Over 130 rugby internationals lost their lives in the First World War. Thirteen of them played for Wales.

THE 13 WELSH INTERNATIONALS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR

Richard Thomas

Born: Ferndale, 14 October 1883.

Killed in action : Mametz Wood 7 July 1916.
Wales: Four caps, 1906-1909.

John Lewis Williams
Born: Whitchurch, Cardiff, 3 January 1882.
Died of wounds: Corbie 12 July 1916.
Wales: 17 caps, 1906-1911.

David Westacott
Born: Cardiff, 10 October 1882.
Killed in action: Wieltje, 28 August 1917.
Wales: One cap, 1906.

Horace Wyndham Thomas
Born: Pentyrch, 28 July 1890.
Killed in action: Ancre, 3 September 1916.
Wales : Two caps, 1912-1913.

Richard Davies Garnons Williams
Born: Llowes, Radnorshire, 15 June, 1856.
Killed in Action: 25 September 1915 while leading his battalion at the Battle of Loos.
Wales: One cap, 1881.

Charles Gerald Taylor
Born: Ruabon, North Wales, 8 May 1863.
Killed in action: 24 January, 1915 at the Battle of Dogger Bank when his ship HMS Tiger was hit by fire from German cruiser SMS Blucher.
Wales: Nine caps, 1884-1887.

Louis “Lou” Augustus Phillips
Born: Newport, Monmouthsire, 24 February 1878.
Killed in action: Cambrai, on 14 March 1916.
Wales: Four caps, 1900-1901.

Charles Mayrick Pritchard
Born: Newport, Monmouthshire, 30 September 1882
Died of wounds: 14 August, casualty clearing station, Western Front.
Wales: 14 caps, 1904-1910.

Phillip Dudley Waller
Born: Bath, Somerset, 28 January 1889.
Killed in action: Hit by shellfire, 14 December 1917, Arras.
Wales: Six caps, 1908-1910.

Brinley Richard Lewis
Born: 4, January 1891, Pontardawe.
Killed in action: 2 April, 1917 Ypres, France, hit by shellfire.
Wales: Two caps, 1912-193.

William “Billy” Purdon Geen
Born: 14 March 1891, Newport, Monmouthshire.
Killed in action: Hooge, Flanders, 31 July, 1915.
Wales: Three caps, 1912-1913.

Fred Leonard Perrett
Born: Briton Ferry, 9 May 1891.
Died of wounds: 1 December 1918, in a clearing station weeks after the armistice.
Wales: Five caps, 1912-1913

David Watts
Born: Maesteg 14 March 1886.
Killed in action : 14 July 1916 at Bazentin Ridge, France.
Wales: Four caps, 1914.

90 International players (including three Welsh internationals) gave their lives in the Second World War including two legends of the game.

Prince Alexander Obolensky who fled to Britain during the Bolshevik revolution of 1917, he went on to play wing for England; he died in an aeroplane training accident.

Eric Liddell represented Scotland seven times while at university before retiring to concentrate on athletics – immortalised in 1981 film Chariots of Fire; he was later a missionary, and died in an internment camp in China.

THREE WELSH INTERNATIONALS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN WORLD WAR II

Cecil Rhys Davies  (1 Cap)

Born: Pontypridd 12 September 1909

Killed in action: 24 September 1941 he was taking part in a patrol over the Bay of Biscay, his aircraft never returned.

John R Evans   (1 Cap)

Born: Newport 12 September 1911

Killed in action: 8 March 1943 Sedjenane, French Tunisia

Maurice J.L. Turnbull (2 caps)

Born: Cardiff 6 March 1906

killed in action: 5 August 1944 by a sniper’s bullet in the French village of Montchamp following the Normandy landings.