Dan Rees (rugby)

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Dan Rees
Birth nameDaniel Rees
Rugby league career
Position(s) Centre
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1905–? Hull Kingston Rovers 54 (43)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
– Hafod Rovers ()
1897–1905 Swansea RFC ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1900–1905 Wales 5 (0)

Daniel Rees (born 1876)[1] was a Wales international rugby union and rugby league centre who played club rugby for Swansea and Hull Kingston Rovers. Thomas was a twice Triple Crown winner, after representing Wales during the 1900 and 1905 Home Nations Championships. Later in his career he switched to professional rugby league, joining Hull Kingston Rovers. He was described as a "speedy threequarter with a deceptive action",[2] and would have won more than his five international caps had he not been in competition with Gwyn Nicholls for the centre position.

Rugby union career

Rees began his rugby career with Hafod Rovers,[3] the same team that would produce fellow international teammate Dicky Owen, but switched to first-class side Swansea in 1897. Rees has a long career with Swansea, and from 1901 through to 1905 faced the Barbarians in each of their Easter tours. During the Barbarian encounters, Rees scored a try in each of the first four encounters, and three in the fifth.[4] He later became the Swansea senior team's vice-captain during the 1904/05 "invincible" season.[5]

It was while representing Swansea that Rees was first selected to represent Wales, brought into the team to face England in the opening game of the

Mr Arthur Gould himself".[7] The Thursday after the match, Nicholls arrived back in Britain and was immediately selected for the Welsh team to face Scotland.[7] Despite a victory and some good reviews, Rees lost his place to Nicholls, despite Nicholls having not played a competitive game since the previous August. Some commentators believe that Nicholls played due to worries over his future selection caused by the good press articles the Swansea centres received.[8]
Wales won the next two games of the Championship without Rees, though his inclusion in the first game made him a member of the 1900 Triple Crown winning Welsh team.

Nicholls kept his place throughout the 1901 and 1902 Championships, but in December 1902, Nicholls broke his collarbone in an away game against Blackheath F.C.[9] This ruled him out for the early games of the 1903 Home Nations Championship, and Rees was once again brought into the national team at threequarters. With injuries also sustained by Teddy Morgan and Willie Llewellyn, the Welsh threequarters was hastily constructed, with Swansea's Fred Jowett, and a recalled Tom Pearson taking the wings and Rees partnering the only surviving member of the 1902 team, Rhys Gabe. Despite losing their captain Pearson to a heavy tackle, the Welsh were rampant against a poor England in the opening match. Playing a man down, Jehoida Hodges was taken from the pack and placed on the wing to replace Pearson, and duly scored three tries in a 21–3 victory. Rees retained his partnership with Gabe for the next game of the tournament, played away at Inverlieth to Scotland. On a pitch which was waterlogged before kick-off and played under rain swept and windy conditions, Wales lost 6–0. The next game saw the reintroduction of Nicholls, back from injury and Rees once again lost his place to him.

The 1904 Championship began with Nicholls and Gabe at centre for Wales, but when Nicholls was unable to commit to the later stages of the tournament

Frank Gordon to gain his first international cap.[12] The WRU reacted harshly to this, and reinstated Nicholls as they believed that Rees was following club orders to give their captain an international cap. The St Helen's crowd booed Nicholls and even pelted him with mud and oranges during the team photo, reacting badly to what was a snub to their captain and their team.[12]
Despite the ill feeling to Nicholls, Wales still won the game, making Rees, again in his absence, a Triple Crown winner for a second time.

On 21 October 1905, Rees drew his international career and any arguments of his amateur status to a close when he "Went North"; switching to professional rugby league team Hull Kingston Rovers.[3] Rees was paid a signing on fee of £300 to join Hull Kingston Rovers, which was the largest fee to a Welsh player prior to World War I (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £110,300 in 2015).[13][14]

International matches played

Wales[15]

Bibliography

  • Griffiths, John (1987). The Phoenix Book of International Rugby Records. London: Phoenix House.
    ISBN 0-460-07003-7
    .
  • Jenkins, John M.; et al. (1991). Who's Who of Welsh International Rugby Players. Wrexham: Bridge Books.
    ISBN 1-872424-10-4
    .
  • Parry-Jones, David (1999). Prince Gwyn, Gwyn Nicholls and the First Golden Era of Welsh Rugby. Bridgend: seren.
    ISBN 1-85411-262-7
    .
  • Smith, David; Williams, Gareth (1980). Fields of Praise: The Official History of The Welsh Rugby Union. Cardiff: University of Wales Press.
    ISBN 0-7083-0766-3
    .
  • Starmer-Smith, Nigel (1977). The Barbarians. Macdonald & Jane's Publishers.
    ISBN 0-86007-552-4
    .

References

  1. ^ Dan Rees player profiles Scrum.com
  2. ^ Smith (1980), pg 130.
  3. ^ a b Jenkins (1991), pg 135.
  4. ^ Starmer-Smith (1977), pg 94.
  5. ^ Dan Rees player profile Swansearfc.co.uk
  6. ^ Parry-Jones (1999), pg 69.
  7. ^ a b c Parry-Jones (1999), pg 70.
  8. ^ Parry-Jones (1999), pg 73.
  9. ^ Parry-Jones (1999), pg 101.
  10. ^ Griffiths (1987), 4:13.
  11. ^ Smith (1980), pg 124.
  12. ^ a b c Parry-Jones (1999), pg 124.
  13. ^ "Measuring Worth – Relative Value of UK Pounds". Measuring Worth. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  14. ISBN 978-0-7146-4867-5
  15. ^ Smith (1980), pg 471.
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