William David Phillips (16 August 1855 – 15 October 1918) 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 ...

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 ...

forward who played club rugby for Cardiff Rugby Football Club 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 ...

. He won five caps for Wales and would later become a central figure in the early history of the Welsh Rugby Union.

Rugby career

Phillips came to note as a rugby player while playing for first class club Cardiff and in the 1879/80 season he was elected as club captain for the first team. Phillips would keep the captaincy for three seasons in total, the first player to regain the captaincy in the club's history. In 1881, Phillips was selected to play for the first representative Welsh international team, in a game against England. Phillips was one of four Cardiff players in the first match, along with B. B. Mann,

Barry Girling Barry Edward Girling (1857 - 28 October 1905) was an English-born international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cardiff and international rugby for Wales. He won a single cap for Wales, in the country's first international match. ...

and

Leonard Watkins Leonard Watkins (7 December 1859 - 7 February 1901) was a Welsh international rugby union half-back who played club rugby for Cardiff Rugby Football Club and international rugby for Wales. He won just a single game for Wales when he was selected ...

. The Welsh team were humiliated when the English scored 13 tries without reply, and the press attacked the Welsh Union secretary

Richard Mullock Richard Mullock (3 May 1851 – 1920) was a Welsh sporting administrator and official, who is most notable for organising the first Welsh rugby union international game and was instrumental in the creation of the Welsh Football Union, which bec ...

for choosing a 'private' team of friends and elitists rather than the best players available.Smith (1980), pg 470. Phillips himself was a strong supporter of Mulloch, and when Mulloch was challenged in his position as secretary, it was Phillips, along with Horace Lyne, who voiced their opinion strongest in his support.Smith (1980), pg 52. Despite the heavy defeat, Phillips was re-selected to play for Wales in the next game against Ireland, one of only four players to hold their place. Under the captaincy of Charles Lewis, Wales beat the Irish by two goals and two tries to nil. Despite the win, Phillips would miss the next two Wales games, but was back in the squad for all three of the matches in the

1884 Home Nations Championship The 1884 Home Nations Championship was the second series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 5 January and 12 April 1884. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. England won the champ ...

. Wales lost two and won one of the games, the victory was again against Ireland and was Phillips last international game. Phillips continued his close connection with Welsh rugby, when in

1887 Events January–March * January 11 – Louis Pasteur's anti-rabies treatment is defended in the Académie Nationale de Médecine, by Dr. Joseph Grancher. * January 20 ** The United States Senate allows the Navy to lease Pearl ...

he was chosen to referee the Home Nations match between Ireland and England.Welsh international referee roll of honour
/ref> His second and final international match he would officiate was the 1889 Championship game between Ireland and Scotland in Belfast. In 1892, after his international career had come to an end; Phillips was chosen as one of four vice-presidents of the WRU, representing the East Wales region along with Horace Lyne. From 1887 until 1907, Phillips was one of the Welsh representatives on the

International Rugby Board World Rugby is the world governing body for the sport of rugby union. World Rugby organises the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport's most recognised and most profitable competition. It also organises a number of other international ru ...

.Jenkins (1991), pg 127.

International matches played

WalesSmith (1980), pg 470. * 1881, 1884 * 1882, 1884 * 1884

Bibliography

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, William David 1855 births 1918 deaths Cardiff RFC players Rugby union forwards Rugby union players from Cardiff Wales international rugby union players Wales Rugby Union officials Welsh rugby union players Welsh rugby union referees