Viv Huzzey (24 July 1876 – 16 August 1929) 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 its m ...

and

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 112 ...

wing who played club rugby for

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 ...

and

Oldham RLFC Oldham R.L.F.C., also known as the Roughyeds, is a professional rugby league football club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. The club currently competes in the RFL League 1, the third tier of British Rugby League. Formed in 1876 as Oldh ...

( Heritage № 60). He won five 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 ...

. Huzzey was also an international

British baseball Welsh baseball ( cy, Pêl Fas Gymreig), is a bat-and-ball game played in Wales. It is closely related to the game of rounders. In the tradition of bat-and-ball games, baseball has roots going back centuries, and there are references to "ba ...

player.Parry-Jones (1999), pg 37.

Rugby career

Union

Huzzey was a fast wing with a strong scoring record, averaging around twenty tries a season. A popular player he worked well in partnership with Welsh rugby legend

Gwyn Nicholls Erith Gwyn Nicholls (15 July 1874 – 24 March 1939)Newport RFC player profiles
was a W ...

for both Cardiff and later for Wales. In 1900 at a general meeting for Cardiff Rugby Club, Nicholls and Huzzey were the only two names put forward for the position of captain for the next season. Nicholls had been the captain the previous two seasons, and Huzzey his vice, deputising well when Nicholls was absent.Parry-Jones (1999), pg 82. At the meeting Nicholls announced he was removing himself from contention to allow Huzzey the role, which caused the members to lobby Nicholls to change his mind in a very emotionally charged situation. Nicholls relented and was re-elected. Huzzey felt betrayed by this move, as it was believed Huzzey would have otherwise been selected.

League

In September 1900 Huzzey 'Went North', joining

side

( Heritage No. 60).Parry-Jones (1999), pg 83.

RU International career

Huzzey gained his first international cap against Ireland on 18 March 1898 at Limerick under the captaincy of

Billy Bancroft William James Bancroft (2 March 1871 – 3 March 1959) was a Welsh international fullback, who played club rugby for Swansea, and a county cricketer for Glamorgan, for whom he was the first professional player in 1895. Bancroft was seen as o ...

. This was Wales's first match after their exile caused by the Gould Affair, but the team had not lost form and beat Ireland 11-3, with Huzzey scoring one of two tries. He was back for Wales against England on 2 April and although Wales lost, Huzzey played well scoring all the Welsh points with a try and a drop goal. Huzzey was back the next season in the

1899 Home Nations Championship The 1899 Home Nations Championship was the seventeenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 5 January and 18 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The 1899 Championship w ...

, and in the first game against England at St. Helens, Wales were rampant;

Willie Llewellyn William Morris "Willie" Llewellyn (1 January 1878 – 12 March 1973) was a Welsh international rugby union player. He captained Wales in 1905 and London Welsh in 1902. He was a member of the winning Welsh team who beat the 1905 touring All Black ...

scored four tries on his début, and Huzzey scoring two tries himself. Huzzey's last two international matches against Ireland and Scotland saw him on the losing side. It is unknown if Huzzey would have won further caps as his decision to switch to the professional game of rugby league made him ineligible for further selection.

RU International matches played

WalesSmith (1980), pg 467. * 1898, 1899 * 1898, 1899 * 1899

Baseball

In 1908 Huzzey turned out for Wales in the first international

match, contested between Wales and England. The game was played at the Harlequins Ground in Cardiff, Wales winning 122-114. In the Welsh team on that day were two other Cardiff RFC players, Jack ‘Buzzer’ Heaven and Charlie Spackman.

Bibliography

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Huzzey, Viv 1876 births 1929 deaths Canton RFC players Cardiff RFC players Glamorgan County RFC players Oldham R.L.F.C. players Rugby league players from Torfaen Players of British baseball Rugby union players from Torfaen Rugby union wings Wales international rugby union players Welsh rugby league players Welsh rugby union players