Dicky Ralph
Encyclopedia
Dicky Ralph was a Welsh
international rugby
fly-half who played rugby union
for Newport and rugby league
with Leeds
. He won six caps for Wales
at rugby union and also represented his country at rugby league.
. The game was a walk-over, with Wales winning 35-3, Ralph scored two tries of the seven scored by the Welsh team that day and unsurprisingly was reselected two weeks later to face Ireland. In a bruising encounter, Wales won at Ravenhill, with Ralph again on the score sheet, this time with a drop goal. Later that year he faced Bennie Osler
's touring South African team twice, once with Newport, and then again in December as part of the Welsh team. Ralph appeared on the losing team on both occasions, though played some strong rugby during the international and his screw kicking on the day was excellent.
In the 1932 Home Nations Championship
, Ralph was back in the squad, alongside his Newport team mate Jack Morley
. Ralph played all three games, scoring against Ireland with a try and a drop goal. Ralph may have gained further caps, but switched codes to rugby league in 1933, joining Leeds. On 30 December 1933 Ralph played for the Wales rugby league team
in an encounter with Australia, becoming a dual-code international.
Wales (rugby league) 1933
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
international rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
fly-half who played rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
for Newport and rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
with Leeds
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
. He won six caps for Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
at rugby union and also represented his country at rugby league.
International career
Ralph was first capped for Wales against France on February 28, 1931 under the captaincy of Jack BassettJack Bassett
Jack Bassett was a Welsh international rugby union full back who played club rugby for Penarth. He won 15 caps for Wales and was selected for the 1930 British Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand...
. The game was a walk-over, with Wales winning 35-3, Ralph scored two tries of the seven scored by the Welsh team that day and unsurprisingly was reselected two weeks later to face Ireland. In a bruising encounter, Wales won at Ravenhill, with Ralph again on the score sheet, this time with a drop goal. Later that year he faced Bennie Osler
Bennie Osler
Benjamin Louwrens Osler was a rugby union footballer who played internationally for South Africa. Osler played mainly at fly-half for both South Africa, and his provincial team of Western Province....
's touring South African team twice, once with Newport, and then again in December as part of the Welsh team. Ralph appeared on the losing team on both occasions, though played some strong rugby during the international and his screw kicking on the day was excellent.
In the 1932 Home Nations Championship
1932 Home Nations Championship
The 1932 Home Nations Championship was the twenty-eighth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Five Nations, and prior to that, the Home Nations, this was the forty-fifth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Six...
, Ralph was back in the squad, alongside his Newport team mate Jack Morley
Jack Morley
John 'Jack' Cuthbert Morley was a Welsh international rugby wing who played rugby union for Newport and rugby league with Wigan...
. Ralph played all three games, scoring against Ireland with a try and a drop goal. Ralph may have gained further caps, but switched codes to rugby league in 1933, joining Leeds. On 30 December 1933 Ralph played for the Wales rugby league team
Wales national rugby league team
The Wales national rugby league team represent Wales in international rugby league football matches. Currently the team is seventh in the RLIF World Rankings. The team were run under the auspices of the Rugby Football League, but an independent body, Wales Rugby League, now runs the team from...
in an encounter with Australia, becoming a dual-code international.
International matches played
Wales (rugby union) 1932 1931 1931, 1932 1932 1931Wales (rugby league) 1933