William David Phillips
| Birth name | William David Phillips | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 16 August 1855 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Cardiff, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 15 October 1918 (aged 63) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Cardiff, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Bridgend School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | accountant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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William David Phillips (16 August 1855 – 15 October 1918) was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cardiff Rugby Football Club and international rugby for Wales. He won five caps for Wales and would later become a central figure in the early history of the Welsh Rugby Union.
Rugby career
Phillips came to note as a rugby player while playing for first class club Cardiff and in the 1879/80 season he was elected as club captain for the first team. Phillips would keep the captaincy for three seasons in total, the first player to regain the captaincy in the club's history.[2] In 1881, Phillips was selected to play for the first representative Welsh international team, in a game against England. Phillips was one of four Cardiff players in the first match, along with B. B. Mann, Barry Girling and Leonard Watkins. The Welsh team were humiliated when the English scored 13 tries without reply, and the press attacked the Welsh Union secretary Richard Mullock for choosing a 'private' team of friends and elitists rather than the best players available.[3] Phillips himself was a strong supporter of Mulloch, and when Mulloch was challenged in his position as secretary, it was Phillips, along with Horace Lyne, who voiced their opinion strongest in his support.[4]
Despite the heavy defeat, Phillips was re-selected to play for Wales in the next game against Ireland, one of only four players to hold their place. Under the captaincy of
Phillips continued his close connection with Welsh rugby, when in
International matches played
Wales[3]
Bibliography
- 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.
- Jenkins, John M.; et al. (1991). Who's Who of Welsh International Rugby Players. Wrexham: Bridge Books. ISBN 1-872424-10-4.
References
- ^ Welsh Rugby Union player profiles
- ^ Marshall, Francis Football; the Rugby union game (1892) Cassell and company Ltd. pg 265
- ^ a b Smith (1980), pg 470.
- ^ Smith (1980), pg 52.
- ^ Welsh international referee roll of honour
- ^ Jenkins (1991), pg 127.
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