Oliver Morris
{{short description|Wales international rugby league footballer}}
{{for|the British Olympic gymnast|Oliver Morris (gymnast)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|first = RU
|name = Oliver Morris
|fullname = Oliver James Morris
|nickname =
|image =
|imagesize =
|caption =
|birth_date = fourth ¼ 1916
|birth_place = Llanelli district, Wales
|death_date = 20 September 1944 (aged 27)
|death_place = Gothic Line, Fascist Italy
|height =
|weight = {{convert|9|st|5|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
|ru_position = Fly-half
|position = {{rlp|SO}}
|ru_club1 = Llanelli RFC
|ru_year1start = ≤1936
|ru_year1end = 36
|ru_appearances1 =
|ru_tries1 =
|ru_goals1 =
|ru_fieldgoals1 =
|ru_points1 =
|ru_club2 = Pontypridd RFC
|ru_year2start = 1936
|ru_year2end = Nov 37
|ru_appearances2 =
|ru_tries2 =
|ru_goals2 =
|ru_fieldgoals2 =
|ru_points2 =
|club1 = Hunslet
|year1start = Nov 1937
|year1end = Sep 39
|appearances1 = 55
|tries1 = 21
|goals1 =
|fieldgoals1 =
|points1 =
|club2 = Leeds
|year2start = Sep 1939
|year2end = ≥42
|appearances2 = 61
|tries2 = 44
|goals2 = 33
|fieldgoals2 =
|points2 = 198
| club3 = {{nowrap|→Castleford {{small|(guest)}}}}
| year3start = 194?
| year3end = 4?
| appearances3 =
| tries3 =
| goals3 =
| fieldgoals3 =
| points3 =
|teamA = Wales
|yearAstart = 1938
|yearAend = 41
|appearancesA = 5
|triesA = 0
|goalsA = 0
|fieldgoalsA = 0
|pointsA = 0
| teamB = {{nowrap|Northern Command XIII}}
| yearBstart = 1942
| yearBend =
| appearancesB = 1
| triesB = 0
| goalsB = 0
| fieldgoalsB = 0
| pointsB = 0
|new = yes
|retired = yes
|updated = 4 April 2010
| module = {{infobox military person
| embed = yes
| allegiance = {{flag|United Kingdom}}
| branch = {{army|United Kingdom}}
| unit = Welch Regiment
| rank = Lieutenant
| service_years = 1939-44
| battles = World War II
}}
}}
Oliver James Morris (fourth ¼ 1916{{cite web|url=http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=%2FpC7v5D2N3RJ8CIX1otQWQ&scan=1|title=Birth details at freebmd.org.uk|publisher=freebmd.org.uk|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012}} – 20 September 1944) was a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Llanelli RFC and Pontypridd RFC, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales, and at club level for Hunslet, Castleford (as a wartime guest) and Leeds, as a {{rlp|so}}.
Background
Oliver James Morris' birth was registered in Llanelli district, Wales. He was a sergeant major, later a lieutenant, in the British Army (1st battalion of the Welch Regiment (note archaic spelling)) during World War II,{{cite web|url=http://rugbyleagueoralhistory.co.uk/gallery-images/86-large.jpg|title=inside programme, Northern Command v. A Rugby League XIII, 1942|publisher=rugbyleagueoralhistory.co.uk|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202223013/http://rugbyleagueoralhistory.co.uk/gallery-images/86-large.jpg|archive-date=2 December 2013|url-status=dead}} and he was killed aged 27 in Northern Italy, whilst fighting on the Gothic Line, during the Italian Campaign.{{cite web|url=http://www.therhinos.co.uk/news/24183.php|title=True Heroes Remembered|publisher=therhinos.co.uk|date=31 December 2014|accessdate=1 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150114204147/http://www.therhinos.co.uk/news/24183.php|archive-date=14 January 2015|url-status=dead}}
Rugby Union
Morris started his Rugby union career with Llanelli RFC but became a key part of the Pontypridd RFC team in the mid-to-late 1930s as their Fly-half. Morris became the first player from the Pontypridd club to ‘go north’ in November 1937. Weighing just nine and a half stones, there was great doubts about his ability to make it in professional rugby league.{{cite web |last1=Granfield |first1=Alun |title=Going North, Coming South - The Rugby League Connection |url=http://www.ponty.net/going-north-coming-south-the-rugby-league-connection/ |website=Ponty.Net |date=18 October 2020 |accessdate=21 November 2020}}
Rugby League
=International honours=
Oliver Morris won 5 caps for Wales (RL) in 1938–1941 while at Hunslet, and Leeds.{{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}}
=Championship final appearances=
Oliver Morris played {{rlp|so}} in Hunslet's 8–2 victory over Leeds in the Championship Final during the 1937–38 season at Elland Road, Leeds on Saturday 30 April 1938.{{cite news|url=http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/leeds-rhinos/club_history_facts_and_figures_1_2274590|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009065959/http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/leeds-rhinos/club_history_facts_and_figures_1_2274590|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 October 2012|title=Club History, Facts and Figures|work=Yorkshire Evening Post|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012}}
=Challenge Cup Final appearances=
Oliver Morris played {{rlp|so}} in Leeds' 19–2 victory over Halifax in the 1940–41 Challenge Cup Final during the 1940–41 season at Odsal Stadium, Bradford, in front of a crowd of 28,500, and played {{rlp|so}} in the 15–10 victory over Halifax in the 1941–42 Challenge Cup Final during the 1941–42 season at Odsal Stadium, Bradford, in front of a crowd of 15,250.{{cite web|url=http://britishrugbyleague.blogspot.co.uk/2005/12/history-of-leeds-rugby-league-club.html|title=History of Leeds Rugby League Club|publisher=britishrugbyleague.blogspot.co.uk|date=31 December 2012|accessdate=1 January 2013}}
=Other notable matches=
Oliver Morris played {{rlp|so}} for Northern Command XIII against a Rugby League XIII at Thrum Hall, Halifax on Saturday 21 March 1942.
=Club career=
Oliver Morris made his début for Leeds against Broughton Rangers at The Cliff, Broughton, Salford on Saturday 26 August 1939.
Death
During the war, Morris became a Lieutenant in the Welch Regiment, and was killed in Italy on 21 September 1944 aged twenty-seven.[https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2078038/oliver-james-morris/ CWGC entry]
Genealogical information
Oliver Morris' marriage to Muriel M. (née Walker) was registered during fourth ¼ 1941 in Leeds district.{{cite web|url=http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=oEClZAhlzgVUgx2yAtCjig&scan=1|title=Marriage details at freebmd.org.uk|publisher=freebmd.org.uk|date=31 December 2014|accessdate=1 January 2015}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- (archived by web.archive.org) [https://web.archive.org/web/20141101031732/http://www.ponty.net/morris-oliver Profile at ponty.net]
- (archived by web.archive.org) [https://web.archive.org/web/20150114204147/http://www.therhinos.co.uk/news/24183.php True Heroes Remembered]
{{Hunslet - 1937–38 Championship Final winners}}
{{Leeds - 1941 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
{{Leeds - 1941–42 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Oliver}}
Category:20th-century Welsh sportsmen
Category:British Army personnel killed in World War II
Category:Castleford Tigers players
Category:Hunslet F.C. (1883) players
Category:Military personnel from Carmarthenshire
Category:Northern Command XIII rugby league team players
Category:Pontypridd RFC players
Category:Rugby league players from Llanelli
Category:Rugby league five-eighths
Category:Rugby union players from Llanelli
Category:Wales national rugby league team players
Category:Welch Regiment officers