Birth name | Wallace Howard Watts | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 25 March 1870 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Chipping Sodbury, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of death | 29 April 1950 80) | (aged||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of death | Richmond, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 5 ft 11+1⁄2 in (182 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 12 st 6 lb (174 lb; 79 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wallace Howard Watts (25 March 1870 – 29 April 1950) was an English-born international rugby union player who played club rugby for Newport and international rugby for Wales. Watts was part of the 1893 Wales team which won the country's first Triple Crown. From 1892 Watts played for county team Gloucestershire. [1]
Watts first played for Newport in the 1889/90 season, but it took until the 1892 Home Nations Championship for him to be chosen for the Welsh national team. Although an Englishman by birth, the rules of nationality were more lax during the period, with three years residency required to represent your adopted country. Watts was one of three new caps in the pack for his first game, alongside Arthur Boucher and Frank Mills, but the campaign was disastrous for the Welsh losing all three games in the tournament, collecting the wooden spoon.
The next year saw a complete turnaround in Welsh fortunes when, under the captaincy of Arthur Gould the team won all three games, taking the Triple Crown. Watts played in all three games and continued to represent Wales over the next three Championships, but never to the level of success as in 1893. His final game was the first match of the 1896 Championship, a massive 25-0 loss.
In 1896, Watts moved to London and began playing for London exiles London Welsh, though he still represented Newport whenever he returned to Wales. [2] He played for London Welsh until 1911, into his forties. He became Honorary Secretary of the club during the 1912/13 season. [3] Watts' son, DRW Watts, a civil engineer and MD of George Wimpey Construction subsequently became Chairman of London Welsh in the late 1960s.
Wales [4]
Arthur Joseph "Monkey" Gould was a Welsh international rugby union centre and fullback who was most associated as a club player with Newport Rugby Football Club. He won 27 caps for Wales, 18 as captain, and critics consider him the first superstar of Welsh rugby. A talented all-round player and champion sprinter, Gould could side-step and kick expertly with either foot. He never ceased practising to develop his fitness and skills, and on his death was described as "the most accomplished player of his generation".
Thomas Cooper Graham was an England-born Welsh rugby union international forward who played club rugby for Newport. He won 12 caps for Wales and was seen as intelligent, mobile forward player. Graham is most notable within rugby for his captaincy of Newport, which saw the team through one of their most successful periods, including the 1891–92 "invincible" season.
Jim Hannan was a Welsh international rugby union player who played club rugby for Newport. A strong tactical forward his scrummaging work was excellent and could pivot the whole scrum around him.
Thomas William Rory Pearson was a Welsh international wing who played club rugby for Cardiff and Newport and county rugby with Middlesex. He won 13 caps for Wales and captained the team on one occasion, against England. Pearson was an all-round sportsman, representing Wales not only in rugby, but also in squash, tennis, hockey and golf. In 1902 Pearson was given the captaincy of the Welsh hockey squad, while playing for Newport Hockey Club.
Arthur Boucher was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Newport. Boucher was an adaptable player, who although selected mainly as a forward, often played at centre. He was strong, quick for his position and passed well on the run. He was often noted for his kicking skills and kicked several drop goals each season even as a forward. Boucher was one of the last great all-round Welsh players before positional specialisation was adopted. Boucher played for the invitational Barbarians and became their club secretary between 1894 and 1899. He is the maternal grandfather of Dick King-Smith.
Harry Packer was an English-born international rugby union prop who played club rugby for Newport and was capped seven times for Wales. Packer had a long association with rugby, as a player, selector, official and in 1924 was the manager of the touring British Isles team.
Frederick Charles Parfitt was a Welsh international rugby union scrum-half who played club rugby for Newport, regional rugby for Somerset and was capped nine times for Wales. On retiring from rugby union, Parfitt switched to bowls and also represented Wales in this sport.
George Herbert Gould was a Welsh international rugby union centre who played club rugby for Newport Rugby Football Club and won three caps for Wales. Gould is best known within the sport of rugby as the brother of Arthur 'Monkey' Gould, one of the first superstars of Welsh rugby.
Tom Pook was an English-born Wales international rugby forward who played rugby union for Newport and rugby league with Holbeck. Although short for a forward player at five foot six, Pook was described as possessing clever play and was good in the scrummage.
William Douglas was a Welsh rugby union back who played club rugby for Canton RFC, Cardiff and international rugby for Wales. Douglas was also a rugby referee, and officiated over four international matches.
| repyears1 = 1895–1900 | repcaps1 = 9 | reppoints1 = 0 | ru_ntupdate = | coachteams1 = | coachyears1 = | ru_coachupdate = | relatives = Norman Biggs, brother
Cecil Biggs, brother }}
William Llewellyn Thomas was a Welsh international rugby union player who played club rugby for Newport, international rugby for Wales and invitational rugby for the Barbarians. He was educated at Christ College, Brecon and later while at Oxford University he achieved a sporting Blue.
William McCutcheon was a Welsh international rugby wing who played club rugby in the union code for Swansea, and represented Oldham under the league code. McCutcheon was capped for the Wales national rugby union team seven times between 1891 and 1894. In 1893 he was a member of the first Welsh Triple Crown winning team.
Frank Matthew Mills was a Welsh rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cardiff and Swansea and won 13 caps for Wales. He is best remembered as being one of the Wales squad that won the Triple Crown for the first time in 1893.
Thomas Deacon was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Swansea and international rugby for Wales
Quentin Dick Kedzlie was a Scottish-born international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cardiff and international rugby for Wales. In his later life he became the chairman of the South Wales Baseball Association.
Henry Percy Phillips OBE was a Welsh rugby union international fly-half who played club rugby for Newport. He won six caps for Wales and played in all three games of the 1893 Home Nations Championship which saw Wales lift the Triple Crown for the first time in the country's history.
Charles "Boomer" Bowen Nicholl was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cambridge University and Llanelli. Nicholl played for Wales on fifteen occasions during the 1891 and 1896 Home Nations Championships, and was part of the historic 1893 Triple Crown winning team.
Henry Thomas Day was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Newport and Cardiff. Day was awarded five caps for Wales, and was most notable for being part of the 1893 Welsh Triple Crown winning team. A carpenter by trade, he was also the uncle of Harry Phillips, who was also a Newport player who represented Wales.
Cardiff Harlequins RFC was a rugby union club located in the Welsh capital city of Cardiff. The team provided several international players during the late 19th century, most notably Gwyn Nicholls, who after leaving the club not only represented Wales but also played for the British Isles on their 1899 tour of Australia. The club disbanded in the 1890s.