Bob Thomas (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Robert "Bob" Thomas was a Welsh
international rugby union
forward who played club rugby for Morriston
and Swansea
. Thomas was a Triple Crown
winner, after representing Wales for all three matches on the 1900 Home Nations Championship
.
area, before joining Morriston. Morriston was well known for providing players to first class club Swansea, and in 1892 Thomas too joined the team. Despite joining Swansea in 1892, it took until 1900 for him to be selected for the Wales national squad, joining the team in the opening match of the 1900 Home Nations Championship, played at Gloucester against England. The Welsh team saw an influx of new players, mainly brought into the back positions, but Thomas was one of two new caps in the forwards, along with Pontymister's
William Williams
. Wales won the game 13-3, and the Welsh selector's reacted by keeping faith with the Welsh forwards for the next game, apart from the enforced change of Dick Hellings
. Played at Swansea's home ground at St. Helens, Thomas was part of the Welsh team to beat Scotland in another convincing win, this time by 12 points to three. The final game of the Championship was played at Belfast against Ireland, and with the Hellings returning the pack was back to the same line up as the first game of the tournament. A single try by Welsh centre George Davies
gave Wales the win and their second Triple Crown, and made Thomas a Championship winning player.
Thomas played just one more international game, the opening match of the 1901 Home Nations Championship
, facing England for the second time in his career. Played at the Cardiff Arms Park
, Thomas again found himself on the winning side, but the next game he was replaced by William Alexander
. Thomas finished his international career with four wins out of four.
At the end of the 1900/01 season Thomas retired from rugby and Swansea RFC responded by awarding him badges, 'up to the value of £10', but the presentation was not sanctioned by the Welsh Rugby Union
. The argument of professionalism surrounded rugby union, and after the fallout from The Gould Affair, the WRU were worried of any international sanctions.
. In 1905 he was involved in an industrial accident at his place of work when a pair of tongs went through his right hand, injuring him severely. The incident scarred him mentally as well as physically.
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...
international 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 Morriston
Morriston RFC
Morriston Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the village of Morriston, Swansea in West Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Ospreys....
and Swansea
Swansea RFC
Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
. Thomas was a Triple Crown
Triple Crown (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship: England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the...
winner, after representing Wales for all three matches on the 1900 Home Nations Championship
1900 Home Nations Championship
The 1900 Home Nations Championship was the eighteenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 6 January and 17 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.-Table:-Results:...
.
Rugby career
Thomas began his rugby playing career for local clubs across the SwanseaSwansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
area, before joining Morriston. Morriston was well known for providing players to first class club Swansea, and in 1892 Thomas too joined the team. Despite joining Swansea in 1892, it took until 1900 for him to be selected for the Wales national squad, joining the team in the opening match of the 1900 Home Nations Championship, played at Gloucester against England. The Welsh team saw an influx of new players, mainly brought into the back positions, but Thomas was one of two new caps in the forwards, along with Pontymister's
Risca RFC
Risca Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club based in Risca, Monmouthshire. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.-Club history:...
William Williams
William Henry Williams (rugby player)
William Henry "Buller" Williams was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Pontymister RFC; and represented Wales...
. Wales won the game 13-3, and the Welsh selector's reacted by keeping faith with the Welsh forwards for the next game, apart from the enforced change of Dick Hellings
Dick Hellings
Richard 'Dick' Hellings was an English born rugby union forward who played international rugby for Wales and club rugby for Llwynypia. Hellings was noted for his strength built from years cutting coal as a Rhondda miner...
. Played at Swansea's home ground at St. Helens, Thomas was part of the Welsh team to beat Scotland in another convincing win, this time by 12 points to three. The final game of the Championship was played at Belfast against Ireland, and with the Hellings returning the pack was back to the same line up as the first game of the tournament. A single try by Welsh centre George Davies
George Davies (rugby player)
George Davies was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Llandeilo and Swansea. A two time Triple Crown winner, Davies would represent his country on nine occasions. A skillful player, Davies was unfortunate to be playing during the same period as Rhys Gabe, who was...
gave Wales the win and their second Triple Crown, and made Thomas a Championship winning player.
Thomas played just one more international game, the opening match of the 1901 Home Nations Championship
1901 Home Nations Championship
The 1901 Home Nations Championship was the nineteenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 5 January and 16 March...
, facing England for the second time in his career. Played at the Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World...
, Thomas again found himself on the winning side, but the next game he was replaced by William Alexander
William Alexander (rugby player)
William "Billy" Alexander was a Welsh international rugby union prop who played club rugby for Llwynypia.-Club career:...
. Thomas finished his international career with four wins out of four.
At the end of the 1900/01 season Thomas retired from rugby and Swansea RFC responded by awarding him badges, 'up to the value of £10', but the presentation was not sanctioned by 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...
. The argument of professionalism surrounded rugby union, and after the fallout from The Gould Affair, the WRU were worried of any international sanctions.
Personal history
Thomas was a steel tube millman at the Mannesmann Tube Works in LandoreLandore
Landore is the name of an electoral ward, a community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. The community does not have a community council....
. In 1905 he was involved in an industrial accident at his place of work when a pair of tongs went through his right hand, injuring him severely. The incident scarred him mentally as well as physically.