NICHOLLS
,
ERITH GWYN
(
1875
-
1939
),
Wales and Cardiff Rugby centre three-quarter
;
probably one of the most famous
Welsh
Rugby players
although b. in
Gloucestershire
in
1875
. In his youth he played at
half-back
and
centre
for the old
Cardiff Stars
— and, for a brief period, with the now long defunct
Cardiff Harlequins
as
full-back
and
half-back
. Later, he played as
centre
,
full-back
and
half-back
for the
Cardiff Reserves
. On
New Year's Day, 1894
,
Nicholls
played his first game in the
Cardiff
side — as a
full-back
. He played three times in that position and then took up the position in which he became famous. He
captained Wales
on many occasions, the most famous being in
1905
when
Wales
beat
New Zealand
at the
Cardiff Arms Park
— the only defeat of the ‘
All Blacks
’ tour.
Nicholls
was ‘capped’ for
Wales
twenty-four times
between 1896 and 1906
. He was the author of
The Modern Rugby Game and How to Play It
,
London
:
1916(?)
. About
1909
Nicholls
entered into partnership with his brother-in-law,
H. B.
Winfield
(q.v.)
, and together they established the
Victoria Laundries
at
Whitchurch
and other centres in
South Wales
. At intervals he sat upon the committee of the
Cardiff Rugby Club
and from
1925 to 1931
was a member of the
Welsh Rugby Union
. For several seasons he was, too, one of the
Welsh
‘Big Five.’ He d.
24 March 1939
. On
26 Dec. 1949
, the gates, which were erected to his memory at
Cardiff Arms Park
, were officially opened.
Bibliography:
-
Rugby Football Annual
,
1939-40
, 11;
-
W. J. T. Collins
,
Rugby Recollections
, 1948
, 14;
-
The Times
,
25 March and 18 May 1939
;
-
Western Mail
,
25 March 1939 and 28 Dec. 1949
.
Author:
Dr Moelwyn Idwal Williams, M.A., Aberystwyth
