Willie Davies

Infobox Rugby biography
name = Willie Davies


caption =
birthname = William Thomas Harcourt Davies [ [http://www.swansearfc.co.uk/history_browser_view.php?image_id=515 Swansea RFC player profile] ]
nickname =
birthyear = 1916
birthmonth = 08
birthday = 23
placeofbirth = Penclawdd, Wales
deathyear = 2002
deathmonth = 09
deathday = 26
placeofdeath = Rustington, England
height =
weight =
ru_position = fly-half
ru_amateuryears = 1934-1939
?
?
1939-1950
ru_amateurclubs = Swansea RFC
Headingley RUFC
London Welsh RFC
Bradford Northern R.L.F.C.
ru_amclubcaps =
ru_amclubpoints =
ru_amupdate =
ru_nationalteam = Wales [ [http://www.wru.co.uk/12750_14256.php?player=25908&includeref=dynamic Welsh Rugby Union player profiles] ]
Wales
Great Britain
ru_nationalyears = 1936-1939
?
1946-47
ru_nationalcaps = 6
?
3
ru_nationalpoints = (7)
(?)
(?)
ru_ntupdate =
ru_coachclubs =
ru_coachyears =
ru_coachupdate =
other =
occupation = teacher
spouse =
children =
relatives = Haydn Tanner (cousin)
school = Gowerton county school
university =
url =

Willie Davies (23 August, 1916–26 September 2002) was a Welsh international dual-code rugby wing who played rugby union for Swansea and rugby league for Bradford Northern. He won six caps for the Wales rugby union team and nine caps for the Wales rugby league side. In 2003 he was inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame.

Rugby career

Davies first played rugby for Wales Secondary Schools, alongside his cousin and future Welsh captain, Haydn Tanner. Davies progressed to play club rugby for Swansea and Hedingley, and in 1935 he played for Swansea against the touring New Zealand team. Alongside Tanner, Davies had an outstanding game in which Swansea were victorious over the supposedly 'unbeatable' All Blacks. Tanner and Davies were credited as orchestrating the Swansea success, even though still teenagers and attending Gowerton county school. The New Zealand captain, Jack Manchester, is said to have passed back the message to New Zealand; "Tell them we have been beaten, but don't tell them it was by a pair of schoolboys". [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2002/oct/08/guardianobituaries.rugbyunion Willie Davies: Fly-half dazzling in both rugby union and league] Guardian obituary October 8, 2002]

It was at Swansea he was first selected to represent Wales at rugby union. Davies was capped for Wales against Ireland under the captaincy of Joe Rees on 14 March, 1936. When Wales won, thanks to a Vivian Jenkins penalty goal, he found himself as part of that year's winning Home Nations Championship team. Davies was back the next season, playing two games in the championship though after the highs of the previous season, Wales lost all their games to end up with the Wooden Spoon. Davies missed the entirety of the 1938 tournament, but was back for the 1939 championship, playing in all three games. In the final match against Ireland Davies scored all seven points with a try and a drop goal for Wales. His drop goal was the last four point drop goal ever scored in the Five Nations Championship, and the last for Wales until the end of World War II. During the war, Davies served his country as a member of the Royal Air Force.

In 1939 Davies left rugby union behind, when he 'Went North' and joined professional rugby league team Bradford Northern R.L.F.C.. He would later play rugby league for the Welsh and Great Britain teams. In 1946 he went on tour with Great Britain against Australia and New Zealand. He played in the tour's final Test in New Zealand and at point became a dual-code rugby international. When the Australians toured Britain the next year, Davies was chosen to represent the British team twice. [ [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/willie-davies-613366.html Willie Davies, Classically perfect rugby league stand-off] The Independent Obituary, 7 October 2002]

International matches played

Wales - rugby unionSmith (1980), pg 464.]
*ru|ENG 1937, 1939
*ru|IRE 1936, 1937, 1939
*ru|SCO 1939

Bibliography

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References