William Morris "Willie" Llewellyn (1 January 1878 – 12 March 1973) was a Welsh 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. He captained Wales in 1905 and
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 ...
in 1902. He was a member of the winning Welsh team who beat the 1905 touring
All Blacks
The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, ...
in the famous ''
Match of the Century''. Llewellyn toured with the British Isles to
Australasia
Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologi ...
in 1904 and won three
Triple Crown
Triple Crown may refer to:
Sports Horse racing
* Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
* Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)
** Triple Crown Trophy
** Triple Crown Productions
* Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
* Tri ...
trophies. He played club rugby for many teams, predominantly for
Llwynypia
Llwynypia ( cy, Llwynypia ) is a village and community (and electoral ward) in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, near Tonypandy in the Rhondda Fawr Valley. Before 1850 a lightly populated rural farming area, Llwynypia experienced a population boom betwee ...
and
Newport.
Club career
Llewellyn began his club rugby days with
Rhondda
Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley ( cy, Cwm Rhondda ), is a former coal mining, coalmining area in South Wales, historically in the county of Glamorgan. It takes its name from the River Rhondda, and embraces two valleys – the larger Rhondda Fa ...
team
Ystrad Rhondda
Ystrad (also known as Ystrad Rhondda or Ystrad-Rhondda) is a village and community (and electoral ward) in the Rhondda Fawr valley, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.
Description
As a community and ward Ystrad contains the neighbouring district of Gelli ...
before moving to Llwynypia. Although an unfashionable second tier club, Llwynypia had already provided two Welsh internationals,
Dick Hellings and
Billy Alexander, and Llewellyn joined their ranks when he was capped in 1899. In 1900 he moved to London to study at the Pharmaceutical College in Bloomsbury and joined a shabby London Welsh team. Llewellyn's arrival is seen as a turning point for the club; he was immediately made captain and turned the team from a losing side to a force to be reckoned with.
[Thomas (1979), pg23] On his return to Wales, Llewellyn joined first class club, Newport, who he would stay with through four seasons. On his retirement from international rugby Llewellyn returned to second class club rugby and the Rhondda when he joined
Penygraig
Penygraig is a village and community in the Rhondda Valley in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. As a community Penygraig contains the neighbouring districts of Dinas, Edmondstown, Penrhiwfer and Williamstown. Penygraig is within ...
.
International career
Wales
![Wales Rugby1905](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Wales_Rugby1905.jpg)
Llewellyn made his debut 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 ...
against England in 1899, alongside Welsh greats
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 ...
and
Gwyn Nicholls. It was an impressive display from Llewellyn and the team, with England thoroughly beaten and Llewellyn scoring four tries.
[Thomas (1979), pg22] Llewellyn scored again on his second game, which was against Scotland, and should have scored on his third match when he faced Ireland but for a poor choice by team mate
Reg Skrimshire.
Llewellyn was part of the 1900, 1902 and 1905 Triple Crown winning sides, but his true moment of glory was being part of the great Welsh side of 1905 which beat
the Original All Blacks
The Original All Blacks (also known simply as "The Originals") were the first New Zealand national rugby union team to tour outside Australasia. They toured the British Isles, France and the United States of America during 1905–1906. Their op ...
. He was considered a poor choice for the game by many critics as at the time of the game he had switched to Penygraig, a junior club, and he was considered too old for the wing.
[Thomas (1979), pg24] An uncharacteristic fumble within distance of the try line may have proven his detractors correct, but it did not affect the end result and his marking of the All Black
Billy Wallace
William Joseph Wallace (2 August 1878 – 2 March 1972) was a New Zealand rugby union footballer and foundryman. Wallace won his first Test cap for New Zealand on 15 August 1903 against Australia. He was a member of the legendary 1905 Original ...
was noted as being ruthlessly impressive.
British Lions
In 1904 Llewellyn was chosen to tour Australasia alongside fellow Welsh winger
Teddy Morgan
Edward "Teddy" Morgan (22 May 1880 – 1 September 1949) was a Welsh international rugby union player. He was a member of the victorious Wales team who beat the 1905 touring All Blacks in the famous '' Match of the Century'' and is remembered for ...
[Smith (1980), pg 148.] under the captaincy of
Bedell-Sivright. Llewellyn would play in four tests, scoring four tries in the first three tests against Australia.
International games played
Wales
[Smith (1980), pg 468.]
* 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1904, 1905
* 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905
* 1905
* 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1904, 1905
British Isles
* 1904 1st Test, 1904 2nd Test, 1904 3rd Test
* 1904
Later career and death
Around 1905 Llewellyn opened a pharmacy in his birth town of Tonypandy. It is reported that during the 1910
Tonypandy Riot
The Miners Strike of 1910-11 was an attempt by miners and their families to improve wages and living conditions in severely deprived parts of South Wales, where wages had been kept deliberately low for many years by a cartel of mine owners.
Wha ...
the rioters left Llewellyn's pharmacy unscathed due to his sporting celebrity.
Rhondda Cynon Taff Library Service – Tonypandy
/ref>
When Llewellyn died in 1973 in Pontyclun at the age of 95, he was the last of the 1905 Wales team which beat the Original All Blacks. He is remembered as a modest man who was an excellent captain for club and country and was one of the most devastating wing players in Welsh rugby history.
Bibliography
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Llewellyn, Willie
1878 births
1973 deaths
British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Wales
British pharmacists
Cardiff RFC players
Glamorgan County RFC players
Llwynypia RFC players
London Welsh RFC players
Newport RFC players
Penygraig RFC players
People educated at Christ College, Brecon
Rugby union players from Tonypandy
Rugby union wings
Wales international rugby union players
Wales rugby union captains
Welsh rugby union players