Noel Forbes Humphreys (1 December 1890 – 27 March 1918) was a Welsh rugby union international who was part of the first official British and Irish Lions team that toured South Africa in 1910. He was killed in action in the First World War.

Early life

Noel Forbes Humphreys was born in 1891 in Llangan Rectory, Bridgend, Wales. He was the son of Henry James Humphreys and Sydney (née Williams) and one of at least six children. His family moved from Wales to northern England as his father's profession within the Church dictated. By the time Humphreys began playing rugby at club level the family had passed through Cheshire and had settled at Thornley Vicarage, Tow Law,

Co. Durham County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly �About North East Eng ...

. He attended St Chad's College, Denstone and went on to Durham School.

Rugby career

Humphreys played for

Tynedale R.F.C. Tynedale RFC is a rugby union team based in Corbridge, Northumberland in North East England. The club was relegated from National League 1 in 2015, the third tier of the English rugby union system and have played in National League 2 North s ...

in what has been termed their Golden Years. During the decade up to the outbreak of the First World War Tynedale won no fewer than 15 trophies, including the Senior Cup on three occasions and the Senior Shield four times in a row between 1909 and 1912. It was a run of success which, during this period, saw a score of Tynedale players being honoured by selection for their respective counties. Humphreys was part of the side in that period, playing in the stand-off (or fly-half) positionwww.tynedalerfc.co.uk
/ref> It was during this period that Humphreys was selected for the 1910 British tour to South Africa, the first official tour of the British Isles team (in that it was sanctioned and selected by the four Home Nations official governing bodies). Despite playing for the British team, he was never selected for his national side.

First World War

Humphreys fought in the First World War as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in the Tank Corps (10th Battalion). He was

Mentioned in Despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

and was also awarded the Military Cross. He was killed in action on 27 March 1918 and is commemorated at Etaples Military Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Humphreys, Noel 1890 births 1918 deaths Welsh military personnel British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Wales British Army personnel of World War I British military personnel killed in World War I People educated at Denstone College Rugby union players from Bridgend Recipients of the Military Cross Royal Tank Regiment officers Rugby union fly-halves Tynedale R.F.C. players Welsh rugby union players Burials at Étaples Military Cemetery