Ambrose Baker
Encyclopedia
Ambrose Baker was a dual-code international rugby
player who played rugby union
for Neath
and rugby league
with Oldham
. He won five caps for Wales
under the rugby union code and then represented his country at rugby league in two matches between 1925 and 1928, and Other Nationalities
in 1924.
in the last Welsh match of the 1921 Five Nations Championship
. Although Wales won the game 6-0, Baker was not re-selected in 1922 Championship, but the following year he played in all four matches of the 1923 Championship
. 1922 had seen Wales win the Five Nations title, but 1923 was dominated by England and Scotland. Wales narrowly lost the opener to England, and this was followed by an 11-8 loss at home to Scotland. On the 24 February, Baker was part of a winning Wales team, as they beat France at Swansea. Although the game was marred by an overly violent French team, Baker managed to score his only international points, scoring one of three Welsh tries
. His final rugby union international game was away to Ireland, Wales lost 5-4.
In early 1924, Baker turned his back on amateur rugby when he signed for professional rugby league team Oldham, making his debut on 19 January 1924 against Barrow. While with Oldham, Baker won a cap for Other Nationalities
in the 23-17 victory over England at Headingley, Leeds
on 15 October 1924, and both his international appearances for the Wales rugby league team. His first match was on 7 February 1925 played against England at Workington. He had to wait almost three years for his second and final cap, again versus England, in January 1928.
Wales (rugby league) 1925, 1928
Other Nationalities (rugby league) 1924
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
player who played 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...
for Neath
Neath RFC
Neath Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. The club's home ground is The Gnoll, Neath. The first team is known as the Welsh All Blacks because of the team colours: black with only a white cross pattée as an emblem...
and rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
with Oldham
Oldham Roughyeds
Oldham Roughyeds is an English professional rugby league club based in Oldham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Championship One. Oldham is one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895....
. He won five caps 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...
under the rugby union code and then represented his country at rugby league in two matches between 1925 and 1928, and Other Nationalities
Other Nationalities rugby league team
The Other Nationalities rugby league team regularly played international, and also county, rugby league football teams in Europe from 1904 to 1975. The team, created in 1904 to play England in the first ever rugby league international match, was at first made up of Welsh and Scottish players...
in 1924.
Rugby career
Baker came to note as a rugby union player representing South Wales club Neath. It was with Neath that he was first selected to represent Wales, brought in for the encounter with IrelandIreland national rugby union team
The 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...
in the last Welsh match of the 1921 Five Nations Championship
1921 Five Nations Championship
The 1921 Five Nations Championship was the seventh series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the thirty-fourth series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby...
. Although Wales won the game 6-0, Baker was not re-selected in 1922 Championship, but the following year he played in all four matches of the 1923 Championship
1923 Five Nations Championship
The 1923 Five Nations Championship was the ninth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the thirty-sixth series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby...
. 1922 had seen Wales win the Five Nations title, but 1923 was dominated by England and Scotland. Wales narrowly lost the opener to England, and this was followed by an 11-8 loss at home to Scotland. On the 24 February, Baker was part of a winning Wales team, as they beat France at Swansea. Although the game was marred by an overly violent French team, Baker managed to score his only international points, scoring one of three Welsh tries
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
. His final rugby union international game was away to Ireland, Wales lost 5-4.
In early 1924, Baker turned his back on amateur rugby when he signed for professional rugby league team Oldham, making his debut on 19 January 1924 against Barrow. While with Oldham, Baker won a cap for Other Nationalities
Other Nationalities rugby league team
The Other Nationalities rugby league team regularly played international, and also county, rugby league football teams in Europe from 1904 to 1975. The team, created in 1904 to play England in the first ever rugby league international match, was at first made up of Welsh and Scottish players...
in the 23-17 victory over England at Headingley, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
on 15 October 1924, and both his international appearances for the Wales rugby league team. His first match was on 7 February 1925 played against England at Workington. He had to wait almost three years for his second and final cap, again versus England, in January 1928.
International matches played
Wales (rugby union) 1923 1923 1921, 1923 1923Wales (rugby league) 1925, 1928
Other Nationalities (rugby league) 1924