 Hollingdale in 1928 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth name | Thomas Henry Hollingdale | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 12 November 1900 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Waunarlwydd, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 14 April 1978 (aged 77) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Hounslow, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Waunarlwydd School Gowerton County School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Bert Hollingdale (brother – also capped for Wales) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | cleric | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Rev Thomas "Tom" Henry Hollingdale AKC (12 November 1900 – 14 April 1978), was a Church of England cleric and Wales international rugby player.
Thomas Hollingdale was born in Waunarlwydd on 12 November 1900. He attended Waunarlwydd School and Gowerton County School. He played his club rugby for Ammanford and Neath and captained Glamorganshire. In September 1927, he played for a combined Aberavon and Neath XV against the touring New South Wales Waratahs and a few weeks later, played for Wales against the Waratahs – this is now treated as a full international. He was capped in total six times for Wales in the late 1920s. [2] On 26 November 1930 he played for a Welsh International XV against Reading, but never again represented his country.
Hollingdale was employed in the local steel works and later as a policeman (PC number 22 on the Neath Police Force [3] ), before studying theology at King's College London, where he became an Associate of King's College (AKC). Following his ordination, he worked as a curate in Upminster [4] and subsequently as vicar of the parish of Stratford in East London. From 1948 to 1959 he was vicar of St Peter's, Colchester — a living controlled by the Simeon Trust. During this time he contributed articles to rugby magazines and other publications and was President of Colchester RFC. Thereafter, he became rector of the parish of Copford, Essex until he retired in 1968. [5]
He married Leah Williams in April 1921 at Swansea and they had three daughters – Joan, Mercia and Muriel (who was known by her second name, Shirley).
He died on 14 April 1978 in Hounslow.
Neath is a market town and community situated in the Neath Port Talbot County Borough, Wales. The town had a population of 50,658 in 2011. The community of the parish of Neath had a population of 19,258 in 2011. Historically in Glamorgan, the town is located on the River Neath, seven miles east-northeast of Swansea.
Rugby union in Wales is considered a large part of Welsh national culture. Rugby union is thought to have reached Wales in the 1850s, with the national body, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) being formed in 1881. Wales are considered to be one of the most successful national sides in Rugby Union, having won the most Six Nations Championships after England, as well as having reached 3 World Cup semi finals in 1987, 2011 and 2019, having finished 3rd in the inaugural competition and having finished 4th in 2011 in a repeat of the first third place play-off. The Welsh team of the 1970s is considered to be arguably the greatest national team of all time, prompting many experts in the game to suggest that had the Rugby World Cup existed during this period, Wales would be amongst the list of World Cup winners. As of November 2021, they are ranked 8th in the world.
Waunarlwydd Rugby Football Club are a Welsh rugby union club based in the village of Waunarlwydd, Swansea. Waunarlwydd are a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and are a feeder club for the Ospreys.
Henry Thomas Phillips was a Welsh international rugby union lock who played club rugby for Cross Keys and Newport and international rugby for Wales. Phillips was a collier by profession before becoming a police officer, and was the nephew of former international Wales player Harry Day.
Clwb Rygbi Cwmgors is a rugby union club that represents the villages of Cwmgors, Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen and Tairgwaith, South West Wales. The area is in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot but close to the boundaries with Carmarthenshire and Powys. They play in the Admiral National League, Division 4 West Central for the 2024/25 season. The team is known as The Cherries or occasionally the Cherry Bee’s in reference to their cherry and white home kit colours.
Trebanos Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team officially founded in 1897. Trebanos RFC is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Ospreys.
Between July 1927 and March 1928 the New South Wales Waratahs, the top Australian representative rugby union side of the time, conducted a world tour encompassing Ceylon, Britain, France and Canada on which they played five Tests and twenty-six minor tour matches.
James Alfred Bevan was a Wales international rugby union three-quarter who played club rugby for Clifton RFC and Newport. He is best known for being the first Welsh international captain, whilst at Cambridge University.
William Charles "Wick" Powell (1905–1973) was a Welsh international rugby union scrum-half who played club rugby for London Welsh and county rugby for Middlesex. Powell was a powerful passer whose speciality was the reverse pass, though he is often remembered for his varying displays for his country that sometimes would lose as much as win games.
Bert Hollingdale was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Swansea Rugby Football Club and was capped for Wales on two occasions. His younger brother, Tom also played rugby, though he played for rival club Neath and had a more successful international career, representing Wales six times.
Tom Arthur was a Welsh international rugby union lock who played club rugby for Neath and was capped 18 times for Wales. A tough second row forward with a strong physique, Arthur was often criticised for being over-vigorous. Though his style of play was fairly typical for Welsh rugby at the time.
Ned Jenkins was an international rugby union lock who represented Wales and played club rugby for Aberavon. Like teammate Tom Arthur, Jenkins was an amateur boxer.
Frank "Lonza" Bowdler was a Welsh rugby union hooker who played club rugby for Cross Keys and was capped 15 times for Wales. A coal miner by profession, Watcyn Thomas remembered him in his autobiography, as a dedicated player, turning out for Wales on Saturday before returning immediately to his shift underground at his mine.
David Rees Jenkins was a Welsh dual-code international rugby footballer who played rugby union for Swansea and rugby league for Leeds RLFC, and representing internationally in both sports.
Lewis Cobden Thomas was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Neath and Cardiff Rugby Football Club and international rugby for Wales. In 1900 he became the Mayor of Neath.
Thomas Edgar Rees was a Welsh rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s and 1930s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Wales, and at club level for Pontyclun RFC, Crawshays RFC, Army XV and London Welsh RFC, as a fullback and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain, and at club level for Oldham and Broughton Rangers as a fullback.
Howell Jones was a Welsh rugby union forward who played for the rugby club Neath and county rugby for Glamorgan. He gained just a single cap for the Wales national team in 1904. Jones came from a sporting family, and his son, Howie Jones, also represented Wales in rugby union.
Harold Watkin Thomas was a Welsh dual-code international rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Wales and Wales XV, and at club level for his native town of Neath, as a lock, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales, and at club level for Salford, as a second-row.
Swansea University Rugby Football Club is a Welsh amateur rugby union club based at Swansea University, Swansea. It competes in the BUCS Rugby Union Super Rugby League as of the 2021/2022 season. The club has experienced major success, winning the UAU Championship six times and the BUSA Championship twice. Swansea are also the current champions of Wales having won the 2022 Welsh Varsity in the Freshers, Women's and Men's varsity match.
Siwan Lillicrap is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a lock or number 8 for Gloucester-Hartpury and the Wales national team. Lillicrap made her debut for Wales in 2016, and captained the team at the 2020, 2021 and 2022 Women's Six Nations Championship.
