Will Osborne
Encyclopedia
William Osborne was a Welsh
international rugby
forward who played rugby union
for Mountain Ash
and Glamorgan Police. Osborne played in six international matches, becoming a Triple Crown
winner when he played for Wales
in all three matches of the 1902 Home Nations Championship
. At the height of his international career he 'Went North', switching to professional rugby league
and represented both Huddersfield
and Hull
Osborne was first selected to play for the Welsh national team when he was selected to face England in the opening match of the 1902 Home Nations Championship. Osborne was one of seven new caps, four of whom joined Osborne in a much changed pack. Although lacking international experience many of the players winning their first caps that day went on to form the nucleus of the Wales team that beat The Original All Blacks in 1905, including Arthur Harding
, Will Joseph
and fellow collier Dai "Tarw" Jones. In a very close encounter, Osbourne scored his one and only international try on his debut; Wales then won the game through a late penalty goal from John Strand-Jones
. Osborne was then reselected to face Scotland in the second game of the series, played on Welsh home soil at the Cardiff Arms Park
. The Scottish Rugby Union
stated that they would refuse to face Wales if Osborne played, as there were rumours that he had accepted and signes a professional contract with a rugby league
team. This was illegal under rugby union rules, which was a purely amateur sport. Osborne was fored to make a full statement denying the claim, and the match went ahead with Osborne in the Welsh pack. The only change to the Welsh team from the previous match was Harry Jones
coming in for Lanelli's
Nathaniel Walters
, and the more fluent Welsh play resulted in a victory over a very gifted Scottish team. The final game of the tournament for Wales saw an unchanged team beat Ireland at Lansdowne Road
to win the Championship and the Triple Crown for the third time.
Osborne was reselected for the next season's Championship
, playing in all three Wales games. After an excellent win over the English at St. Helen's in Swansea
, Wales lost away to Scotland in a game played in difficult weather conditions. This would be Osborne's only international defeat as Wales beat Ireland in his sixth and final Welsh international on 14 March 1903.
It is unknown if Osborne would have won any further international caps as in September 1903 he signed professional terms with Huddersfield Rugby League Club. He made his debut on 5 September and by October 1906 he had transferred to Hull.
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:...
forward 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 Mountain Ash
Mountain Ash RFC
Mountain Ash RFC is a Welsh rugby union team from the town of Mountain Ash, in the Cynon Valley, South Wales. Mountain Ash RFC is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Cardiff Blues.-Early history:...
and Glamorgan Police. Osborne played in six international matches, becoming a Triple Crown
Triple Crown (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship: England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the...
winner when he played 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...
in all three matches of the 1902 Home Nations Championship
1902 Home Nations Championship
The 1902 Home Nations Championship was the twentieth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 11 January and 15 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales....
. At the height of his international career he 'Went North', switching to professional 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...
and represented both Huddersfield
Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C....
and Hull
Rugby career
Osborne played his amateur rugby for valley club Mountain Ash. He was a collier by profession before becoming a police officer, and at 5 foot 11½ inches and weighing over 13 stone, typified the 'Rhondda forward' physique favoured by the Welsh selectors around the turn of the century.Osborne was first selected to play for the Welsh national team when he was selected to face England in the opening match of the 1902 Home Nations Championship. Osborne was one of seven new caps, four of whom joined Osborne in a much changed pack. Although lacking international experience many of the players winning their first caps that day went on to form the nucleus of the Wales team that beat The Original All Blacks in 1905, including Arthur Harding
Arthur Harding
Arthur Flowers Harding was an English-born international rugby union player who played for and captained the Wales national team. Often called 'Boxer' Harding, he was a member of the winning Wales team who beat the 1905 touring All Blacks in a game considered one of the greatest in the history of...
, Will Joseph
Will Joseph
Will Joseph was a Welsh international rugby union player. He was a member of the winning Welsh team who beat the 1905 touring All Blacks. He played club rugby for Swansea and county rugby for Glamorgan....
and fellow collier Dai "Tarw" Jones. In a very close encounter, Osbourne scored his one and only international try on his debut; Wales then won the game through a late penalty goal from John Strand-Jones
John Strand-Jones
John Strand-Jones was a Welsh rugby union player, who represented the Wales national rugby union team on five occasions in 1902 and 1903.-Life:...
. Osborne was then reselected to face Scotland in the second game of the series, played on Welsh home soil 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...
. 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:...
stated that they would refuse to face Wales if Osborne played, as there were rumours that he had accepted and signes a professional contract with a 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...
team. This was illegal under rugby union rules, which was a purely amateur sport. Osborne was fored to make a full statement denying the claim, and the match went ahead with Osborne in the Welsh pack. The only change to the Welsh team from the previous match was Harry Jones
Harry Jones (rugby player)
Harry Jones was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Penygraig and county rugby for Glamorgan. Jones played in just two international matches, but became a Triple Crown winner when he represented Wales during the 1902 Home Nations Championship.-Rugby career:Although...
coming in for Lanelli's
Llanelli RFC
Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
Nathaniel Walters
Nathaniel Walters
Nathaniel "Danny" Walters was a Welsh rugby union forward who played club rugby for Llanelli and international rugby for Wales.-Rugby career:...
, and the more fluent Welsh play resulted in a victory over a very gifted Scottish team. The final game of the tournament for Wales saw an unchanged team beat 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...
to win the Championship and the Triple Crown for the third time.
Osborne was reselected for the next season's Championship
1903 Home Nations Championship
The 1903 Home Nations Championship was the twenty-first series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 10 January and 21 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.-Table:-Results:...
, playing in all three Wales games. After an excellent win over the English at St. Helen's in Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, Wales lost away to Scotland in a game played in difficult weather conditions. This would be Osborne's only international defeat as Wales beat Ireland in his sixth and final Welsh international on 14 March 1903.
It is unknown if Osborne would have won any further international caps as in September 1903 he signed professional terms with Huddersfield Rugby League Club. He made his debut on 5 September and by October 1906 he had transferred to Hull.
External links
- Photo of the Mountain Ash team during the 1901/02 with Osborne present Rhondda Cynon Taf digital archives