William Richard Arnold (rugby player)

William Richard Arnold
W. R. Arnold
Birth name William Richard Arnold
Date of birth (1881-07-07)7 July 1881
Place of birth Morriston, Wales[1] Wales
Date of death 30 July 1957(1957-07-30) (aged 76)
Place of death Morriston, Wales
Occupation(s) architect and surveyor
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
??





1902		 Morriston RFC
Swansea RFC
Llanelli RFC
London Welsh
Neath RFC
Glamorgan County RFC
Leicester		 ()
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
1903 Wales Wales 1 (0)

William Richard Arnold, commonly known as Willie Arnold (7 July 1881 - 30 July 1957)[2] was a Welsh rugby union international.[3]

Arnold was the son of Thomas Arnold, co-proprietor of the Glanyrafon Tinplate Works, Clydach, Glamorgan and Arnold himself lived in Morriston, near Swansea, Glamorgan. By profession, Arnold was an architect and surveyor. As a rugby player, Arnold played at club level for Morriston, Llanelli, Swansea, Neath, London Welsh, Leicester and Glamorgan. He weighed between 8 stone 7 pounds (119 pounds) and 9 stone (126 pounds).

Rugby career

Arnold played two games for Leicester Tigers on their tour to Devon in 1902. He played against Plymouth and Exeter on Monday 20 January 1902 and Tuesday 21 January 1902 respectively. He was the first future Wales international to play for Leicester.[4]

During the 1902-3 season Arnold scored 35 tries for Llanelli. At Swansea in the following season he scored a further 32 tries. He played in the unbeaten Swansea side in 1904-5. Arnold was picked for Glamorgan in its match against New Zealand in December 1905 and he also played for Llanelli against South Africa in 1906 and was part of the Llanelli team that beat the 1908 touring Australian team.[5]

He played for Wales in one international match, against Scotland in 1903, as a winger.

Later life

He was also on the committee of Glamorgan County Cricket Club and was the first secretary and one of the founders of the Morriston Golf Club.

W R Arnold was also the composer, published in 1913 under the pseudonym "R. Arnold Williamson", of a waltz for piano entitled Valse Millicent in honour of his daughter Millicent Margaret Arnold, (later Mrs Gordon Griffiths).

He was twice married: first to Annie Gertrude Jones, daughter of Thomas Hughes Jones of Uplands House, Morriston and second (after the death of his first wife in 1923) to her sister, Evelyn Maud Jones. His daughter Millicent was from his first marriage; he also had a son by his second marriage.

He died in Morriston on 30 July 1957.

Bibliography

  • Bevan, Alun Wyn (2005). Stradey Stories. Llandysul: Gomer Press. ISBN 978-1-84323-570-5.
  • Jenkins, John M.; et al. (1991). Who's Who of Welsh International Rugby Players. Wrexham: Bridge Books. ISBN 1-872424-10-4.
  • 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

  1. ↑ Swansea RFC player profile
  2. ↑ Willie Arnold player profile Scrum.com
  3. ↑ WRU Player profiles
  4. ↑ Farmer, Stuart; Hands, David. Tigers - Official history of Leicester Football Club. The Rugby DevelopmentFoundation. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-9930213-0-5.
  5. ↑ Bevan (2005), pg 13.
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