Tommy Scourfield
Encyclopedia
Thomas 'Tommy' Scourfield (1909 – 14 February 1976) was a Welsh
dual code rugby
international full back who played club rugby for Ynysybwl
and Torquay as an amateur rugby union
player and played professional rugby league
with Huddersfield
. He won a single international cap with both the league and union Wales teams.
in 1909 before moving to Ynysybwl
. In 1930, Scourfield was selected for his one and only appearance for Wales in a game against France as part of the 1930 Five Nations Championship
. Under the captaincy of Guy Morgan
, Scourfield made the trip to Paris to play the French at Stade Colombes. The game was an extremely bad-tempered affair from a French team well known through-out the 1930s for their rough play. The game took a turn for the worse when Scourfield collected a loose ball from the back and kicked it into touch. One of the French players who was chasing the ball, ignored the fact that the ball was cleared, continued his race towards Scourfield and punched him in the head. Later on Hubert Day
, the Welsh hooker, was kicked in the face requiring nine stitches. When Welsh forward Tom Arthur
retaliated on the wrong French player, the game fell into running fist fights, with the referee having to halt the game on several occasions. Wales won the game 11-0, but Scourfield did not represent his country again.
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...
dual code 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:...
international full back who played club rugby for Ynysybwl
Ynysybwl RFC
Ynysybwl Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in Ynysybwl. Today, Ynysybwl RFC plays in the Welsh Rugby Union, Division Two East League and is a feeder club for the Cardiff Blues....
and Torquay as an amateur 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...
player and played 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...
with Huddersfield
Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C....
. He won a single international cap with both the league and union Wales teams.
Rugby union career
Scourfield was born in PontypriddPontypridd
Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
in 1909 before moving to Ynysybwl
Ynysybwl
Ynysybwl is a village in Cwm Clydach in Wales. It is situated in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, roughly north-north-east of Cardiff, north of Pontypridd and south of Merthyr Tydfil, and forms part of the community of Ynysybwl and Coed-y-cwm....
. In 1930, Scourfield was selected for his one and only appearance for Wales in a game against France as part of the 1930 Five Nations Championship
1930 Five Nations Championship
The 1930 Five Nations Championship was the sixteenth 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-third series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby...
. Under the captaincy of Guy Morgan
Guy Morgan (rugby player)
Guy Morgan was a Welsh rugby union player who captained Wales in 1929. He also played cricket for Glamorgan County Cricket Club.-Rugby career:...
, Scourfield made the trip to Paris to play the French at Stade Colombes. The game was an extremely bad-tempered affair from a French team well known through-out the 1930s for their rough play. The game took a turn for the worse when Scourfield collected a loose ball from the back and kicked it into touch. One of the French players who was chasing the ball, ignored the fact that the ball was cleared, continued his race towards Scourfield and punched him in the head. Later on Hubert Day
Hubert Day
Hubert Day was a rugby hooker who played rugby union for Newport and rugby league for Salford. He was awarded five caps for Wales under union rules and was part of the Welsh side that won the 1931 Five Nations Championship...
, the Welsh hooker, was kicked in the face requiring nine stitches. When Welsh forward Tom Arthur
Tom Arthur
Tom Arthur was a Welsh international rugby union lock who played club rugby for Neath and was capped 18 times for Wales. A tough second row forward with a strong physique, Arthur was often criticised for being over-vigorous...
retaliated on the wrong French player, the game fell into running fist fights, with the referee having to halt the game on several occasions. Wales won the game 11-0, but Scourfield did not represent his country again.