Dai Fitzgerald
Encyclopedia
David "Dai" Fitzgerald was a Welsh
rugby
centre who played club rugby under the union code
for Cardiff
and later switched to professional rugby league
team Batley
. He played international rugby union for Wales
winning two caps, and in his first match for Wales scored all the points in a victory over Scotland.
for the now defunct club, St. Davids, one of several Welsh teams built around Catholic churches. He switched to first class club, Cardiff RFC, from which he also played for Hibernains Football Club, an invitational team, made from players in Cardiff, who could claim Irish descent. In 1891 Fitzgerald was part of the Cardiff team that played host to the very first Barbarian
team to play against the club.
Fitzgerald was first selected for Wales as part of the 1894 Home Nations Championship
in a match against Scotland. Fitzgerald was brought in to replace Conway Rees
, and was placed at centre along with the Welsh captain Arthur Gould. Wales were heavily beaten in the previous game away to England, mainly due to in-fighting within the team; but surprisingly the Welsh selectors kept faith in the squad, with Fitzgerald being the only new cap brought into the team. Fitzgerald played a very strong game, winning it singlehanded with a drop goal and a try
. No other players from either side scored, giving Wales a 7-0 win. Fitzgerald was reselected for the very next game, played away to Ireland. Played on a boggy pitch the Welsh lost by a single penalty goal, Fitzgerald was replaced for the next season by Owen Badger
and never represented Wales again.
Despite not playing for Wales, Fitzgerald still turned out for county team Glamorgan, but in 1895 he severed himself from the union code when he 'Went North', joining Leigh
.
winners medals with Batley, in 1897, 1898 and 1901. Despite his club scuccess, Fitzgerald was at the centre of a legal dispute which prevented him playing between the end of 1898 until May 1900. A Rugby League tribunal was set up to challenge the nature of Fitzgerald's employment as a coal agent. The tribumal decided that Fitzgerald had not followed his employment in a bonafide manner in breach of the professional law. Not only was Fitzgerald suspended for almost two years, but the club was also fined 60 English pounds. After his rugby came to an end, Fitzgerald returned to Cardiff to run a marine store business.
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...
rugby
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:...
centre who played club rugby under the union code
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 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 later switched to professional 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...
team Batley
Batley Bulldogs
Batley Bulldogs are an English professional rugby league club from Batley, West Yorkshire. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Batley is one of the original twenty-two rugby football clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895...
. He played international rugby union 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...
winning two caps, and in his first match for Wales scored all the points in a victory over Scotland.
Rugby union career
Fitzgerald first played rugby in CardiffCardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
for the now defunct club, St. Davids, one of several Welsh teams built around Catholic churches. He switched to first class club, Cardiff RFC, from which he also played for Hibernains Football Club, an invitational team, made from players in Cardiff, who could claim Irish descent. In 1891 Fitzgerald was part of the Cardiff team that played host to the very first Barbarian
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...
team to play against the club.
Fitzgerald was first selected for Wales as part of the 1894 Home Nations Championship
1894 Home Nations Championship
The 1894 Home Nations Championship was the twelfth 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:...
in a match against Scotland. Fitzgerald was brought in to replace Conway Rees
Conway Rees
John Conway Rees was a Welsh international rugby union player.-Life:Rees was born in Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, Wales. He was educated at Llandovery College and Jesus College, Oxford and was the first Welshman to captain Oxford University RFC. He introduced the four three quarters system,...
, and was placed at centre along with the Welsh captain Arthur Gould. Wales were heavily beaten in the previous game away to England, mainly due to in-fighting within the team; but surprisingly the Welsh selectors kept faith in the squad, with Fitzgerald being the only new cap brought into the team. Fitzgerald played a very strong game, winning it singlehanded with a drop goal and a 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...
. No other players from either side scored, giving Wales a 7-0 win. Fitzgerald was reselected for the very next game, played away to Ireland. Played on a boggy pitch the Welsh lost by a single penalty goal, Fitzgerald was replaced for the next season by Owen Badger
Owen Badger
Owen Badger was a Welsh international rugby centre who played rugby union for Llanelli and was capped four times for Wales. He later switched codes, playing professional rugby league for Swinton.-Rugby career:...
and never represented Wales again.
Despite not playing for Wales, Fitzgerald still turned out for county team Glamorgan, but in 1895 he severed himself from the union code when he 'Went North', joining Leigh
Leigh Centurions
Leigh Centurions is an English professional rugby league club based in Leigh, Greater Manchester who play in the Co-operative Championship.The club was founded in 1878 as Leigh Rugby Football Club and is one of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in...
.
Rugby league career
Fitzgerald joined Leigh in 1895, before the forming of the Northern Rugby Football Union, but in February 1896 he switched to Yorkshire club Batley, where he would play most of his professional rugby. Fitzgerald won three Challenge CupChallenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
winners medals with Batley, in 1897, 1898 and 1901. Despite his club scuccess, Fitzgerald was at the centre of a legal dispute which prevented him playing between the end of 1898 until May 1900. A Rugby League tribunal was set up to challenge the nature of Fitzgerald's employment as a coal agent. The tribumal decided that Fitzgerald had not followed his employment in a bonafide manner in breach of the professional law. Not only was Fitzgerald suspended for almost two years, but the club was also fined 60 English pounds. After his rugby came to an end, Fitzgerald returned to Cardiff to run a marine store business.