........ who played internationally in both League and Union 1902-1906. In 1905, Jones (six-foot-tall and weighing 16-stone) played for the Welsh-team that defeated the New-Zealand All Blacks 3-0 in the latter’s Rugby Union Tour of the Northern Hemisphere. Many Rugby enthusiasts still regard this match as being one of the greatest ever played in the history of the game. He was banned from Rugby Union in 1907 after illegally receiving payment at a time when the code was still strictly amateur. When WW1 began, the 33-year-old Jones enlisted and served as an Infantryman in the Welsh Guards. He was badly wounded on the Somme in 1916 and he never fully recovered from his injuries, suffering serious health-problems until he died in 1933 at the age of 52.
Jones, David (‘Tarw’) played for Wales Internationals: 13 : 1902 E+ S+ I+ ; 1903 E+ S- I- ; 1905 E+ S+ I+ NZ+ ; 1906 E+ S+ SA- David Jones was born in Tynewydd, Treherbert, in 1881 Played as a Forward for: Treherbert, Aberaman, Aberdare, Glamorgan Police, Glamorgan Profession: Collier/police War service: Welsh Guards; he was seriously wounded during the Battle of the Somme. Remarks: He was described as a giant of a man, being around 6ft 1in tall and weighing well over 15½ stone. He was one of the first of the modern style of forward, and a great scrummager. He began playing with Treherbert, who won the Glamorgan League three times in succession in the 1900s, beating stronger clubs. After a great performance in a Welsh trial he played against England in 1902 aged only 20, when he was the youngest and heaviest member of the team. He played well against the 1905 All Blacks, but did not travel to Ireland that season as he had an intense fear of boats! His last match for Wales was v the 1906 Springboks, after playing an important part in Glamorgan’s 3-6 defeat by the tourists, where he appeared unfit, and did not last the whole game. He did, however score a try. In 1907 he was the centre of a major sensation in Welsh Rugby when he wished to transfer from Aberdare back to his old club Treherbert, despite Aberdare’s offer to pay him seven shillings and sixpence per match. After that he joined the Northern Rugby Union [Rugby League] (Merthyr Tydfil RLFC, then Treherbert RLFC and later St Helens RLFC) and was suspended by the WRU for receiving money for playing Rugby and refusing to give evidence to the WRU. Dai Jones twice played for Wales in the Northern Union, thereby becoming the first Welsh dual international, and scored a try in the 9-8 win over New Zealand and was in the Welsh team that defeated England 35-18 at Tonypandy. He returned to Aberdare to become the licensee of the Eagle Hotel, and then returned to Treherbert to manage the Castle Hotel. He died in Aberdare on 21 January 1933.
Seems he was quite " a lad " !! all very tame by todays standards ........ There are further reports of incidents involving Jones - both on and off the pitch - which help to explain his unconventional character. One story is told that while serving as a police officer in Treherbert he became annoyed with an inspector, Jones reportedly removed his tunic, grabbed hold of the inspector and forcibly ejected him from the station. Another occasion saw him disciplined by the police force for selling raffle tickets while still on duty ! Heres a picture ... Tarw meaning "bull " in Welsh !!
