Malcolm Campbell Thomas (25 April 1929 – 9 April 2012) 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 ...

and British Lions international rugby union player. A centre, he played club rugby for Newport. He won 27 caps 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 ...

and was selected to play in the British Lions on two tours of Australia and New Zealand. After his rugby career Thomas became a successful business man. He died on 9 April 2012 in

Burnham, Buckinghamshire Burnham is a large village and civil parish that lies north of the River Thames in Buckinghamshire, between the towns of Maidenhead and Slough, about 24 miles west of Charing Cross, London. It is probably best known for the nearby Burnham Beec ...

Early and club career

Born in Machen in 1929, Thomas went to school at Bassaleg Grammar and was chosen for the Welsh Secondary Schools rugby and cricket teams, before attending Caerleon Training College. After qualifying from college he became an instructor-lieutenant in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

, playing for and captaining Devonport Services before playing for the Navy XV. He joined Newport in 1946 and played against South Africa (1952), New Zealand (1954) and Australia (1957) for the club. A versatile player, Thomas found himself being moved between centre and wing and was chosen many times due to his ability as a utility back.Smith (1980), p. 324. He was also recognized as an accurate placekicker and was strong in the tackle, with a powerful hand-off.Smith (1980), p. 339. Thomas also represented Cornwall and Monmouthsire at county level, and played invitational matches for the

Barbarians A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by some to be less c ...

and Crawshays. In 1958 ha was a member of the 1958 touring Barbarian team that played in Africa, scoring a try and two conversions in the win over

East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historical ...

. He also played

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

for

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

in the 1951

Minor Counties Championship The NCCA 3 Day Championship (previously the Minor Counties Cricket Championship) is a season-long competition in England and Wales that is contested by the members of the National Counties Cricket Association (NCCA), the so-called national cou ...

, making four appearances.

International career

Thomas made his debut against France in 1949 in an away game at the

Stade de Colombes The Stade Yves-du-Manoir (officially Stade olympique Yves-du-Manoir, also known as the Stade olympique de Colombes, or simply Colombes to the locals) is a rugby, track and association football stadium in Colombes, near Paris, France. History ...

, Paris, which Wales lost. The selectors kept faith with Thomas and he turned out for the next four Five Nations Tournament games, which saw Wales win the Grand Slam in 1950, the first time since 1911. Thomas was also part of the Wales Grand Slam team in 1952. In 1953 he was dropped from the squad as the selectors believed his play was becoming stale and was blamed for a bad pass in the game against England. In a 1954/55 pre-season club trial he broke a leg, however he was back playing for Newport the next season and a return to club form saw his return to the Welsh side. On 19 January 1957 he was awarded the captaincy of Wales against England, and again later in the season against Scotland.

International matches played

WalesSmith (1980), p. 472. * 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1959 * 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1956, 1958, 1959 * 1950, 1951, 1952, 1956, 1958, 1959 * 1950, 1951, 1952, 1956, 1957. 1958 * 1951 British Lions * 1950 *

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 ...

1950, 1950, 1959

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Malcolm 1929 births 2012 deaths Barbarian F.C. players British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Wales Cornwall cricketers Crawshays RFC players Cricketers from Caerphilly County Borough Devonport Services R.F.C. players London Welsh RFC players Newport RFC players People educated at Bassaleg School Royal Navy officers Rugby union centres Rugby union players from Machen Wales international rugby union players Wales rugby union captains Welsh cricketers Welsh rugby union players