Brinley Williams
| Full name | Brinley Williams | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 3 April 1895 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Llanelli, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 5 January 1987 (aged 91) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Llanelli, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Steelworker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Brinley "Bryn" Williams (3 April 1895 – 5 January 1987)[1] was a Welsh dual-code international rugby wing who played rugby union for Llanelli and rugby league with Batley. At rugby union he won three caps for Wales, and at rugby league he won two caps for Wales, and one cap for Other Nationalities.
Rugby career
Williams first came to note as a rugby player when he joined first-class Welsh team Llanelli. He had previously played for Bryncaerau, but after the cessation of rugby with the outbreak of World War I he joined the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and was posted to the front. During his service in the War, he was wounded on three occasions, and came to the notice of his battalion commander Lord Howard de Walden, who after the war named a racehorse, Brynfleet, after him.[2]
With the end of the war Williams joined Llanelli, and in 1920 he was awarded his first international cap. He was selected at wing, opposite William Charles Powell, for the last three games of the 1920 Five Nations Championship; with his first match played away from home against Scotland. Despite Wales losing the game, Williams was reselected for the next two matches, wins over France and Ireland. In the Ireland game, Williams scored his first international points, with three tries.
In 1920 Williams left Llanelli and rugby union by joining professional rugby league team Batley. His signing on fee was a reported as £400,[3] (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £54,100 in 2009),[4] and he made his début for the club on 28 August. While at Batley, Williams made three international appearances, two with Wales and one with Other Nationalities, all of the matches in 1921. His two games for Wales were against England and Australia, while the Other Nationalities was an away game to England. After leaving Batley he played for Leeds and then Pontypridd.
Bibliography
- Godwin, Terry (1984). The International Rugby Championship 1883-1983. Grafton Street, London: Willow Books. ISBN 0-00-218060-X.
- Smith, David; Williams, Gareth (1980). Fields of Praise: The Official History of The Welsh Rugby Union. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-0766-3.
References
- ↑ Brinley Williams rugby union player profile Scrum.com
- ↑ Jenkins, John M.; et al. (1991). Who's Who of Welsh International Rugby Players. Wrexham: Bridge Books. p. 166. ISBN 1-872424-10-4.
- ↑ Hughes, Gareth (1986). The Scarlets: A History of Llanelli Rugby Club. Llanelli: Llanelli Borough Council. p. 101. ISBN 0-906821-05-3.
- ↑ "Measuring Worth - Relative Value of UK Pounds". Measuring Worth. 23 April 2003. Retrieved 3 October 2008.