Evan James (rugby)

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Evan James
Evan James, rugby player.JPG
Birth nameEvan James
Date of birth1869
Place of birth Swansea, Wales
Date of death1901 (aged 3132)
Place of death Bonymaen, Wales [1]
Height5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) [2]
Notable relative(s) David James (brother)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Half-back
Amateur team(s)
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1889-92 Swansea RFC ()
1896-99 Swansea RFC ()
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1890-99 Wales [3] 5 (0)
Rugby league career
Playing information
Position Halfback
Club
YearsTeamPldTGFGP
1892–96 Broughton
1899 Broughton
Total00000

Evan James (1869 – 18 August 1901) was a Welsh rugby half back who played club rugby for Swansea under the rugby union code, and professional rugby league for Broughton Rangers. While playing with Swansea, James was paired with his brother, David, and together they were nicknamed the 'Swansea gems' and the 'Curly haired marmosets'. The brothers were the centre of a controversial move to the league game in 1892 and switched codes twice in their careers. He had three younger brothers, Claude, Sam and Willie, the latter two playing at the same level as David and Evan towards the end of their careers. [4]

Contents

Rugby career

The James brothers going north for big money at Broughton, 1899 Gone North - JM Staniforth.png
The James brothers going north for big money at Broughton, 1899

James was first capped for Wales on 1 February 1890 in a match against Scotland, which was more notable for being the début game for Swansea team-mate and Wales legend Billy Bancroft. His début, without his brother as support, was deemed a total failure. [5] On 7 March 1891, against Ireland at Stradey Park, James turned out for Wales alongside his brother to keep together their Swansea partnership. James's fifth and final cap took a seven-year gap to obtain when he turned out against England in 1899. [6]

In 1892, James and his brother supposedly turned out for professional rugby league team Broughton Rangers, after which the Rugby Football Union banned them both from rugby union. In 1896, an appeal from Swansea and Wales was successful and the brothers were reinstated. On 28 January, three weeks after their final cap, David and Evan actually joined Broughton Rangers, and severed their links with rugby union. [7]

International matches played

Wales [8]

Bibliography

References

  1. Swansea RFC player profile [ permanent dead link ]
  2. Parry-Jones (1999), pg 31.
  3. Welsh Rugby Union player profile [ permanent dead link ]
  4. "The James Brothers in the 1890s – SWANSEA RFC" . Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  5. Smith (1980), pg 64.
  6. "Statistics at scrum.com". scrum.com. 31 December 2008. Retrieved 1 January 2009.
  7. Robert Gate (1986). "Gone North - Volume 1". R. E. Gate. ISBN   0-9511190-0-1
  8. Smith (1980), pg 467.