Martyn Jordan (7 March 1865 – 14 July 1902) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

-born 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 it ...

player who played club rugby for

London Welsh London Welsh Rugby Football Club ( cy, Clwb Rygbi Cymry Llundain) was a rugby union club formed in 1885. Based in Old Deer Park, Richmond-upon-Thames, London Welsh RFC played in the English Premiership in the 2012–13 and 2014–15 seaso ...

and Newport and international rugby for

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

.Rugby Union player profiles
/ref> Jordan played in three games for Wales scoring two tries, though at the time scoring tries carried no points.

Rugby career

Jordan first played first class rugby for Newport Rugby Club, but moved to London to study medicine. While in London he initially played for

Guy's Hospital Guy's Hospital is an NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in central London. It is part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and one of the institutions that comprise the King's Health Partners, an academic health science centre. ...

before the exile team, London Welsh was created in 1885. Jordan played in the first London Welsh game, played at the Saracen's ground against London Scottish;Jones (1985), pg 6. alongside fellow Newport player and Wales rugby legend Arthur Gould. When London Welsh took part in their first tour of South Wales, the team took in Swansea,

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

, Newport and a South Wales XV over a six-day period. When the team faced Newport, Jordan refereed the match rather than play as he represented both teams.Jones (1985), pg 7. Jordan first represented Wales when he was still with Newport in early 1885, when he was chosen to face England as part of the Home Nations Championship. Wales lost the game, but Jordan played well and scored two tries, one of which Gould, also appearing in his first game for Wales, converted. Jordan returned for the very next match of the tournament against Scotland in a nil-nil draw. Jordan's next game for Wales was his last and took another four years to achieve, and by this time he was playing most of his club rugby for London Welsh. The game was against Scotland and was played as part of the

1889 Home Nations Championship The 1889 Home Nations Championship was the seventh series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Three matches were played between 2 February and 2 March. It was contested by Ireland, Scotland and Wales. England were excluded from the Ch ...

, away from home at

Raeburn Place Raeburn Place is the main street of the suburb of Stockbridge, Edinburgh, Scotland, and the name of the playing fields there. Rugby The first ever international rugby football game was played on the playing fields at Raeburn Place on 27 Ma ...

, Wales lost to Scotland and Jordan was never selected for Wales again. In the 1888/89 season, Jordan was given the captaincy of London Welsh and the tactical changes he brought to the club during this season is seen as a major factor in changing the club into a respectable opponent in Britain.Jones (1985), pg 12.

International matches played

Wales (rugby union)Smith (1980), pg 468. * 1885 * 1885, 1889

Bibliography

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jordan, Martyn Wales international rugby union players Newport RFC players London Welsh RFC players 1865 births 1902 deaths Rugby union players from Bristol