William Dowell
{{short description|Wales dual-code international rugby footballer}}
{{about|the Welsh rugby footballer|the British admiral|William Dowell (Royal Navy officer)|the Australian politician from Britain|William Dowel}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2016}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name = William Dowell
| image = William Dowell.jpg
| caption = Dowell in Newport jersey
| birth_name = William Henry Dowell[https://web.archive.org/web/20110617025728/http://www.blackandambers.co.uk/Teams/Player?PersonId=101501 Newport RFC player profile]
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1885|05|21}}
| birth_place = Pontypool, Monmouthshire
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1949|11|09|1885|05|21}}
| death_place = Newport, Monmouthshire
| height =
| weight =
| ru_position = Flanker
| amatyears1 = | amatteam1 = Pontnewydd RFC
| amatyears2 = 1905-08 | amatteam2 = Newport RFC
| amatyears3 = 1908 | amatteam3 = Pontypool RFC
| ru_amupdate =
| repteam1 = Wales{{cite web|url=http://en.espn.co.uk/wales/rugby/player/1868.html|title=Statistics at en.espn.co.uk (RU)|publisher=espn.co.uk|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.wru.co.uk/eng/matchcentre/squads_wales_player_archive.php?player=25926&includeref=dynamic|title=Statistics at wru.co.uk (RU)|publisher=wru.co.uk|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/w-dowell/summary.html|title=Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org (RL)|publisher=rugbyleagueproject.org|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018}}
| repyears1 = 1907-08
| repcaps1 = 7
| reppoints1 = 0
| ru_ntupdate =
| module = {{infobox rugby league biography | embed = yes
| position = Back
| club1 = Warrington RLFC
| year1start = 1908
| appearances1 = 22
| points1 = 0
| teamA = Wales
| yearAstart = 1908
| appearancesA = 1
| pointsA = 0
}}
}}
William Dowell (21 May 1885{{cite web|url=http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=BIupQkJZie2OLB%2Brx%2BS8zg&scan=1|title=Birth details at freebmd.org.uk|publisher=freebmd.org.uk|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012}} – 9 November 1949{{cite web|url=http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=a4L454o74%2BKWsDsDxqFa7w&scan=1|title=Death details at freebmd.org.uk|publisher=freebmd.org.uk|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012}}) was a Welsh dual-code international rugby union and rugby league footballer who played rugby union for Newport, Pontypool, rugby league and Warrington RLFC. He won seven caps for the Wales rugby union team and after switching to league, played one match for the Wales league squad.
Rugby career
Dowell first played for Newport in 1905 and was part of the team that faced two touring sides; the 1905 Original All Blacks, and the 1906 South Africans.
Dowell was first capped for Wales on 12 January 1907 when he played against England at St. Helens under the captaincy of Dicky Owen. It was a good victory for Wales, winning 22-0 and Dowell was back the very next two matches of the 1907 Home Nations Championship. Dowell was also part of the Wales Triple Crown winning team when he played in all three games of the 1908 Championship, including a winning match against France in the same year. His final four union international games were with Pontypool after he left Newport in 1908. Dowell may have been selected the next season but 'Went North', joining rugby league team Warrington and therefore making himself ineligible to play further union games. He later played one league international for Wales making him a dual code international.
Dowell played at {{rlp|pr}} in Warrington's 10-3 victory over Australia in the 1908–09 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain tour match during the 1908–09 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington, on 14 November 1908. He did this in front of a crowd of 5,000; however, due to the strikes in the cotton mills,{{Cite web |last=Vallen |first=Lisa |title=GSU Library Research Guides: Southern Labor Archives: Work n' Progress - Lessons and Stories: Part III: The Southern Textile Industry |url=https://research.library.gsu.edu/c.php?g=115684&p=751981 |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=research.library.gsu.edu |language=en}} the attendance was badly affected, the loss of earnings meant that some fans could not afford to watch the first tour by the Australian rugby league team.{{cite web|url=http://www.warringtonwolves.org/100-years-since-wire-took-on-the-aussies-for-the-first-time-2372|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130705033353/http://www.warringtonwolves.org/100-years-since-wire-took-on-the-aussies-for-the-first-time-2372|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 July 2013|title=100 years since Wire took on the Aussies for the first time|publisher=warringtonwolves.com|date=31 December 2015|accessdate=1 January 2016}}
=International matches played=
Wales (union)Smith (1980), pg 465.
- {{ru|ENG}} 1907, 1908
- {{ru|FRA}} 1908
- {{ru|IRE}} 1907, 1908
- {{ru|SCO}} 1907, 1908
Wales (league)
- {{rl|ENG}} 1908
Bibliography
- {{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}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dowell, William}}
Category:20th-century Welsh sportsmen
Category:Dual-code rugby internationals
Category:Pontypool RFC players
Category:Rugby league players from Pontypool
Category:Rugby union players from Pontypool
Category:Wales international rugby union players
Category:Wales national rugby league team players
Category:Warrington Wolves players