Arthur Flowers Harding (8 August 1878 – 15 May 1947) was an English-born international

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

player who played for and captained the

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

national team. Often called 'Boxer' Harding, he was a member of the Wales team for the famous '' Match of the Century'', who beat the 1905 touring

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 ...

in a game considered one of the greatest in the history of rugby union. He played club rugby for

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

and

London Welsh London Welsh Rugby Football Club ( cy, Clwb Rygbi Cymry Llundain) was a rugby union club formed in 1885. Based in Old Deer Park, Richmond-upon-Thames, London Welsh RFC played in the English Premiership in the 2012–13 and 2014–15 seasons, ...

and county rugby for Middlesex.

Club career

As an early forward, Harding was a surprisingly nimble player with a good running and passing style along with an excellent kicking ability.Thomas (1979), pg 35. After being chosen to represent Wales in 1902 while playing for Cardiff he moved to England to play for London Welsh in the early part of the 1902/03 season. During the 1903/04 season Harding was chosen to captain London Welsh, a position he held for three seasons.

International career

1905 Wales squad, Harding, middle row, far right

Wales

Harding made his international debut for Wales against

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

Blackheath Blackheath may refer to: Places England *Blackheath, London, England ** Blackheath railway station **Hundred of Blackheath, Kent, an ancient hundred in the north west of the county of Kent, England *Blackheath, Surrey, England ** Hundred of Blackh ...

in January 1902, while still in his first season for Cardiff. When he first joined the Welsh team he played alongside

George Boots John George Boots (1874–1928) was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Newport and county rugby with Monmouthshire. He won 16 caps for Wales. Boots was seen as a consistent player with a superb positional sense ...

from whom he learned much about improving his game.Thomas (1979), pg 35. Harding played in all three 1902

Triple Crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trophy ** Triple Crown Productions * Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Trip ...

games which saw Wales win the championship. After representing Wales for their fourth Triple Crown in 1905, Harding was chosen to face the ''Original All Blacks'' in the '' Match of the Century'' on the New Zealander's first tour of Britain. The fact that Harding had faced the New Zealand side earlier in the tour, when they crushed Harding's Middlesex County, may have played a part in the Welsh tactics that disrupted the All Black's loose-head scrummaging.

International games played

1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1908 *

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907 *

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

1905 *

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1908 *

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

1906 Smith (1980), pg 467.

British Isles

In 1904 Harding was one of two Welsh forwards chosen to tour AustralasiaSmith (1980), pg 148. under the captaincy of Bedell-Sivright. By 1908 Harding himself was chosen to captain a British Isles team on a 26 match tour of Australia and New Zealand.Smith (1980), pg 175. Although the Australia leg of the tour was successful, the British and Irish team were outclassed by a very strong All Black team, drawing the second test but losing heavily in the first and third tests.

Later career and death

After the end of his international career, Harding emigrated to

Wanganui Whanganui (; ), also spelled Wanganui, is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whangan ...

Thomas (1979), pg 35. becoming a station-master at

Greymouth Greymouth () (Māori: ''Māwhera'') is the largest town in the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The population of the whole Grey District is , which accounts for % of the West Coas ...

for several years.Mangan J.A., ''Pleasure, Profit, Proselytism British Culture and Sport at Home and Abroad 1700–1914'', Frank Cass. London pg. 138 Harding lived in New Zealand until his death in 1947.

Bibliography

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harding, Arthur Flowers 1878 births 1947 deaths British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Wales Cardiff RFC players English rugby union players London Welsh RFC players People educated at Christ College, Brecon Rugby union players from Market Rasen Wales international rugby union players Wales rugby union captains Rugby union forwards British emigrants to New Zealand