Harry Thomas Payne (10 December 1907 – 22 December 2000) 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 ...

prop who played club rugby for

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 ...

and was capped for Wales on one occasion. A hard forward player Payne was described as 'tough-as-teak'Billot (1972), pg 106. and was still playing for veteran teams at the age of 84.

Rugby career

Payne was born in Llangyfelach and at the age of 14 had left school to join his father in the coal industry, tending the pit ponies. Payne initially had a trial for local soccer team

Swansea A.F.C. Swansea City Association Football Club (; cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Cymdeithas Dinas Abertawe) is a professional football club based in Swansea, Wales that plays in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Swansea have played their ...

but switched sports to rugby union playing for both Mynyddbach and Morriston before joining first class side Swansea in 1931. On 28 September 1935, Payne was chosen to play for the Swansea team to face the touring New Zealand team. When Swansea beat the All Blacks, they became the first club team to do so and also the first team to beat all three major Southern Hemisphere teams. Later in 1935, Payne was selected to face the same touring New Zealand team for Wales along with teammates Don Tarr, Haydn Tanner and

Claude Davey Claude Davey (14 December 1908 – 18 February 2001) was a Wales international rugby union player who played club rugby for several teams, most notably Sale and Swansea. He was awarded 23 caps for Wales and captained his country eight times. Dave ...

. This was Payne's one and only cap for his country, but it was a memorable game for Wales as they won 13–12, with fourteen men for the last ten minutes after Tarr was stretchered off with a broken neck.Billot (1972), pg 108. Although being selected as a reserve player on several occasions, Payne never played for Wales again. During the 1938/39 season Payne was chosen to captain Swansea, but with the outbreak of war, Payne joined the

Royal Marines The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...

. While in the marines he played rugby for both the marines and the Royal Navy and played in two wartime international for Wales against England. He saw action as a soldier in North Africa, Sicily and Italy, and was awarded six battle medals. On returning to Wales during peacetime he returned to working in the mines. His later career included playing for veteran teams; and in 1989 at the age of 82, he turned out for a match against Bordeaux. His rugby career was finally halted after he broke his ankle while playing for Swansea Veterans RFC,
Swansea Veterans RFC website in a match in the Netherlands in 1992.

International matches played

WalesSmith (1980), pg 470. * 1935

Bibliography

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Payne, Harry 1907 births 2000 deaths Royal Marines personnel of World War II Rugby union players from Swansea Rugby union props Swansea RFC players Wales international rugby union players Welsh miners Welsh rugby union players