Charles Suckling Arthur (1863 – 12 December 1925) was an English-born international

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

forward who played club rugby for

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

and international rugby for

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. Arthur was one of the Wales team to face the first Southern Hemisphere touring parties, the 1888 New Zealand Natives.

Rugby career

Arthur came to prominence as a rugby player while playing for first class team Cardiff. His first international cap was in the second game of the

1888 Home Nations Championship The 1888 Home Nations Championship was the sixth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Three matches were played between 4 February and 10 March. It was contested by Ireland, Scotland and Wales. England were excluded from the Cham ...

, when

George Bowen Sir George Ferguson Bowen ( zh, 寶雲; 2 November 1821 – 21 February 1899), was an Anglo-Irish author and colonial administrator whose appointments included postings to the Ionian Islands, Queensland, New Zealand, Victoria, Mauritius and H ...

was moved to cover the absent Arthur Gould, and Arthur took Bowen's normal position. Under the captaincy of

Tom Clapp Tom Clapp (25 October 1858 – 15 October 1933) was an English-born international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Newport and Nantyglo RFC. He won 14 caps for Wales and captained the team on three occasions. Clapp was the first ...

, Wales lost the game against Ireland at

Lansdowne Road Lansdowne Road Stadium (, ) was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) that was primarily used for rugby union and association football matches. The stadium was demolished in 2007 to make way for the Aviva Stadium on ...

. Despite the loss, Arthur was chosen for the Wales team to face the touring Māoris. Played at St. Helen's on 22 December 1888, the

Swansea Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...

crowd was very hostile towards their own team. The crowd believed that the Swansea backs had been overlooked and booed the Welsh players from other clubs, Arthur and Newport's George Thomas were picked out for specific ill treatment.Billot (1972), pg 17. Even without the full support of the Welsh crowd, Arthur ended on the winning side with tries from Thomas, William Towers and

Jim Hannan James John Hannan (January 7, 1940 – February 9, 2024) was an American professional baseball player who pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1962 to 1971 for the Washington Senators, Detroit Tigers, and Milwaukee Brewers. Hannan co-f ...

. A week later Arthur was part of the Cardiff team to face the same touring Māoris, who had come back from the Welsh defeat to beat both

and Newport in the last five days. Captained by

Frank Hill Frank Robert Hill (21 May 1906 – 28 August 1993) was a Scottish football player and manager. Playing career Forfar and Aberdeen Hill was born in Forfar and started his career at Forfar Athletic, joining the club in 1924. He moved to Aberdee ...

, the Cardiff team faced the tourists on a wet, heavy groundBillot (1972), pg 21. which turned the match into a game controlled by the forwards. Arthur was in the thick of the action, and after a quick line-out he set of on a deceptive run before feeding

Norman Biggs Norman Witchell Biggs (3 November 1870 – 27 February 1908) was a Welsh international rugby union wing who played club rugby for Cardiff and county rugby for Glamorgan. Both Biggs and his brother Selwyn played international rugby for Wales, ...

who scored a try. Later on, Arthur set up another try when he dodged several players to feed Nicholls and Morgan, who scored a rare joint try. Although the Māoris scored a try, Cardiff finished the match victorious. When the 1889 Championship began just six weeks later, Arthur was not part of the team, but was given one more cap in the 1891 tournament. With Gould away on business in the West Indies and

Dickie Garrett Richard Garrett (1865 – 17 February 1908) was a Wales, Welsh international rugby union player who played club rugby for Penarth RFC, Penarth and international rugby for Wales national rugby union team, Wales. Garrett was a collier by trad ...

unavailable, Arthur was brought in to fill the centre role for the England game. Wales were outplayed by England,Griffiths (1987), pg 4:5. and lost 3–7. Although Arthur would never play for Wales again, he was still a major part of his club side, and after Hill, Arthur was made captain of the Cardiff senior side.Marshall, Francis ''Football; the Rugby union game'' (1892) Cassell and company Ltd. pg 265 Arthur was also an early enthusiast in rugby history. Compiling one of the first rugby union books ''The Cardiff Rugby Football Club, History and Statistics 1876–1906''.

International matches played

WalesSmith (1980), pg 463. * 1891 * 1888 * 1888

References

Sources

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Arthur, Charlie 1863 births 1925 deaths British sportswriters Cardiff RFC players English rugby union players Rugby union centres Rugby union players from King's Lynn Wales international rugby union players Welsh rugby union players