Gwyn Thomas (rugby)

{{short description|GB & Wales international rugby league footballer}}

{{for|the Welsh cricketer for Glamorgan CCC, and rugby union footballer for Neath RFC|Gwyn Thomas (cricketer)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=October 2016}}

{{Infobox rugby league biography

|first = RU

|name = Gwyn Thomas

|fullname = William Gwyn Thomas

|image =

|imagesize =

|caption = Godfrey Phillips Cigarette card featuring Gwyn Thomas

|birth_date = 22 Oct 1892

|birth_place = Treherbert, Glamorgan, Wales

|death_date = {{death date and age|1984|1|11|1892|10|22|df=y}}

|death_place = Indian River, Florida, USA

|height = {{convert|5|ft|10+3/4|in|cm|abbr=on}}

|weight = {{convert|12|st|6|lb|kg lb|abbr=on}}

|ru_position =

|position = {{rlp|FB|CE}}

|ru_club1 = Cardiff

|ru_year1start = 1912

|ru_year1end = 13

|ru_appearances1 = 3

|ru_tries1 = 0

|ru_goals1 = 0

|ru_fieldgoals1 = 0

|ru_points1 = 0

|ru_club2 = London Welsh

|ru_year2start =

|ru_year2end =

|ru_appearances2 =

|ru_tries2 =

|ru_goals2 =

|ru_fieldgoals2 =

|ru_points2 =

|club1 = Wigan

|year1start = 1913

|year1end = 15

|appearances1 = 43

|tries1 = 5

|goals1 = 8

|fieldgoals1 = 0

|points1 = 31

|club2 = Wigan

|year2start = 1918

|year2end = 19

|appearances2 = 7

|tries2 =

|goals2 =

|fieldgoals2 =

|points2 =

|club3 = Huddersfield

|year3start = 1918

|year3end = 2?

|appearances3 =

|tries3 =

|goals3 =

|fieldgoals3 =

|points3 =

|teamC = Other Nationalities

|yearCstart = 1921

|yearCend =

|appearancesC = 1

|triesC = 0

|goalsC = 0

|fieldgoalsC = 0

|pointsC = 0

|ru_teamA = Barbarian F.C.

|ru_yearAstart = 1915?

|ru_yearAend =

|ru_appearancesA = 1?

|ru_triesA =

|ru_goalsA =

|ru_fieldgoalsA =

|ru_pointsA =

|teamA = Wales

|yearAstart = 1914

|yearAend = 21

|appearancesA = 2

|triesA = 0

|goalsA = 0

|fieldgoalsA = 0

|pointsA = 0

|teamB = Great Britain

|yearBstart = 1914

|yearBend = 22

|appearancesB = 9

|triesB = 0

|goalsB = 0

|fieldgoalsB = 0

|pointsB = 0

|new = yes

|retired = yes

|updated = 14 May 2012

|source = {{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/gwyn-thomas/summary.html|title=Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org|publisher=rugbyleagueproject.org|date=31 December 2017|access-date=1 January 2018}}

}}

William Gwyn Thomas (22 October 1892 – 11 January 1984[http://www.minfo.org/family/Gwyn/slides/1986%20Family%20Crypts.htm "Thomas family crypt"]) was a Welsh rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1910s and 1920s who played rugby union (RU) for Cardiff and London Welsh, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain, Wales and Other Nationalities, and at club level for Wigan and Huddersfield, as a {{rlp|fb}} or {{rlp|ce}}.{{cite book| first1= Graham| last1= Williams| first2= Peter| last2= Lush| first3= David| last3= Farrar| title= The British Rugby League Records Book| publisher= London League| isbn= 978-1-903659-49-6| year= 2009| pages= 108–114}}{{cite web|url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=EP19140523.2.151|title=The English Team|publisher=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz|date=31 December 2013|access-date=1 January 2014}}

Whilst playing for Wigan Thomas was selected to go on the 1914 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand, playing as a {{rlp|fb}} in the second Test match of the Ashes series against Australia.

It was claimed that Thomas played rugby union for Barbarian F.C. against South Africa in November 1915.{{cite book

|title= Rugby League in Twentieth Century Britain

|last= Collins

|first= Tony

|authorlink= Tony Collins (historian)

|year= 2006

|publisher= Taylor & Francis

|location= UK

|isbn= 9780415396141

|page= 15

|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=J6nXcpxXzWsC

|access-date= 15 February 2011}} However the Barbarians website say that it wasn't him, that instead it was another Gwyn Thomas who also played rugby union for Neath RFC.{{cite web|url=http://www.barbarianfc.co.uk/archive/profile/1079/l-g-thomas/ |title= Barbarians website profile |access-date= 22 September 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://neathrfc.com/extra-special-match-report-an-easter-rising/ |title= Neath website report |date= 13 April 2020 |access-date= 22 September 2020}}

Whilst playing for Huddersfield Thomas was selected to go on the 1920 Great Britain Lions tour of Australasia. He was vice-captain, and played at fullback in all three Test matches of the Ashes series. He also played in two Test matches against New Zealand.

During the 1921–22 Kangaroo tour Thomas was selected to play for Great Britain at {{rlp|fb}} against Australia in all three test matches of the Ashes, which was won by the British.