Gwyn Nicholls

Gwyn Nicholls

Player information
Full name	Erith Gwynne Nicholls
birthday	July 15, 1874
place of birth	Westbury-on-Severn , Gloucestershire , England
date of death	March 24, 1939
Place of death	Dinas Powys , Vale of Glamorgan , Wales
Nickname	Prince of Threequarters
society
society	-
position	Inner three quarters
Clubs as active
Years	society	Games (points)
1891-1892 1892-1893 1893-1902 1902 1902-1906	Cardiff Star Cardiff Harlequins RFC Cardiff RFC Newport RFC Cardiff RFC	11 (32)
National team
Years	National team	Games (points)
1896-1906 1899	Wales British Isles	24 (13) 4 (6)

Erith Gwynne "Gwyn" Nicholls (born July 15, 1874 in Westbury-on-Severn , Gloucestershire , England , † March 24, 1939 in Dinas Powys , Vale of Glamorgan , Wales) was a Welsh rugby union player . It is considered the best inner three-quarters of its time and was the focal point of the first "golden era" of Welsh rugby. Because of his speed and precise passports, he was also known as the "Prince of Threequarters".

Nicholls first ran for the Welsh national team in 1896. At the beginning of the 20th century, he was able to win three Triple Crowns with Wales within five years. In addition, there was the legendary first victory over New Zealand in 1905.

In 1899 Nicholls was nominated for the selection of Great Britain (now British and Irish Lions ) and was used in all four friendly matches against Australia . He became the best player of the tour with two attempts . In 1902 he took over the captaincy of the Welsh selection.

The Gwyn Nicholls Memorial Gates in Cardiff

Nicholl's club career began in Cardiff. From the Stars and the Harlequins, he came to the Cardiff RFC in 1893 , for which he was also captain for over four seasons. In 1902 he worked for the Newport RFC for a short time as he and his brother ran a laundry in town. During his time there, he did not lose a game. He then returned to Cardiff. In 1907 he and his club were the only ones to win a game against the South African national team .

At the end of his playing career he became a referee and was also used in international games. For example, in 1909 he took over the management of the Calcutta Cup game between England and Scotland . In 1908 he wrote a book about the rugby game. He also served in a senior position at the Welsh Federation and various sports committees.

Since 1949 the entrance gates to Cardiff Arms Park have been called "Gwyn Nicholls Memorial Gates". In 2005 he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame .

literature

• Gwyn Nicholls: The Modern Rugby Game and How To Play It . 1908.
• David Parry-Jones: Prince Gwyn . Gwyn Nicholls and the First Golden Era of Welsh Rugby. Seren, Bridgend 1999, ISBN 978-1-85411-262-0 .

Web links

• Profile at the Welsh Rugby Union
• Entry into the International Rugby Hall of Fame
• Profile at Newport RFC