Brigadier Bernard Turing Vionnée 'Bun' Cowey DSO,

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(20 November 1911 – 20 August 1997) was an English rugby union wing who played club rugby for

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and international rugby for Wales. Unlike most rugby internationals, Cowey was most associated with the

Army Rugby Union The Army Rugby Union (ARU) is the governing body for rugby union in the British Army and a constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU). The ARU was formed on 31 December 1906 and marked the fulfilment of Lieutenant J. E. C. "Birdie" Partr ...

rather than club or county rugby. In later life he became Chairman of the Army Rugby Union.Army Rugby Union site

Rugby career

Cowey was born in Tidworth, Wiltshire in 1911 but when he joined the British Armed Forces, he was posted in the Welch Regiment, traditionally the reserve of

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

nationals. He played rugby while on duty, for his regiment and later played for the Army's own rugby team. Outside the army, Cowey played for two first class rugby union clubs: London Welsh and Newport. It was while playing with Newport that he was selected to play for Wales, after his service with the Welch Regiment made him eligible to represent his adoptive country. Cowey's first cap was in the

1934 Home Nations Championship The 1934 Home Nations Championship was the thirtieth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Five Nations, and prior to that, the Home Nations, this was the forty-seventh series of the nort ...

, where he was one of 13 new caps to be tested by Wales, in a match at the Cardiff Arms Park against England. Wales's inexperience showed and they lost 9–0. Although five of the players from that match were never selected for Wales again, Cowey wasn't amongst them and returned for the next game against Scotland. The Scottish game was far more successful for Wales, with a strong performance from Cliff Jones. Cowey repaid the selectors' trust in him with two tries in the Scotland match, and again in the last game of the tournament when he scored another against Ireland. Cowey's final game for Wales was during the 1935 Championship when he again faced England. Under the captaincy of

Wilf Wooller Wilfred Wooller (20 November 1912 – 10 March 1997) was a Welsh cricketer, rugby union footballer, cricket administrator and journalist. He was acclaimed as one of the greatest all-round sportsmen that Wales has ever produced. He captained G ...

, Wales drew the match after a late penalty goal from Boughton.

International matches played

Wales * 1934, 1935 * Ireland 1934 * 1934

Bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cowey, Bernard 1911 births 1997 deaths Barbarian F.C. players Companions of the Distinguished Service Order English rugby union players London Welsh RFC players Newport RFC players Officers of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Wellington College, Berkshire People from Tidworth Rugby union players from Wiltshire Rugby union wings Welch Regiment soldiers Wales international rugby union players Welsh rugby union players