Gwyn Nicholls
Encyclopedia
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".
Born in Westbury-on-Severn
, Nicholls started his rugby career with Cardiff Star before playing in the Cardiff
first team from 1893. He spent all his playing career with Cardiff, playing 18 seasons for them, apart from half a season with Newport in 1901/2 when he began a laundry business there with fellow Welsh international Bert Winfield
. He captained Cardiff for four seasons; 1898/9 through to 1900/1 and again in 1903/04.
Nicholls gained his first international cap against Scotland on 25 January 1896, a solid if not spectacular debut. His next few games gained him praise and Nicholls began to get more notice from the local press, Nicholls international career was placed on pause for twelve months during 1897 and 1898 while Wales were excluded from playing because of the Gould Affair.
His 24 caps for Wales were won between 1896 and 1906 and included ten matches as captain. He was captain of the Triple Crown
winning side of 1902. Despite announcing his retirement from international rugby at the end of the previous season, he returned to captain Wales in the famous 1905 victory against New Zealand. He toured Australia
with the British Isles
team of 1899, and was the only Welsh player on this tour.
. It was the only international match that Nicholls refereed and the last to be played at Richmond.
was involved in a rescue attempt involving two young girls. The two girls had been swept out to sea by the undertow
and a doctor, Edward Holborow, had leapt into the sea to save them. Although the two girls were saved by another swimmer, Dr Holborow found the rough conditions too challenging, and Nicholls attempted to rescue him. Nicholls reached the doctor and got him close to the shore but Holborow was pronounced dead at the scene. Nicholls only managed to reach shore himself and his health never recovered from the ordeal. On 24 March 1939, Nicholls died in Dinas Powys
. Heart failure was given as the cause of death.
On Boxing Day 1949 the "Gwyn Nicholls Memorial Gates" were officially opened at Cardiff Arms Park
by his team mate Rhys Gabe
. On 16 November 2005 Gwyn Nicholls was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame
.
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...
player who gained 24 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...
as a centre. Nicholls was known as the "Prince of Threequarters".
Born in Westbury-on-Severn
Westbury-on-Severn
Westbury-on-Severn is a rural village in England that is the centre of the large, rural parish, also called Westbury-on-Severn.-Location:The village is situated on the A48 road and bounded by the River Severn to the south and west.The village has a large parish church which is distinctive as the...
, Nicholls started his rugby career with Cardiff Star before playing in the 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...
first team from 1893. He spent all his playing career with Cardiff, playing 18 seasons for them, apart from half a season with Newport in 1901/2 when he began a laundry business there with fellow Welsh international Bert Winfield
Bert Winfield
Herbert Benjamin 'Bert' Winfield was an English rugby union player who played international rugby for Wales. He was a member of the winning Welsh team who beat the 1905 touring All Blacks and captained Wales against Ireland in 1908...
. He captained Cardiff for four seasons; 1898/9 through to 1900/1 and again in 1903/04.
International career
His 24 caps for Wales were won between 1896 and 1906 and included ten matches as captain. He was captain of the 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...
winning side of 1902. Despite announcing his retirement from international rugby at the end of the previous season, he returned to captain Wales in the famous 1905 victory against New Zealand. He toured Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
with the British Isles
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
team of 1899, and was the only Welsh player on this tour.
International matches played for Wales
Wales 1897, 1898, 1899, 1901, 1902, 1904, 1906 1896, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1905, 1906 1905 1896, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1906 1906Post playing career
In 1909 Nicholls was chosen to officiate the match between England and Scotland at the Richmond Athletic Ground, as part of the Home Nations Championship1909 Home Nations Championship
The 1909 Home Nations Championship was the twenty-seventh series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 16 January and 20 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales....
. It was the only international match that Nicholls refereed and the last to be played at Richmond.
Later life and death
In 1923, Nicholls while on holiday in Weston-super-MareWeston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
was involved in a rescue attempt involving two young girls. The two girls had been swept out to sea by the undertow
Undertow (wave action)
Undertow is a subsurface flow of water returning seaward from shore as result of wave action. This type of shore current can play a role in material deposition such as creating sand bars....
and a doctor, Edward Holborow, had leapt into the sea to save them. Although the two girls were saved by another swimmer, Dr Holborow found the rough conditions too challenging, and Nicholls attempted to rescue him. Nicholls reached the doctor and got him close to the shore but Holborow was pronounced dead at the scene. Nicholls only managed to reach shore himself and his health never recovered from the ordeal. On 24 March 1939, Nicholls died in Dinas Powys
Dinas Powys
Dinas Powys is a large village and a community in the Vale of Glamorgan in South Wales which takes its name from the Dinas Powys hillfort that dates from the Iron Age...
. Heart failure was given as the cause of death.
On Boxing Day 1949 the "Gwyn Nicholls Memorial Gates" were officially opened at 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...
by his team mate Rhys Gabe
Rhys Gabe
Rhys Thomas "Rusty" Gabe born as Rees Thomas Gape, was a Welsh rugby union player who played club rugby for Llanelli, London Welsh and Cardiff and gained 24 caps for Wales, mainly as a centre.-Rugby career:...
. On 16 November 2005 Gwyn Nicholls was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame
International Rugby Hall of Fame
The International Rugby Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for rugby union. It was created in 1997 in New Zealand and is run as a charitable trust with an address at Chiswick in London. Most of the trustees are also inductees. IRHOF accepts new inductees every two years...
.