John Meredith
John Meredith (rugby player)
John Meredith was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Swansea and won four caps for Wales. Outside rugby, Meredith later became a literary adjudicator in Eisteddfodau.-Rugby career:...
and William Howell
William Howell (rugby player)
William Henry Howell was a Welsh rugby union forward who played club rugby for Swansea and international rugby for Wales.-Rugby career:...
. Wales won an historic match, beating Scotland for the first time, thanks to a debut try from Thomas Pryce-Jenkins
Thomas Pryce-Jenkins
Dr. Thomas John Pryce-Jenkins was a Welsh international rugby union wing who played club rugby for London Welsh and county rugby for Middlesex...
, who was at the time playing club rugby for London Welsh. Williams was reselected for the very next match, his second and final international for Wales. Played away from home at Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...
, Wales were beaten by Ireland two goals to nil.
Towards the end of 1888, the world's first touring Southern Hempisphere rugby team, the New Zealand Natives
1888-1889 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...
, challenged several Welsh teams. The Māoris had already been beaten by Llanelli
Llanelli RFC
Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
and Wales, and on 24 December, they faced Swansea in a match played in continuous heavy rain. Williams lined up in the pack with his team captain William Towers, but the squad was missing two of their influential backs, Whapham and Gwynn
David Gwynn
David 'Dai' Gwynn was a Welsh international rugby union wing who played club rugby for Swansea and county rugby for Lancashire...
. Swansea had only lost one match that season before the game, and after a clear New Zealand victory, the Swansea team was criticised for its "Boundless complacency".