Cecil Biggs
Encyclopedia
Cecil Frederick Biggs was a British
sportsman who played rugby union
at centre for Cardiff
and the Barbarians
, and as a Cricket
er represented Glamorgan
. Biggs was one of six brothers to play rugby for Cardiff, and captained the team for a season in 1904/05. Although he was never capped at an international level, he has been described as "...one of the great uncapped Welsh players."
(1886–1899) and Selwyn
(1889–1901). Norman, Selwyn and Biggs himself were all captains of Cardiff RFC and all three also played for invitational touring team, the Barbarians, though Cecil never represented Wales
, unlike Norman and Selwyn.
Biggs joined Cardiff in the 1898/99 season, and by the next year he had been given his Reserves team cap. By the 1900/01 season Biggs was part of the first team and in this first season he was the team's second highest try
scorer with 16. For the next three seasons, Biggs was the club's top scorer with 16, 16 and 24 tries. In the 1904/05 season, Biggs was elected as team captain, after serving as Gwyn Nicholl's
vice-captain in the previous season. Biggs chose as his vice-captain Billy O'Neill
a prop-forward.
Despite being part of the 1905/06 season for Cardiff, Biggs missed the encounter between Cardiff and the first touring All Blacks team. The next season saw the first tour of the South African national side, and Biggs was part of the Cardiff team to face them. Of all the Cardiff players on that day only Biggs and Dicky David were uncapped at international level, and David would be selected to play for Wales in 1907
. Cardiff beat the South Africans
17-0, made all the more impressive by the fact that Biggs was injured in the first few minutes of the game, which as good as reduced the team to 14 men.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
sportsman 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...
at centre for Cardiff
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
and the Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
, and as a Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er represented Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
. Biggs was one of six brothers to play rugby for Cardiff, and captained the team for a season in 1904/05. Although he was never capped at an international level, he has been described as "...one of the great uncapped Welsh players."
Rugby career
Biggs came from a large sporting family. Six of his brothers played for Cardiff Rugby Football Club, most notably NormanNorman Biggs
Norman Witchell Biggs was a Welsh international rugby union wing who played club rugby for Cardiff and county rugby for Glamorgan. Both Biggs and his brother Selwyn played international rugby for Wales, though they never played together in the same match for Wales...
(1886–1899) and Selwyn
Selwyn Biggs
Selwyn Hanam Biggs was a Welsh international rugby union fly-half who played club rugby for Cardiff and county rugby for Glamorgan. Both Biggs and his brother Norman played international rugby for Wales, though they never played in the same match for Wales together. Biggs was described at the time...
(1889–1901). Norman, Selwyn and Biggs himself were all captains of Cardiff RFC and all three also played for invitational touring team, the Barbarians, though Cecil never represented 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...
, unlike Norman and Selwyn.
Biggs joined Cardiff in the 1898/99 season, and by the next year he had been given his Reserves team cap. By the 1900/01 season Biggs was part of the first team and in this first season he was the team's second highest try
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...
scorer with 16. For the next three seasons, Biggs was the club's top scorer with 16, 16 and 24 tries. In the 1904/05 season, Biggs was elected as team captain, after serving as Gwyn Nicholl's
Gwyn Nicholls
Erith Gwyn Nicholls was a Welsh rugby union player who gained 24 caps for Wales as a centre. Nicholls was known as the "Prince of Threequarters"....
vice-captain in the previous season. Biggs chose as his vice-captain Billy O'Neill
Billy O'Neill
William "Billy" O'Neill often recorded as Billy O'Neil or Billy Neil was a Welsh international dual-code rugby front row player who played club rugby under the union code for Cardiff and Aberavon and as a professional rugby league player he represented Warrington...
a prop-forward.
Despite being part of the 1905/06 season for Cardiff, Biggs missed the encounter between Cardiff and the first touring All Blacks team. The next season saw the first tour of the South African national side, and Biggs was part of the Cardiff team to face them. Of all the Cardiff players on that day only Biggs and Dicky David were uncapped at international level, and David would be selected to play for Wales in 1907
1907 Home Nations Championship
The 1907 Home Nations Championship was the twenty-fifth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 12 January and 16 March...
. Cardiff beat the South Africans
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
17-0, made all the more impressive by the fact that Biggs was injured in the first few minutes of the game, which as good as reduced the team to 14 men.
External links
- Cricket Archive Cricket biography of Cecil Biggs with portrait