Howell Lewis
Encyclopedia
Howell Lewis was a Welsh
international rugby union
wing who played club rugby for Swansea Rugby Football Club
and was capped for Wales
on four occasions. Lewis was also part of the Swansea team that beat the touring South Africa team
in 1912.
. Swansea won the game by a single try
, made more impressive by the fact that Lewis was off the field for a quarter of the match. During the game, Lewis took a blow on the bridge of his nose and when he confronted the perpetrator took another blow to his chest which staggered him. Lewis was removed from play to receive treatment, but no action was taken against South Africa. While Lewis was off the pitch, George Hayward
was forced to switch to the wing, as substitutions were not part of the rules. Lewis returned to the pitch after twenty minutes to finish the game.
Lewis made his Welsh international debut on 1 February 1913 against Scotland as part of the Five Nations Championship
. Lewis was one of five new Welsh caps on the day, after a poor game to England in the opening match of the tournament. The very inexperienced team played well under the captaincy of Billy Trew
and Wales won 8-0. Lewis was reselected for the remaining two games of the Championship, both resulting in Welsh wins, away to France and at home to Ireland. Lewis's last game was the opening match of the 1914 Championship
, which saw Wales lose narrowly at Twickenham
to England.
In 1914 Lewis was given the captaincy of Swansea, but the outbreak of World War I halted the regular playing of rugby in Great Britain. In 1915, Lewis was captain of a West Wales team that faced an ANZAC team at St. Helens, During the war, Lewis reached the rank of captain in the Royal Welch Fusiliers
, returning to yet again captain Swansea in peacetime during the 1919/1920 season. He retired from rugby in 1920.
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 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...
wing who played club rugby for Swansea Rugby Football Club
Swansea RFC
Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
and was capped 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...
on four occasions. Lewis was also part of the Swansea team that beat the touring South Africa team
1912-13 South Africa rugby union tour
The 1912–13 South Africa rugby union tour was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the South Africa national rugby union team against England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and France. The tour also took in several matches against British and Irish club, county and invitational teams...
in 1912.
Rugby career
Lewis joined Swansea in 1910 and in 1912 was part of the team that faced the touring South Africa national rugby union teamSouth Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
. Swansea won the game by a single try
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
, made more impressive by the fact that Lewis was off the field for a quarter of the match. During the game, Lewis took a blow on the bridge of his nose and when he confronted the perpetrator took another blow to his chest which staggered him. Lewis was removed from play to receive treatment, but no action was taken against South Africa. While Lewis was off the pitch, George Hayward
George Hayward
George Hayward was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Swansea and was capped for Wales on five occasions and was part of the 1908 Home Nations Championship winning team.-Rugby career:...
was forced to switch to the wing, as substitutions were not part of the rules. Lewis returned to the pitch after twenty minutes to finish the game.
Lewis made his Welsh international debut on 1 February 1913 against Scotland as part of the Five Nations Championship
1913 Five Nations Championship
The 1913 Five Nations Championship was the fourth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the thirty-first series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby...
. Lewis was one of five new Welsh caps on the day, after a poor game to England in the opening match of the tournament. The very inexperienced team played well under the captaincy of Billy Trew
Billy Trew
Billy Trew was a Welsh international centre, outside half and wing who played club rugby for Swansea Rugby Football Club. He won 29 caps for Wales and is seen as one of the key players of the first Golden Age of Welsh rugby union...
and Wales won 8-0. Lewis was reselected for the remaining two games of the Championship, both resulting in Welsh wins, away to France and at home to Ireland. Lewis's last game was the opening match of the 1914 Championship
1914 Five Nations Championship
The 1914 Five Nations Championship was the fifth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the thirty-second series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby...
, which saw Wales lose narrowly at Twickenham
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
to England.
In 1914 Lewis was given the captaincy of Swansea, but the outbreak of World War I halted the regular playing of rugby in Great Britain. In 1915, Lewis was captain of a West Wales team that faced an ANZAC team at St. Helens, During the war, Lewis reached the rank of captain in the Royal Welch Fusiliers
Royal Welch Fusiliers
The Royal Welch Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was founded in 1689 to oppose James II and the imminent war with France...
, returning to yet again captain Swansea in peacetime during the 1919/1920 season. He retired from rugby in 1920.
International matches played
Wales 1914 1913- IrelandIreland national rugby union teamThe Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
1913 1913