Jim Lang (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Jim Lang was a Welsh
international rugby union
number 8 who played club rugby for Llanelli
and Swansea
. Whilst with Llanelli he faced two touring Southern Hemisphere teams, the South Africans
in 1931 and New Zealand in 1935.
in the 1931 Five Nations Championship
in a game against France. Under the captaincy of Jack Bassett
, Wales won the game with ease, running in seven tries
. Lang was reselected two weeks later to face the Irish at Ravenhill
, and when Wales won the game they also won the tournament. Lang would remain unselected for his country for another four years, but in 1931 he played for Llanelli when they hosted the touring South Africans
. Lang ran out against the Springboks with his brother, Will, but ended the game on the losing side.
In 1934 Lang was back in the Welsh team, adding some experience to a team which the game earlier with 13 new caps, had lost at home to England. Led by Claude Davey
and with the flair supplied by Cliff Jones
, Wales beat Scotland at Murrayfield. This game was the first of ten sequential games that Lang would play for Wales stretching to 1937. His most memorable game during this period was Wales's win against the touring New Zealand team in 1935. Having already faced, and lost, to the All Blacks with Llanelli, Lang found himself selected to face the tourists for his country. It was a memorable win for Wales in a match filled with drama, that saw Wales losing with ten minutes remaining and their hooker stretchered off with a broken neck, only for the Welsh team to rally for a narrow win. Lang played his part with strong line-out play that allowed Wales to gain from good possession.
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...
number 8 who played club rugby for 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...
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...
. Whilst with Llanelli he faced two touring Southern Hemisphere teams, 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...
in 1931 and New Zealand in 1935.
Rugby career
Lang was first capped for WalesWales 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...
in the 1931 Five Nations Championship
1931 Five Nations Championship
The 1931 Five Nations Championship was the seventeenth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the forty-fourth series of the annual northern hemisphere...
in a game against France. Under the captaincy of Jack Bassett
Jack Bassett
Jack Bassett was a Welsh international rugby union full back who played club rugby for Penarth. He won 15 caps for Wales and was selected for the 1930 British Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand...
, Wales won the game with ease, running in seven tries
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...
. Lang was reselected two weeks later to face the Irish at Ravenhill
Ravenhill Stadium
Ravenhill Stadium is located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is used by Ulster Rugby. It has a normal capacity of 12,300 and is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union.-History:The grounds were opened in the 1923/24 season...
, and when Wales won the game they also won the tournament. Lang would remain unselected for his country for another four years, but in 1931 he played for Llanelli when they hosted the touring South Africans
1931-32 South Africa rugby union tour
The 1931-32 South Africa tour of Britain and Ireland was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the South Africa national rugby union team against the four British Home Nation teams. The tour also took in several matches against British and Irish club, county and invitational teams...
. Lang ran out against the Springboks with his brother, Will, but ended the game on the losing side.
In 1934 Lang was back in the Welsh team, adding some experience to a team which the game earlier with 13 new caps, had lost at home to England. Led by Claude Davey
Claude Davey
Claude Davey was a Wales international rugby union player who played club rugby for several teams, most notably Sale and Swansea. He was awarded 23 caps for Wales and captained his country eight times...
and with the flair supplied by Cliff Jones
Cliff Jones (rugby player)
Clifford 'Cliff' William Jones OBE was a Welsh international rugby union fly-half who played club rugby for many teams but is most associated with Cardiff and Cambridge University...
, Wales beat Scotland at Murrayfield. This game was the first of ten sequential games that Lang would play for Wales stretching to 1937. His most memorable game during this period was Wales's win against the touring New Zealand team in 1935. Having already faced, and lost, to the All Blacks with Llanelli, Lang found himself selected to face the tourists for his country. It was a memorable win for Wales in a match filled with drama, that saw Wales losing with ten minutes remaining and their hooker stretchered off with a broken neck, only for the Welsh team to rally for a narrow win. Lang played his part with strong line-out play that allowed Wales to gain from good possession.
International matches played
Wales 1935, 1936, 1937 1931- 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...
1931, 1934, 1935, 1936 1935 1934, 1935, 1936