John Meredith (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
John Meredith was a Welsh
international rugby union
forward who played club rugby for Swansea
and won four caps for Wales
. Outside rugby, Meredith later became a literary adjudicator in Eisteddfodau.
against Scotland at Rodney Parade
. Meredith was one of seven new caps in the Welsh squad, and one of five in the pack, which included fellow Swansea team mates W.H. Howell
and T. Williams
. Wales won the game thanks to a single try
from Thomas Pryce-Jenkins
and Meredith was reselected for the next game of the tournament, played away to Ireland at Lansdowne Road
. Although the team was more stable in its selection, with the same eight forwards playing, Ireland won comfortably and for eight of the Welsh team it was their last Championship match.
Meredith found himself dropped for the next season's Championship but unlike most of the 1888 team, found himself back in the Welsh team when he was chosen to play in the opener of the 1890 Championship
against Scotland. Played at the Cardiff Arms Park
, Wales lost the game and the following game to England was expected to follow the same pattern. Wales had never beaten the English, but the England team had missed the last two seasons after an argument with the Scottish Rugby Union
and this was their first Championship game of the tournament. Now under the captaincy of Arthur Gould, Meredith was part of a victorious Wales team, thanks to a clever try from William Stadden
. Although part of the winning team, Meredith was never reselected for Wales with Tom Graham
taking Meredith's place.
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...
forward who played club rugby for Swansea
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 won four 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...
. Outside rugby, Meredith later became a literary adjudicator in Eisteddfodau.
Rugby career
Meredith was first selected for Wales on 4 February 1888 in the opening game of the Home Nations Championship1888 Home Nations Championship
The 1888 Home Nations Championship was the sixth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Three matches were played between 4 February and 10 March. It was contested by Ireland, Scotland and Wales. England was excluded from the Championship due to their refusal to join the...
against Scotland at Rodney Parade
Rodney Parade
Rodney Parade is a stadium in the city of Newport, south Wales. Located on the east bank of the River Usk in Newport city centre it is primarily used for rugby matches and is the home ground of Newport RFC and the Newport Gwent Dragons regional team.-History:...
. Meredith was one of seven new caps in the Welsh squad, and one of five in the pack, which included fellow Swansea team mates W.H. Howell
William Howell (rugby player)
William Henry Howell was a Welsh rugby union forward who played club rugby for Swansea and international rugby for Wales.-Rugby career:...
and T. Williams
T. Williams
T. Williams was a rugby union forward who played club rugby for Swansea and London Welsh and played international rugby for Wales. Very little is known of Williams and he is often confused with his contemporary Tom Williams who also played for Wales around the same period, and who also had...
. Wales won the game thanks to 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...
from Thomas Pryce-Jenkins
Thomas Pryce-Jenkins
Dr. Thomas John Pryce-Jenkins was a Welsh international rugby union wing who played club rugby for London Welsh and county rugby for Middlesex...
and Meredith was reselected for the next game of the tournament, played away to Ireland at Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...
. Although the team was more stable in its selection, with the same eight forwards playing, Ireland won comfortably and for eight of the Welsh team it was their last Championship match.
Meredith found himself dropped for the next season's Championship but unlike most of the 1888 team, found himself back in the Welsh team when he was chosen to play in the opener of the 1890 Championship
1890 Home Nations Championship
The 1890 Home Nations Championship was the eighth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 1 February and 15 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.-Table:-Results:...
against Scotland. Played at the Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World...
, Wales lost the game and the following game to England was expected to follow the same pattern. Wales had never beaten the English, but the England team had missed the last two seasons after an argument with the Scottish Rugby Union
Scottish Rugby Union
The Scottish Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Scotland. It is the second oldest Rugby Union, having been founded in 1873, as the Scottish Football Union.-History:...
and this was their first Championship game of the tournament. Now under the captaincy of Arthur Gould, Meredith was part of a victorious Wales team, thanks to a clever try from William Stadden
William Stadden
William James Wood "Buller" Stadden was a Welsh international rugby union half back who played club rugby for Cardiff and Dewsbury. Stadden won eight caps for Wales over a period of seven years and is most remembered for scoring the winning try in 1890 to give Wales their first victory over England...
. Although part of the winning team, Meredith was never reselected for Wales with Tom Graham
Tom Graham
Thomas 'Tom' Cooper Graham was an England-born rugby union international forward who played club rugby for Newport. He won 12 caps for Wales and was seen as intelligent, mobile forward player...
taking Meredith's place.