David 'Dai' Thomas (30 March 1909 – ?) was a Welsh

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 ...

lock who played 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 ...

and club rugby for

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 ...

. During the 1934/35 season, Thomas was captain of the Swansea first XV.

Rugby career

Thomas first played for Wales during the 1930 Five Nations Championship against Scotland at

Murrayfield Murrayfield is an area to the west of Edinburgh city centre in Scotland. It is to the east of Corstorphine and north of Balgreen, Saughtonhall and Roseburn. The A8 road (Scotland), A8 road runs east–west through the south of the area. Murra ...

. Wales lost by a last minute dropped goal, but Thomas was back for the very next match of the tournament against Ireland, but missed the final, bruising game against France, since referred to as the 'Battle of Colombes'. Thomas was failed to be selected for the entire 1931 Championship, but during that time was amongst the Swansea team that faced the touring

South Africans South Africans are the citizens of South Africa (officially the Republic of South Africa ''RSA. These individuals include those residing within the borders of South Africa, as well as the South African diaspora. History The first modern inh ...

. Thomas was not selected for the Welsh international against the Springboks, but represented his country for all three games of the

1932 Home Nations Championship The 1932 Home Nations Championship was the twenty-eighth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Five Nations, and prior to that, the Home Nations, this was the forty-fifth series of the no ...

before sporadic appearances over the next two years that saw only two caps. Thomas managed to regain his position in

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...

and played all three games under the captaincy of

Claude Davey Claude Davey (14 December 1908 – 18 February 2001) was a Wales international rugby union player who played club rugby for several teams, most notably Sale and Swansea. He was awarded 23 caps for Wales and captained his country eight times. Dave ...

International matches played

WalesSmith (1980), pg 472. * 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935 * 1930, 1932, 1935 * 1930, 1932, 1933, 1935

Biography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Dai 1909 births Rugby union locks Rugby union players from Swansea Swansea RFC players Wales international rugby union players Welsh police officers Glamorgan Police officers Welsh rugby union players Year of death unknown