Tom Dobson
Encyclopedia
Tom Dobson was a Scottish
-born rugby union
forward who played club rugby for Cardiff
and international rugby for Wales
. His brother George Dobson
was also a rugby player who represented Cardiff and Wales.
, Scotland, but by 1873 his family is living in the Pontypridd
area of Wales. In the 1890s Dobson had moved to the Cardiff Docks
area where he had become a coal trimmer
. With the industrialisation of South Wales, heavy labourous began filling the forward positions in many Welsh club teams, and Dobson became part of the pack for Cardiff RFC
, one of the Wales' most prominent teams.
In 1898
, Wales were readmitted into the Home Nations Championship
after agreements were made to settle the Gould Affair. Dobson was one of seven new caps introduced into the Welsh team, and one of five in a vastly changed pack. Although the back positions were full of Cardiff players, Dobson was only supported by one team mate in the pack, Fred Cornish
, who was only collecting his second cap that match. The game was played away against Ireland, and without Arthur Gould, Wales were now captained by experienced fullback Billy Bancroft
. Bancroft was in good form during the match scoring a penalty goal and a conversion. Two tries were scored by Wales in an 11-3 win, one from Viv Huzzey
and the other scored by Dobson himself; his first and only international score. After the win, Dobson was reselected in a near unchanged squad that faced and lost to England in the final match of the 1898 Championship.
Dobson was back in the Wales squad the next year in the 1899 Championship
, joined in the pack only by David Daniel
and Willie Alexander
from the previous season, the other five players all being new caps. The first game of the Championship was against England, and Dobson was part of the team that secured a record win over the English, with Welsh wing Willie Llewellyn
scoring four tries. Dobson's final game was the Championship encounter with Scotland in 1899 which Wales lost 21-10.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
-born 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 Cardiff
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...
. His brother George Dobson
George Dobson
George Alexander Dobson was a Welsh rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cardiff and international rugby for Wales...
was also a rugby player who represented Cardiff and Wales.
Rugby career
Dobson was born in the small fishing village of Keiss in CaithnessCaithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
, Scotland, but by 1873 his family is living in the Pontypridd
Pontypridd
Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
area of Wales. In the 1890s Dobson had moved to the Cardiff Docks
Cardiff Docks
Cardiff Docks is a port in south Cardiff, Wales. At its peak, the port was one of the largest dock systems in the world with a total quayage of almost...
area where he had become a coal trimmer
Coal trimmer
A coal trimmer is an occupation involving the positioning of boats to be loaded with coal. It may also involve the spreading of coal evenly using a shovel inside the hold of a ship....
. With the industrialisation of South Wales, heavy labourous began filling the forward positions in many Welsh club teams, and Dobson became part of the pack for Cardiff RFC
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...
, one of the Wales' most prominent teams.
In 1898
1898 Home Nations Championship
The 1898 Home Nations Championship was the sixteenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Five matches were played between 5 February and 2 April. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales....
, Wales were readmitted into the Home Nations Championship
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
after agreements were made to settle the Gould Affair. Dobson was one of seven new caps introduced into the Welsh team, and one of five in a vastly changed pack. Although the back positions were full of Cardiff players, Dobson was only supported by one team mate in the pack, Fred Cornish
Fred Cornish
Frederick "Fred" Henry Cornish was an English-born rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cardiff and international rugby for Wales. Cornish 'Went North' in 1899 switching to rugby league, joining Hull.-Rugby career:...
, who was only collecting his second cap that match. The game was played away against Ireland, and without Arthur Gould, Wales were now captained by experienced fullback Billy Bancroft
Billy Bancroft
Billy Bancroft was a Welsh international fullback who played club rugby for Swansea and a county cricketer for Glamorgan, becoming their first professional player in 1895....
. Bancroft was in good form during the match scoring a penalty goal and a conversion. Two tries were scored by Wales in an 11-3 win, one from Viv Huzzey
Viv Huzzey
Viv Huzzey was a Welsh rugby union wing who played club rugby for Cardiff and won five caps for Wales. Huzzey was also an international baseball player.-Club career:...
and the other scored by Dobson himself; his first and only international score. After the win, Dobson was reselected in a near unchanged squad that faced and lost to England in the final match of the 1898 Championship.
Dobson was back in the Wales squad the next year in the 1899 Championship
1899 Home Nations Championship
The 1899 Home Nations Championship was the seventeenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 5 January and 18 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales....
, joined in the pack only by David Daniel
David Daniel
David John Daniel was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Llanelli and international rugby for Wales.-Personal history:...
and Willie Alexander
William Alexander (rugby player)
William "Billy" Alexander was a Welsh international rugby union prop who played club rugby for Llwynypia.-Club career:...
from the previous season, the other five players all being new caps. The first game of the Championship was against England, and Dobson was part of the team that secured a record win over the English, with Welsh wing Willie Llewellyn
Willie Llewellyn
William Morris "Willie" Llewellyn was a Welsh international rugby union player. He captained Wales in 1905 and London Welsh in 1902. He was a member of the winning Welsh team who beat the 1905 touring All Blacks, toured with the British Isles to Australasia in 1904 and won three Triple Crown...
scoring four tries. Dobson's final game was the Championship encounter with Scotland in 1899 which Wales lost 21-10.
International matches played for Wales
Wales 1898,1899- IrelandIreland national rugby union teamThe Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
1898 1899