David Edwards : Rugby Player

Dolphin · Sep 25, 2009

This is one of a series of posts to mark the international Rugby players who served in, and survived, The Great War. If anyone has further information on the men concerned, I’d be most grateful if it could be added to the thread.

Gareth

Edwards, David played for Wales

Internationals: 1 : 1921 E-

David Edwards was born on 21 March 1896 in Glynneath

Played as a Lock for: Glynneath

Profession: Builder’s labourer/collier

War service: 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards, 3rd (Guards) Brigade, Guards Division

Remarks: Rhigos RFC coach. Joined the Rugby League (Rochdale Hornets RLFC) in 1921.

He died on 24 August 1960 in Glyneath

liverpool annie · Sep 25, 2009

He's on the Welsh Miners list ..... Welsh internationals who worked in the mining industry

Dai Edwards (1 cap, 1921 - Glynneath)

http://www.wru.co.uk/15886.php

Debut - Five Nations 15th Jan 1921 | Team Wales, Opp England

This just mentions the game ... not him ! .... though you may pick up some information about the other guys !

In the first post-World War 1 meeting between England and Wales at Twickenham, in 1921, there were five players in the English team with Welsh links. Ernie Hammett and Reg Edwards were both playing for Newport. Hammett had played for Wales at amateur soccer against England and had turned down a Welsh rugby trial. Edwards was born in Pontypool, as was fellow forward Tom Woods. Another forward, Ernie Gardiner, was also Welsh born, while WJA Davies, the outside half, was born in Pembroke. The 15 point winning margin – 18-3 – stood as a record until 1990 when England won 34-6

Most younger members of Rhigos Rugby Football Club will be surprised to learn that the first organised sports team in the village played not Rugby or Soccer. It was a Cricket Team formed in 1930. The Club played one season and enjoyed themselves so much that they decided the spirit of camaraderie should not be allowed to fade in the long winter months.

The Cricket members decided to play a winter sport and to this end they called a meeting at the New Inn to decide whether that sport be soccer or rugby. It is a question that has caused considerable torment for many South Wales sportsmen, and these men of Rhigos were no different. So appealing were the arguments of fans of both codes that at the end of the day, the meeting was split right down the middle; half in favour of each. The casting vote of Evans the Police was needed and with it Rhigos R.F.C. was born.

It was an unusual birth for such a healthy baby, for Rhigos were to gather in strength until in the season of 1937-38, they succeeded in beating Rhydyfelin 3-0 (a penalty goal by G . Hoffland) to win the Pontypridd and District Cup. By a strange coincidence exactly forty years later, the re-formed Rhigos R.F.C. defeated Rhydyfelin 20 points to 19 in the semi-final of the Pontypridd and District Cup. Unfortunately, they failed to emulate their predecessors, for they lost in the final by 12 points to 4 against Llantrisant. In those early days. success was undoubtedly due to intelligent and energetic management and Rhigos was fortunate in having on its Committee men like Ginger Gordon. Llew Williams Pentyp, Henry Walters, Mock and Dai Rees Brickyard, Evan John Williams. William John Lewis, Howell Davey and Jonah Roberts. With no clubhouse. they had their base at the Plough Inn, the Williams family, the licensees of which. have always proved valuable friends of the Club.
The long room upstairs. a large fire roaring at each end, was Gymnasium and Dressing Rooms. Money was raised by pontoons, raffles, even Christmas carolling and "socials" at the school. To supplement their efforts they had an annual grant of £15 from Glynneath Miners' Welfare.

Perhaps the greatest tribute to their financial management was that they had their own Club Insurance scheme. paying a benefit of 30 shillings a week for loss of earnings to players injured in matches. An excellent policy for the young family man of the Thirties. when work and money were as scarce as English tries at the Arms Park in the Seventies
Just like the current Rhigos R.F.C. they were faced with the problem of finding a suitable pitch. At first they played on Gwrangon Fields now situated somewhere underneath that great mound of earth behind the clubhouse. This field proved to be too wet, so they moved over to play on the Cefn on top of Mount Road hill. This ground was the scene of one of Rhigos' early victories over the old firm of Mountain Ash, already a well established side. After the match the Old Firm's Captain assured the Rhigos team that his side, had lost not because Rhigos were a better side but because the long march from the Plough to the pitch had exhausted his side.

His speech did highlight the disadvantage of playing on the Cefn. The side moved posts once again, this time to Newth's Field opposite the present clubhouse. Visiting sides were grateful for by now it was not the long walk to the ground that worried them but the long weary trek back to the Plough after failing to beat the boys from the bullrushes.
For by now few sides could defeat Rhigos on their own pitch. A fine team had been established under the captaincy of Reg Douglas and trained by the great Dai Edwards, Welsh International from Glynneath, who had returned from playing Rugby League with Rochdale Hornets. They went from strength to strength. In the pack they had big hard men like Henry Walters, Eddie Jenkins, Evan Morgan, Will Rees, Dai Meurig, Hoppy Hopkins, Wally Hoffland and Jos Lewis while their threequarters like Evan Thomas Williams, Glyn Bach Rees, Elwyn Jones Georgie Parfitt and Willy Hergeast proved to be swift attackers. Rhigos were also fortunate in having two extremely gifted centre-threequarters in George Hoffland and Rhys Morgan, both prolific point-scorers with the boot and fine elusive ball-carriers.

Like most Rugby teams they shared a fine communal sense of humour. One funny story remembered by the old players was of the time when Rhigos were away to Blaenllechan (Blaen Rhondda). The Rhigos boys were amazed that their opponents were falling about after the gentlest tap, like Continental soccer players. Each time. on ran the trainer with the magic sponge and a bottle of what looked like dark red raspberry cordial. One quick 'swig' and the injured player bounced to his feet and carried on as good as new. After the game, the Rhigos boys were curious to know what was in the bottle. Imagine their surprise, when the Blaenllechan trainer revealed that it was mature elderberry wine. No wonder they were up and down like ninepins.

To this team, the present Rhigos side owe a massive debt. Though the outbreak of war forced the team to disband, their spirit has lived on. Thank you, the Old Originals of the Club, and no less thanks to you, Evans the Police, for that judicious casting vote.
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http://www.rhigosrfc.co.uk/rhigoshistory.htm

liverpool annie · Sep 25, 2009

Here's a little background on the Hornets !!

A Rochdale Athletic Club was formed in l866 and held its first festival on the cricket ground at Merefield. Rugby football first took place as an organised game about 1866 or 1867, when the Rochdale Football Club was formed by a magistrate and numerous business owners and self-employed men. Within a year they were all playing alongside new members when working class men were allowed to join as well. Other clubs quickly followed, among them Rochdale Wasps and Rochdale Juniors.
In 1871, Rochdale Juniors and Rakebank merged to form Rochdale United. On the 20th of April 1871, the directors of Rochdale Wasps, Rochdale United and Rochdale Football Club met at the Roebuck Hotel in the town centre to form a senior team that would represent the town. Rochdale Wasps. Rochdale Butterflies and Rochdale Grasshoppers were suggested as names for the new club before Rochdale Hornets was agreed on. The original team colours were amber and black.
In 1875, Hornets played at Mr R Kershaw's Athletic Grounds in Vavasour Street, and later at the Rochdale Cricket Ground. The club very quickly took a leading position in the game in Lancashire. Hornets had an open door approach to membership and were able to insist on gate money as they played on an enclosed field.
In June 1879, Rochdale Rovers threw in their lot with the Hornets, and it was in this year that the club first adopted the white jersey. A ground was taken at Oakenrod for the 1879-1880 season but owing to poor gates, Rochdale Hornets returned to the Rochdale Cricket Club ground.
In 1881 no fewer than 57 rugby clubs played in Rochdale and district, fielding 80 teams regularly. By the eighteen nineties, the players were almost all working class.
Rochdale moved to the Athletic Grounds in Milnrow Road, which opened on 9 June 1894. Their first game at their new home took place in September 1894 against Crompton.
They were founder members of the Northern Union in 1895. Hornets made a poor start under the new regime and finshed bottom of the league table, for a good number of years they lost many more matches than they won.
They became tennants of the Athletics Grounds in 1900. Between the 7th and 9th of March 1901, a three-day bazaar was held at the town hall where around £1,000 was raised to help pay for Rochdale's debts. Incidents from the game played on the 22nd of March 1901 resulted in the ground being suspended by the Northern Union.
The players went on strike on the 29th of March 1902 as empty coffers meant that they went unpaid.
Rochdale Hornets then refused to travel to Dewsbury on the 1st of October 1904 on account of a smallpox outbreak, and were subsequently fined £20.
Rochdale purchased the Athletics Grounds in 1913. Hornets won the Lancashire County Cup in 1911 and 1914. Between the 10th of October 1914 and the 6th of March 1915, Hornets played 25 games without defeat, shortly after this streak was broken by a defeat to Wigan but they would finish fourth in the table. Hornets beat Broughton Moor 75-13 in a cup-tie on the 13th of March 1915; it was their biggest margin of victory since 1871. Twenty-five Rochdale players enlisted for the First World War, one of whom, Sergeant Twigg, was killed.
Rugby League came back to Rochdale following the Great War on Christmas Day 1918 when Rochdale played a friendly game. In the half-season of the spring of 1919, Rochdale Hornets not only won the Lancashire League but also carried off the Lancashire County Cup.
Rochdale's biggest win against a senior club came on the 27th of March 1920 when Wakefield Trinity were beaten 64 - nil.
The annual Law Cup, then known as the Infirmaries' Cup, was first contested against neighbours Oldham on the 7th of May 1921. Hornets played six games in a fortnight before falling to their biggest ever defeat 79-2 at the hands of Hull. Hornets changed their colours from green and black to red, white and blue as the green and black strip was deteriorating in the wash.
The club's record attendance was set at 26,664 in 1922 when Oldham were the visitors for a third round Challenge Cup match. Hornets won the Northern Union Challenge Cup in 1922 by beating Hull 10-9 at Headingley, Leeds. That was Hornets’ one and only Challenge Cup final. Due to the ferocity of their play, their pack of forwards was known as "The Terrible Six".
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liverpool annie · Sep 28, 2009

I've been looking for a Sgt Twigg ...... but there was this man ......

Pte 29427 Richard Twigg, 2nd Lancs Fusiliers, son of Fred and Martha Ann, 19 Rochdale Rd, Bury, later moved to 13A Chesham Rd, Walmersley, Bury, aged 24, people I have asked think he looks a more likely candidate !

Then I got this from Mark Hone ( the Bury expert !! ) .... this is the Richard Twigg from Chesham Road, Bury.

No info in his abridged biography of the 'Bury Times Book of Honour' that he was a rugby player. I don't have his full obit. from the BT to hand:
'Private Richard Twigg (25) of Chesham Road, Bury of the Lancashire Fusiliers was killed in France on October 23rd 1916. He previously worked in Manchester and was on the Roll of Honour of St. Paul's and St. Mark's Churches'

And a picture ... just in case !!

robco · Nov 19, 2009

David Edwards also played twice for the Wales Rugby League team. He made his debut against England at Wigan on 7 February, 1923 in a game that Wales won 13-2. His second cap was alsop against England at Wigan, on 30 September, 1925. This time Wales went down 18-14.

Dolphin · Nov 19, 2009

Robco

Thanks. Every little detail helps.

Gareth

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