William Gwynn (1856 - 1 April 1897) 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 Swansea and would later become secretary of the Welsh Rugby Union. Gwynn was an all-round sportsman and as well as his success on the rugby pitch he also player

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 str ...

for Swansea, of which he became vice-president, and Glamorgan. Gwynn had also played

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

and had captained Battersea College XI through two undefeated seasons.Smith (1980), pg 58. He would later become a referee and would officiate the very first football game between Swansea Town and Cardiff City.

Rugby career

Gould played most of his club rugby with Swansea, following his elder brother

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

into the team. He joined the club in 1880 and would captain the team in the 1884/85 and 1885/86 season. Gwynn was first selected to represent Wales in the opening game of 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 ...

, against England. Under the captaincy of Charlie Newman, Wales lost to the English, but to a far close score line than the first two encounters. Gwynn was reselected for the next two Welsh international games, the first against Scotland, where he was partnered with Newman; and then Ireland with new half-back partner

William Stadden William James Wood "Buller" Stadden (1861 –30 December 1906) was a Welsh international rugby union half back who played club rugby for Canton, Cardiff and Dewsbury. Stadden won eight caps for Wales over a period of seven years and is mos ...

. Gwynn should have scored in the Scotland game, but looked for support rather than touch the ball down when he had crossed the Scottish line.Godwin (1984), pg 6. Gwynn played in two more games for Wales, both in the

1885 Home Nations Championship The 1885 Home Nations Championship was the third series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, but the tournament was not completed. The 1885 Championship was notable for the disp ...

, a loss to England and a draw against Scotland.

International career

''International matches played''Smith (1980), pg 466. * 1884, 1885 * 1884, 1885 * 1884

Bibliography

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gwynn, William Welsh rugby union players Rugby union players from Swansea Swansea RFC players Welsh football referees Wales Rugby Union officials Wales international rugby union players 1856 births 1897 deaths