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Tom Williams (Welsh rugby player)
Encyclopedia
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
. Williams was also responsible for suggesting the singing of the Welsh national anthem in a match in 1905, the first time a national anthem was sung before a sporting event.
Williams was born in Llwynypia
into a farming community in the Rhondda Valley
and in his early years he lived in at the Tonypandy
Inn. A solicitor by trade, he trained for his profession in Pontypridd
, probably under Spicketts. Williams was the uncle of Wales international and British Lion
Willie Llewellyn
.
in the South Wales Challenge Cup at Neath
. The following year, Williams had switched to Pontypridd, and it was while with Pontypridd that he was selected for his one and only Welsh international cap
. Wales had only played one international prior to 1882, a humiliating defeat to England
at Blackheath. Williams was brought into a much changed pack to face Ireland, the first meeting between the two countries in a rugby union match. The Irish team were poor, and Wales earned their very first international victory, winning by two goals to nil. Although victorious, Williams was one of two players to be replaced for the next game, along with Hugh Vincent
.
After his international career, Williams returned to Cardiff Rugby Club. In 1884, while playing for Cardiff, Williams fell ill, and was replaced by Frank Hancock
. On Williams recovery, the Cardiff club could not choose between Williams, their fastest threequarter, and Hancock, who had played to an impressive standard during his short run. Cardiff decided to play both, dropping a player from the pack to accommodate four threequarters, rather than the traditional three, changing the formation of their rugby team. This formation was trialed by Wales, with Hancock as captain in 1886, and adopted by the international side in 1888, before becoming a worldwide tactic that continues to this day.
After his playing career had ended, Williams became heavily involved in the Welsh Rugby Union, the governing body of rugby in Wales. Williams had a background suited to the running and administration of sporting organisations, being one of the founders of Llwynypia RFC
in 1891. Then at a lower level he became Secretary of the "Rhondda, Ferndale and Aberdare league", later to become the Glamorgan League. He took up a position as an administrator for the Mid-District area within the WRU, a role he would occupy from 1899 to 1910, before being made a life vice president. Williams was made a national selector in 1901, a role he held until 1908, and was seen as the most influential Welsh selectors of the day.
When Wales hosted the first touring New Zealand team in 1905, Williams was at the centre of the selection of the Welsh team that would become the only team to beat the All Blacks during their tour. One of William's most notable ideas was not through his match selection, but his suggestion that the Welsh team respond to the New Zealand Haka
by singing 'Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
', the Welsh national anthem. This idea was supported by the Welsh newspaper, the Western Mail, which suggested that the Welsh supporters could join in the chorus. On the day, after observing the Haka, Teddy Morgan
led the Welsh team in singing the national anthem, which was quickly picked up by the crowd. It was the first time a national anthem had been sung before a sporting event. Later in his career, Williams became one of the Welsh representatives for the International Rugby Board
, the sports international governing body.
, played at the Rectory Field
in Blackheath
. He also refereed at least three Barbarian
matches during the invitational clubs tours of South Wales.
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...
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 Pontypridd
Pontypridd RFC
Pontypridd Rugby Football Club, known as Ponty, are a rugby union team from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, currently playing in the British and Irish Cup, Principality Premiership, and are the current SWALEC Cup champions....
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...
. A solicitor by profession, Williams would later become a national selector for the Welsh Rugby Union
Welsh Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...
. Williams was also responsible for suggesting the singing of the Welsh national anthem in a match in 1905, the first time a national anthem was sung before a sporting event.
Williams was born in Llwynypia
Llwynypia
Llwynypia , is a village in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, near Tonypandy in the Rhondda Fawr Valley. Before 1850 a lightly populated rural farming area, Llwynypia experienced a population boom between 1860 and 1920 with the sinking of several coal mines after the discovery of large coal deposits...
into a farming community in the Rhondda Valley
Rhondda
Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley , is a former coal mining valley in Wales, formerly a local government district, consisting of 16 communities built around the River Rhondda. The valley is made up of two valleys, the larger Rhondda Fawr valley and the smaller Rhondda Fach valley...
and in his early years he lived in at the Tonypandy
Tonypandy
Tonypandy is a town in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales, lying in the Rhondda Fawr Valley. A former industrial coal mining town, today Tonypandy is best known as the site of the Tonypandy Riots....
Inn. A solicitor by trade, he trained for his profession in 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...
, probably under Spicketts. Williams was the uncle of Wales international and British Lion
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
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...
.
Rugby playing career
Williams had a career in most levels of Welsh rugby union. He first came to note as a player, representing first class club Cardiff. In 1881, Williams was part of the Cardiff team which beat LlanelliLlanelli 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...
in the South Wales Challenge Cup at 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...
. The following year, Williams had switched to Pontypridd, and it was while with Pontypridd that he was selected for his one and only Welsh international cap
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
. Wales had only played one international prior to 1882, a humiliating defeat to 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...
at Blackheath. Williams was brought into a much changed pack to face Ireland, the first meeting between the two countries in a rugby union match. The Irish team were poor, and Wales earned their very first international victory, winning by two goals to nil. Although victorious, Williams was one of two players to be replaced for the next game, along with Hugh Vincent
Hugh Vincent
Sir Hugh Corbet Vincent was a Welsh rugby union and association football player. He played club rugby for Bangor RFC and club football for Bangor City F.C. as well as a single international for the Wales national rugby union team...
.
After his international career, Williams returned to Cardiff Rugby Club. In 1884, while playing for Cardiff, Williams fell ill, and was replaced by Frank Hancock
Frank Hancock
Francis Escott "Frank" Hancock was an English-born rugby union centre who played club rugby for Somerset and Cardiff and international rugby for Wales. Hancock is best known as being the sport's first fourth threequarter player, which changed the formation of rugby union play that lasts to the...
. On Williams recovery, the Cardiff club could not choose between Williams, their fastest threequarter, and Hancock, who had played to an impressive standard during his short run. Cardiff decided to play both, dropping a player from the pack to accommodate four threequarters, rather than the traditional three, changing the formation of their rugby team. This formation was trialed by Wales, with Hancock as captain in 1886, and adopted by the international side in 1888, before becoming a worldwide tactic that continues to this day.
Rugby administrator
Llwynypia RFC
Llwynypia RFC was a rugby union club located in the Welsh village of Llwynypia in the Rhondda. The team provided several international players during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, most notably Willie Llewellyn, who was not only selected to represent Wales while playing at the club, but...
in 1891. Then at a lower level he became Secretary of the "Rhondda, Ferndale and Aberdare league", later to become the Glamorgan League. He took up a position as an administrator for the Mid-District area within the WRU, a role he would occupy from 1899 to 1910, before being made a life vice president. Williams was made a national selector in 1901, a role he held until 1908, and was seen as the most influential Welsh selectors of the day.
When Wales hosted the first touring New Zealand team in 1905, Williams was at the centre of the selection of the Welsh team that would become the only team to beat the All Blacks during their tour. One of William's most notable ideas was not through his match selection, but his suggestion that the Welsh team respond to the New Zealand Haka
Haka of the All Blacks
The Haka is a traditional Maori war dance from New Zealand. There are thousands of Haka that are performed by various tribes and cultural groups throughout New Zealand. The best known Haka of them all is called "Ka Mate". It has been performed by countless New Zealand teams both locally and...
by singing 'Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau is the national anthem of Wales. The title – taken from the first words of the song – means "Old Land of My Fathers", usually rendered in English as simply "Land of My Fathers". The words were written by Evan James and the tune composed by his son, James James, both residents...
', the Welsh national anthem. This idea was supported by the Welsh newspaper, the Western Mail, which suggested that the Welsh supporters could join in the chorus. On the day, after observing the Haka, Teddy Morgan
Teddy Morgan
Edward "Teddy" Morgan was a Welsh international rugby union player. He was a member of the winning Wales team who beat the 1905 touring All Blacks and is remembered for scoring the winning try...
led the Welsh team in singing the national anthem, which was quickly picked up by the crowd. It was the first time a national anthem had been sung before a sporting event. Later in his career, Williams became one of the Welsh representatives for the International Rugby Board
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
, the sports international governing body.
Rugby referee
As well as being one of Wales' top sporting administrators, Williams was also a rugby union referee. He umpired a single international match, the 1904 encounter between England and Ireland in the Home Nations Championship1904 Home Nations Championship
The 1904 Home Nations Championship was the twenty-second series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 9 January and 19 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.-Table:-Results:...
, played at the Rectory Field
Rectory Field
Rectory Field is a playing field in Blackheath, London. It was developed in the 1880s by Blackheath Cricket, Football and Lawn Tennis Company and became the home of Kent County Cricket Club and rugby union team Blackheath F.C....
in Blackheath
Blackheath, London
Blackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...
. He also refereed at least three Barbarian
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...
matches during the invitational clubs tours of South Wales.