Rheinallt Hugh Lloyd-Davies (1925–1986) was a Welsh

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 it ...

and professional

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 11 ...

footballer who played in the 1940s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Wales XV, at university for

Cambridge University RFC The Cambridge University Rugby Union Football Club, sometimes abbreviated "CURUFC", is the rugby union club of the University of Cambridge. The team plays Oxford University RFC in the annual Varsity Match at Twickenham Stadium every December. ...

, and at club level for

Ammanford RFC Ammanford Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the town of Ammanford, West Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Llanelli Scarlets. History Ammanford RFC's first officially recorded rugby ...

, as a fullback, i.e. number 15, and club level rugby league (RL) for Barrow, as a , i.e. number 1.

Personal history

Lloyd-Davies was born in

Tycroes Tycroes is a village in Carmarthenshire, Wales. As measured in the 2011 Census, the population of Tycroes electoral ward was 2,438 persons (50.5% male, 49.5% female). At the 2011 Census all the population was counted in Llanedi community. The ...

near Ammanford, Wales in 1925 as Rheinallt Lloyd Hughes Davies and christened the next year.Watkins (2001), pp. 213–220 His father was a bus conductor in the firm Williams and Rees, though his family had a substantial interest in the company through his mother's side (née Rees). Known as a child as Hugh Lloyd Davies, he lived with his grandparents whose house was attached to the bus firm's garage. His parents, and siblings Heddwyn and Mair, lived in the house opposite. He was educated at Amman Valley County School and represented the Welsh Schools at rugby. He married Mary Michael a school teacher. After leaving school he joined the RAF and served during the Second World War. Before enlisting he went on a course to

Trinity Hall, Cambridge Trinity Hall (formally The College or Hall of the Holy Trinity in the University of Cambridge) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is the fifth-oldest surviving college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by ...

, and was promised a place at the college on completing his war service. At Trinity Hall he read Law and intended to become a barrister. The journalist

Alan Watkins Alan Rhun Watkins (3 April 1933 – 8 May 2010) was for over 50 years a British political columnist in various London-based magazines and newspapers. He also wrote about wine and rugby. Life and career Alan Watkins was born in Tycroes, Carmar ...

, an undergraduate at

Queens' College Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the oldest colleges of the university, founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. The college spans the River Cam, colloquially referred to as the "light s ...

. described Lloyd-Davies as a terrible

snob ''Snob'' is a pejorative term for a person who believes there is a correlation between social status (including physical appearance) and human worth.De Botton, A. (2004), ''Status Anxiety''. London: Hamish Hamilton ''Snob'' also refers to a per ...

, stating that Lloyd-Davies added the hyphen to his surname and described himself as coming from 'an old Carmarthenshire county family' in an attempt to improve his social status. A womaniser and carouser, Lloyd-Davies was often in trouble with the university. On leaving Trinity Hall he entered

Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and W ...

, though he was never called to the bar, and lived for a while in London where he turned out for local team Harlequin F.C., though after running up debts he needed to be bailed out by the club's president, and local MP, Sir Wavell Wakefield. In 1951 he was imprisoned after he fraudulently obtained a diamond ring and gold cufflinks which he later pawned. He was sentenced to nine months and it was stated that he was also receiving treatment for issues connected to alcohol. He was arrested and imprisoned a second time, after stealing an overcoat from Gray's Inn library. On his release he returned briefly to Tycroes before heading back to London. There he passed himself off as a colonel and he ended up working as a gardener for Islington council and for a period was homeless. He is said to have died in Islington, London in 1986.

Rugby career

Lloyd-Davies first came to note as a

player as a youth playing for Wales Schools. He joined local club Ammanford RFC, before matriculating to Trinity Hall and representing

. He played in one

Varsity match A varsity match is a fixture (especially of a sporting event or team) between two university teams, particularly Oxford and Cambridge. The Scottish Varsity rugby match between the University of St Andrews and the University of Edinburgh at Murrayf ...

, converting two penalties to score all the match points in a 6–0 Cambridge victory. He is reported to have turned out for London Welsh RFC and then Harlequins while living in London. Hugh Lloyd-Davies represented Wales XV (RU) while at Cambridge in the 'Victory International' non- Test match(es) between December 1945 and April 1946. Five rugby league footballers represented Wales XV (RU) while at rugby league clubs, they were; Tyssul Griffiths, Elwyn Gwyther,

Gomer Hughes Gomer Hughes (13 May 1910 – ) was a Welsh dual-code international rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Wales and Wales XV, and at club l ...

, Harold Thomas and Leslie Thomas. Gomer Hughes, and Harold Thomas had previously won Wales (RU) caps, but the other footballers hadn't, and having already changed to the rugby league code they were unable to do so, but Tyssul Griffiths, Elwyn Gwyther, Leslie Thomas, did go on to win Wales caps under the league code. In 1950, now working as a school teacher, Lloyd-Davies turned up at Barrow rugby league club and after showing his kicking skills was reportedly signed for £1,000 becoming the first Cambridge Blue to turn professional. He played just five games before disappearing, the story being reported in the national press. Lloyd-Davies had actually headed to France where he signed for a French league team, playing just one game before leaving.

References

Bibliography

External links

Search for "Rheinallt" at rugbyleagueproject.orgSearch for "Lloyd" at rugbyleagueproject.orgSearch for "Hughes" at rugbyleagueproject.orgSearch for "Davies" at rugbyleagueproject.org
* ttps://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/story/_/id/15294804/england-only-puma England's only Puma Barry Holmes article, mentioning Hugh Lloyd-Daviesbr>Ammanford Rugby Football Club (Founded 1887)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lloyd-Davies, Hugh 1926 births 1986 deaths 20th-century British lawyers Alumni of Trinity Hall, Cambridge Ammanford RFC players Barrow Raiders players Cambridge University R.U.F.C. players Harlequin F.C. players Members of Gray's Inn Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Rugby league fullbacks Rugby league players from Carmarthenshire Rugby union fullbacks Rugby union players from Ammanford Welsh rugby league players Welsh rugby union players