Charlie Pritchard

Pritchard joined Newport in 1901, and on 25 January played his first senior game, facing Swansea. He spent his entire rugby career with Newport and during the 1905/06 season was made vice-captain; but after the captain Wyatt Gould was unable to fulfil his duties, Pritchard acted as stand-in captain.[http://www.blackandambers.co.uk/Personnel.aspx?pr=178999 Wyatt Gould profile] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617060214/http://www.blackandambers.co.uk/Personnel.aspx?pr=178999 |date=17 June 2011 }} blackandambers.co.uk The next season, he was given the captaincy, a role he held for three consecutive seasons.

Pritchard made his debut for Wales against Ireland in 1904, while playing club rugby for Newport. Pritchard would play in a further 13 internationals including the famous Match of the Century victory against the 1905 All Black touring team. Although all the Welsh players on the day played their part in the victory over the New Zealanders, Pritchard was commended for his all out defensive play and continual heavy tackling against the All Blacks. He was seen as the star of the Welsh pack and was 'always in the thick of the fight';Smith (1980), pg 162. fellow Welsh international George Travers would sum up Pritchard's aggressive play against the All Blacks as 'He knocked 'em down like nine pins.'

Pritchard would score his only international try in a 16–3 win against England in a home nations match on 13 January 1906. After a serious injury in 1908 he returned to the Welsh side in the 1909/10 season and played his final game against England in 1910.Thomas (1979), pg 44.

File:Wales Rugby1905.jpg

WalesSmith (1980), pg 470.

• {{ru|ENG}} 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1910
• {{ru|FRA}} 1910
• {{ru|IRE}} 1904, 1906, 1907
• {{ru|NZL}} 1905
• {{ru|SCO}} 1905, 1906, 1907
• {{ru|RSA}} 1906

In May 1915 Pritchard was commissioned as a Second lieutenant in the 12th (Service) Battalion, South Wales Borderers (3rd Gwent), a unit in which the other ranks were 'bantams', men below the normal Army regulation height, many of them miners from South Wales. In November 1915 he was promoted to Captain, and in June 1916 he went out to the Western Front with his battalion. On the night of 12 August 1916 he led a trench raid near Loos to capture a German prisoner. Although the raid was successful in its objective, Pritchard was seriously wounded and was carried to No. 1 Casualty Clearing Station a few miles behind the front at Chocques. His last reported words were to ask if they had got the "Hun", and when told they had, he replied 'Well, I have done my bit.' Pritchard died of his wounds at the clearing station on 14 August 1916 and is buried in Chocques Military Cemetery.{{Cite book|title = Call Them to Remembrance: The Welsh Rugby Internationals who died in the Great War|last = Prescott|first = Gwyn|publisher = St David's Press|year = 2014|isbn = 978-1-902719-37-5}}C.T. Atkinson, The History of the South Wales Borderers 1914–1918, London: Medici Society, 1931, p. 292.Lt.-Col. F.E. Whitton, History of the 40th Division, Aldershot; Gale & Polden, 1926/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2004, ISBN 978-1-843428-70-1, p. 38.

• {{cite book |last=Parry-Jones |first=David |title=Prince Gwyn, Gwyn Nicholls and the First Golden Era of Welsh Rugby |year=1999 |publisher=seren |location=Bridgend |isbn=1-85411-262-7}}
• {{cite book |last=Thomas |first=Wayne |title=A Century of Welsh Rugby Players |year=1979 |publisher=Ansells Ltd}}
• {{cite book |last=Smith |first=David |author2=Williams, Gareth |title=Fields of Praise: The Official History of The Welsh Rugby Union |year=1980 |publisher=University of Wales Press |location=Cardiff |isbn=0-7083-0766-3}}
• Prescott, Gwyn (2014). Call Them to Remembrance: The Welsh Rugby Internationals who died in the Great War. St. David's Press. {{ISBN|978-1-902719-37-5}}.

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{{succession box|title=Newport RFC captain|before=Wyatt Gould|after=Tommy Vile|years=1906-1909}}

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Category:1882 births

Category:1916 deaths

Category:British military personnel killed in the Battle of the Somme

Category:Rugby union players from Newport, Wales

Category:Rugby union flankers

Category:South Wales Borderers soldiers

Category:Welsh rugby union players

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Category:Military personnel from Newport, Wales