Rowland Griffiths
Encyclopedia
Rowland Griffiths was a international rugby union player. He was selected for the 1908 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia
. Griffiths played club rugby for Newport RFC.
at least once in his career; when in the 1905 Winter tour he scored with a conversion in Charlie Pritchard
's win over the Baa-Baas. In 1906 he was selected as part of the Newport team to face The Original All Blacks in their first tour of Britain. Again under the captaincy of Pritchard, Griffiths was put into the fullback position by his club. Griffiths did not have a good game; in the first half Canterbury
wing Eric Harper
easily beat Griffiths to score a try. The tourists furthered their lead with a penalty goal, before Griffiths gave Newport hope with a penalty goal of his own, but despite heroic efforts by scrum-half Tommy Vile
, the tourists won the game. Despite becoming the first Newport player to score against the All Blacks, Vile stated after the match that he believed that Newport lost because Griffiths had been positioned at fullback, and Griffiths "was never a fullback".
Although Griffiths was never selected for the Wales
team; in 1908 Griffiths was part of Arthur Harding
's Anglo-Welsh team
that toured Australia and New Zealand. Griffiths played a part in the games against the regional sides but was never selected for the Test Matches, and thus never capped.
1908 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia
The 1908 British Isles tour to New Zealand and Australia was the seventh tour by a British Isles team and the fourth to New Zealand and Australia. The tour is often referred to as the Anglo-Welsh Tour as only English and Welsh players were selected due to the Irish and Scottish Rugby Unions not...
. Griffiths played club rugby for Newport RFC.
Rugby career
Griffiths first came to note as a rugby player when he represented first-class Welsh team Newport. He joined the club in 1902 as a threequarter and continued to represent the club until 1908. As a Newport player Griffiths faced the touring BarbariansBarbarian 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...
at least once in his career; when in the 1905 Winter tour he scored with a conversion in Charlie Pritchard
Charlie Pritchard
Captain Charlie Pritchard was a Welsh international rugby union player. He was a member of the winning Welsh team who beat the 1905 touring All Blacks. He played club rugby for Newport RFC and county rugby for Monmouthshire.-Rugby career:...
's win over the Baa-Baas. In 1906 he was selected as part of the Newport team to face The Original All Blacks in their first tour of Britain. Again under the captaincy of Pritchard, Griffiths was put into the fullback position by his club. Griffiths did not have a good game; in the first half Canterbury
Canterbury Rugby Football Union
The Canterbury Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in a substantial part of the Canterbury region, in the middle of the South Island of New Zealand...
wing Eric Harper
Eric Harper
Eric Tristram Harper was a New Zealand sportsman, who is most notable for playing rugby union for the New Zealand national rugby union team and in 1905 became one of the Original All Blacks when he toured Britain and Ireland with Dave Gallaher's team.A keen athlete, Harper was a hurdler at...
easily beat Griffiths to score a try. The tourists furthered their lead with a penalty goal, before Griffiths gave Newport hope with a penalty goal of his own, but despite heroic efforts by scrum-half Tommy Vile
Tommy Vile
Major Thomas Henry "Tommy" Vile MBE was a Welsh international rugby union player. He played club rugby predominantly for Newport, captaining the side twice and played county rugby for Monmouthshire. He also represented the British Isles in Australia, and after retiring from playing became an...
, the tourists won the game. Despite becoming the first Newport player to score against the All Blacks, Vile stated after the match that he believed that Newport lost because Griffiths had been positioned at fullback, and Griffiths "was never a fullback".
Although Griffiths was never selected for the 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...
team; in 1908 Griffiths was part of Arthur Harding
Arthur Harding
Arthur Flowers Harding was an English-born international rugby union player who played for and captained the Wales national team. Often called 'Boxer' Harding, he was a member of the winning Wales team who beat the 1905 touring All Blacks in a game considered one of the greatest in the history of...
's Anglo-Welsh team
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
that toured Australia and New Zealand. Griffiths played a part in the games against the regional sides but was never selected for the Test Matches, and thus never capped.