Charles Meyrick Pritchard (30 September 1882 – 14 August 1916) was a

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 ...

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. He was a member of the winning Welsh team 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 ...

. He played club rugby for

Newport RFC Newport Rugby Football Club ( cy, Clwb Rygbi Casnewydd) is a Welsh rugby union club based in the city of Newport, South Wales. They presently play in the Welsh Premier Division. Until 2021 Newport RFC were based at Rodney Parade situated on t ...

and county rugby for

Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, with ...

. Pritchard was one of 13 Wales international players to be killed serving in the First World War. Charles Meyrick Pritchard is not related to Clifford Charles Pritchard

Rugby career

Pritchard joined Newport in 1901, and on 25 January played his first senior game, facing

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

. He spent his entire rugby career with Newport and during the 1905/06 season was made vice-captain; but after the captain

Wyatt Gould Edward Wyatt Gould (18 May 1879 – 9 February 1960) was a Welsh rugby union player who also represented Britain at the 1908 Summer Olympics. Gould captained his club side, Newport RFC, for a single season, and is best known as the younger broth ...

was unable to fulfil his duties, Pritchard acted as stand-in captain.Wyatt Gould profile
blackandambers.co.uk The next season, he was given the captaincy, a role he held for three consecutive seasons.

International career

Pritchard made his debut for

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 ...

against Ireland in 1904, while playing club rugby for Newport. Pritchard would play in a further 13 internationals including the famous '' Match of the Century'' victory against the 1905 All Black touring team. Although all the Welsh players on the day played their part in the victory over the New Zealanders, Pritchard was commended for his all out defensive play and continual heavy tackling against the All Blacks. He was seen as the star of the Welsh pack and was 'always in the thick of the fight';Smith (1980), pg 162. fellow Welsh international George Travers would sum up Pritchard's aggressive play against the All Blacks as 'He knocked 'em down like nine pins.' Pritchard would score his only international try in a 16–3 win against England in a home nations match on 13 January 1906. After a serious injury in 1908 he returned to the Welsh side in the 1909/10 season and played his final game against England in 1910.Thomas (1979), pg 44. Wales Rugby1905

International games played

WalesSmith (1980), pg 470. * 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1910 * 1910 * 1904, 1906, 1907 * 1905 * 1905, 1906, 1907 *

1906 Events January–February * January 12 – Persian Constitutional Revolution: A nationalistic coalition of merchants, religious leaders and intellectuals in Persia forces the shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar to grant a constitution, ...

Military service and death

In May 1915 Pritchard was commissioned second lieutenant to the 12th Battalion

South Wales Borderers The South Wales Borderers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for 280 years. It came into existence in England in 1689, as Sir Edward Dering's Regiment of Foot, and afterwards had a variety of names and headquarters. In ...

. In November 1915 he was promoted to captain, and in June 1916 he went out to the Western Front with his battalion. On the night of 12 August 1916 he led a trench raid near Loos to capture a German prisoner. Although the raid was successful in its objective, Pritchard was seriously wounded and was carried to No. 1 Casualty Clearing Station a few miles behind the front at Chocques. His last reported words were to ask if they had got the "Hun", and when told they had, he replied 'Well, I have done my bit.' Pritchard died of his wounds at the clearing station on 14 August 1916 and is buried in Chocques Military Cemetery.

Bibliography

* * * * Prescott, Gwyn (2014). ''Call Them to Remembrance: The Welsh Rugby Internationals who died in the Great War''. St. David's Press. .

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pritchard, Charlie 1882 births 1916 deaths British military personnel killed in the Battle of the Somme Rugby union players from Newport, Wales Rugby union flankers South Wales Borderers soldiers Welsh rugby union players Wales international rugby union players Newport RFC players Monmouthshire County RFC players British Army personnel of World War I Military personnel from Monmouthshire