Ambrose Baker
{{short description|Wales dual-code international rugby footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
| first = RU
| name = Ambrose Baker
| image =
| caption =
| fullname = Ambrose Baker
| birth_date = 7 July 1897
| birth_place = Swansea, Wales
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1976|11|24|1897|7|7}}
| death_place = Oldham, England
| height =
| weight =
| ru_position = Flanker
| ru_club1 = Neath RFC
| ru_year1start = 19??
| ru_year1end = 23
| ru_club2 = Leicester
| ru_year2start = 1923
| ru_appearances2 = 2
| ru_tries2 = 1
| ru_goals2 = 0
| ru_fieldgoals2 = 0
| ru_points2 = 3
| ru_teamA = Wales
| ru_yearAstart = 1921
| ru_yearAend = 23
| ru_appearancesA = 5
| ru_triesA = 1
| ru_goalsA = 0
| ru_fieldgoalsA = 0
| ru_pointsA = 3
| position = Forward
| club1 = Oldham
| year1start = 1924
| year1end = 31
| appearances1 = 166
| tries1 = 24
| goals1 = 0
| fieldgoals1 = 0
| points1 = 72
| teamA = Other Nationalities
| yearAstart = 1924
| appearancesA = 1
| triesA = 0
| goalsA = 0
| fieldgoalsA = 0
| pointsA = 0
| teamB = Wales{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/a-baker/summary.html|title=Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org (RL)|publisher=rugbyleagueproject.org|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018}}
| yearBstart = 1925
| yearBend = 28
| appearancesB = 2
| triesB = 0
| goalsB = 0
| fieldgoalsB = 0
| pointsB = 0
| website =
}}
Ambrose Baker (7 July 1897{{cite web|url=http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=ZzDXCr4XefOPAvtRWZ%2FXjA&scan=1|title=Birth details at freebmd.org.uk|publisher=freebmd.org.uk|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012}} – 24 November 1976)[http://www.espnscrum.com/wales/rugby/player/2769.html Ambrose Baker rugby union player profile] Scrum.com was a dual-code international rugby player who played rugby union for Neath and rugby league with Oldham, as a forward. He won five caps for Wales under the rugby union code and then represented his country at rugby league in two matches between 1925 and 1928, and Other Nationalities in 1924.
Club Rugby career
=Neath=
Baker came to note as a rugby union player representing South Wales club Neath.
=Leicester=
=Oldham=
In early 1924, Baker turned his back on amateur rugby when he signed for professional rugby league team Oldham, making his début on 19 January 1924 against Barrow.{{cite book|last=Jenkins|first=John M.|title=Who's Who of Welsh International Rugby Players|year=1991|publisher=Bridge Books|location=Wrexham|page=16|isbn=1-872424-10-4|display-authors=etal}} While with Oldham, Baker won a cap for Other Nationalities in the 23–17 victory over England at Headingley, Leeds on 15 October 1924, and both his international appearances for the Wales rugby league team. His first match was on 7 February 1925 played against England at Workington. He had to wait almost three years for his second and final cap, again versus England, in January 1928.{{cite book|last=Gate|first=Robert|title=Gone North: Volume 1|year=1986|publisher=R.E. Gate|location=Ripponden|pages=142–143|isbn= 0-9511190-0-1}}
==Challenge Cup Final appearances==
Ambrose Baker played as a forward in Oldham's 4–21 defeat by Wigan in the 1924 Challenge Cup Final during the 1923–24 season at Athletic Grounds, Rochdale on Saturday 12 April 1924.{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=418|title=1923-1924 Challenge Cup Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012|archive-date=26 August 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826222201/http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=418|url-status=dead}} During Ambrose Baker's time, there was Oldham's 16–3 victory over Hull Kingston Rovers in the 1925 Challenge Cup Final during the 1924–25 season at Headingley, Leeds, the 3–9 defeat by Swinton in the 1926 Challenge Cup Final during the 1925–26 season at Athletic Grounds, Rochdale, and the 26–7 victory over Swinton in the 1927 Challenge Cup Final during the 1926–27 season at Central Park, Wigan.
Internationals
=Wales (rugby union)=
It was with Neath that he was first selected to represent Wales, brought in for the encounter with Ireland in the last Welsh match of the 1921 Five Nations Championship. Although Wales won the game 6–0, Baker was not re-selected in 1922 Championship, but the following year he played in all four matches of the 1923 Championship. 1922 had seen Wales win the Five Nations title, but 1923 was dominated by England and Scotland. Wales narrowly lost the opener to England, and this was followed by an 11–8 loss at home to Scotland. On 24 February, Baker was part of a winning Wales team, as they beat France at Swansea. Although the game was marred by an overly violent French team, Baker managed to score his only international points, scoring one of three Welsh tries.{{cite book|last=Godwin|first=Terry|title=The International Rugby Championship 1883-1983|year=1984|publisher=Willow Books|location=London|page=142|isbn=0-00-218060-X}} His final rugby union international game was away to Ireland, Wales lost 5–4.
- {{ru|ENG}} 1923
- {{ru|FRA}} 1923
- {{ru|IRE}} 1921, 1923
- {{ru|SCO}} 1923
=Wales (rugby league)=
- {{rl|ENG}} 1925, 1928
=Other Nationalities (rugby league)=
- {{rl|ENG}} 1924
References
{{reflist}}
- England/Wales birth/Death indexes
External links
- (archived by web.archive.org) [https://web.archive.org/web/20160303234830/http://www.orl-heritagetrust.org.uk/HTML%20docs/player_stats_b.htm Statistics at orl-heritagetrust.org.uk]
- [http://www.orl-heritagetrust.org.uk/representative/ Representative Honours]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Ambrose}}
Category:20th-century Welsh sportsmen
Category:Dual-code rugby internationals
Category:Leicester Tigers players
Category:Other Nationalities rugby league team players
Category:Rugby league forwards
Category:Rugby league players from Swansea
Category:Rugby union players from Swansea
Category:Wales international rugby union players
Category:Wales national rugby league team players