Harry Hiams
Encyclopedia
Harry Hiams was a Welsh
international forward who played club rugby for Swansea
and Llanelli
. He won two caps for Wales
and played for Llanelli against the touring South Africans. During the First World War, Hiams served with the Royal Field Artillery
.
against France. Although Wales won the game, it was seen as far too close a match and eight members of the Welsh team played their last Five Nations Championship
game.
In the second half of 1912, Haines switched from Swansea to Llanelli, and on October 17, he faced the 1912 touring South African
team as part of an invitational Glamorgan XV. It was a humiliating match for the Glamorgan side losing 35-3, the largest winning margin for a touring side against a Welsh team. Two days later Hiams was the only international player in the Llanelli team to face the Springboks and after the previous match little was expected of the Welsh club side. When Hiams scored a dropped goal from 45 yards during the match, play had to be suspended as fans raced onto the pitch to congratulate him. Although Llanelli lost 8-7, the closeness and exciting match-play gave the Scarlets and Hiams a taste of glory. Hiams was dropped for the Wales game against the South Africans as the selectors decided they needed more heavy scrummagers.
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 forward who played club rugby for 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...
and Llanelli
Llanelli RFC
Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
. He won two 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...
and played for Llanelli against the touring South Africans. During the First World War, Hiams served with the Royal Field Artillery
Royal Field Artillery
The Royal Field Artillery of the British Army provided artillery support for the British Army. It came into being when the Royal Artillery was divided on 1 July 1899, it was reamalgamated back into the Royal Artillery in 1924....
.
Rugby career
Hiams joined Swansea in 1905, but it wasn't until 1912 that Hiams was selected to play for Wales. He turned out on 9 March 1912 against Ireland at the Balmoral Showgrounds, in a match Wales lost 12-5. Two weeks later he played his second and last game for Wales, this time at Rodney ParadeRodney Parade
Rodney Parade is a stadium in the city of Newport, south Wales. Located on the east bank of the River Usk in Newport city centre it is primarily used for rugby matches and is the home ground of Newport RFC and the Newport Gwent Dragons regional team.-History:...
against France. Although Wales won the game, it was seen as far too close a match and eight members of the Welsh team played their last Five Nations Championship
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
game.
In the second half of 1912, Haines switched from Swansea to Llanelli, and on October 17, he faced the 1912 touring South African
1912-13 South Africa rugby union tour
The 1912–13 South Africa rugby union tour was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the South Africa national rugby union team against England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and France. The tour also took in several matches against British and Irish club, county and invitational teams...
team as part of an invitational Glamorgan XV. It was a humiliating match for the Glamorgan side losing 35-3, the largest winning margin for a touring side against a Welsh team. Two days later Hiams was the only international player in the Llanelli team to face the Springboks and after the previous match little was expected of the Welsh club side. When Hiams scored a dropped goal from 45 yards during the match, play had to be suspended as fans raced onto the pitch to congratulate him. Although Llanelli lost 8-7, the closeness and exciting match-play gave the Scarlets and Hiams a taste of glory. Hiams was dropped for the Wales game against the South Africans as the selectors decided they needed more heavy scrummagers.
International matches played
Wales 1912- IrelandIreland national rugby union teamThe 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...
1912