John "Jere" Blake (1875 – 15 February 1933) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, of or about Wales * Welsh language, spoken in Wales * Welsh people, an ethnic group native to Wales Places * Welsh, Arkansas, U.S. * Welsh, Louisiana, U.S. * Welsh, Ohio, U.S. * Welsh Basin, during t ...

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 ...

. He was part of the 1900 Wales Triple Crown winning team.

Rugby career

Blake was first capped for Wales during the

1899 Home Nations Championship The 1899 Home Nations Championship was the seventeenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 5 January and 18 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The 1899 Championship ...

in the opening game against England. The selectors made multiple changes to the team that finished the previous season, with only six players returning to the squad from that game. Blake was one of five new caps to be brought into the pack, while 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 ...

half-back pairing of

Evan Evan is a Welsh language, Welsh masculine given name, derived from ''Iefan'', a Welsh form of the name John (name), John. Similar names that share this origin include Euan, Ivan (name), Ivan, Ian, and Juan. "John" itself is derived from the ancie ...

and

David James Dewi, Dai, Dafydd or David James may refer to: Performers *David James (actor, born 1839) (1839–1893), English stage comic and a founder of London's Vaudeville Theatre *David James (actor, born 1967) (born 1967), Australian presenter of ABC's ''P ...

returned into the team after their reinstatement to the rugby union code. The game was a massive loss for England, with Wales running in six tries, four by

Willie Llewellyn William Morris Llewellyn (1 January 1878 – 12 March 1973) was a Welsh international rugby union player. He captained Wales in 1905 and London Welsh in 1902. He was a member of the winning Welsh team who beat the 1905 touring All Blacks in the ...

. The selectors kept faith with Blake for the rest of the tournament, but Welsh fortunes dropped after the England game, with a loss to Scotland and Ireland. Blake was back in the Wales team for the entirety of the 1900 Championship under the captaincy of Welsh sporting icon

Billy Bancroft William James Bancroft (2 March 1871 – 3 March 1959) was a Welsh international fullback, who played club rugby for Swansea, and a county cricketer for Glamorgan, for whom he was the first professional player in 1895. Bancroft was seen as ...

. Wales won all three matches and won the Triple Crown for the second time in the country's history. The next season the selectors tried to keep the nucleus of the Championship winning team together and hopes were high that the Welsh team could repeat the last season's feat and retake the Triple Crown. Blake retook his place in the pack, with the forwards being led by

Dick Hellings Richard Hellings (1 December 1874 – 9 February 1938) was an English-born Welsh rugby union forward who played international rugby for Wales and club rugby for Llwynypia. Hellings was noted for his strength built from years cutting coal as a ...

, but they lacked cohesion in the tight and although beating England at the

Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Arms Park (), also known as The Arms Park, is primarily a rugby union stadium, and also has a bowling green. It is situated in Cardiff, Wales, next to the Millennium Stadium. The Arms Park was host to the 1958 British Empire and Common ...

, looked ragged at times.Griffiths (1987), pg 4:10. The next game Scotland took advantage of the weaknesses in the forward positions, with Wales caving in towards the end of the match, with the Scottish winning 18-8. Blake played his final international game when Wales hosted Ireland at St. Helen's for the final game of the tournament. Wales were narrow victors, but the selectors chose a new wave of players at the start of 1902, as they had done in 1899, and Blake lost his place to Will Osborne.

International matches played for Wales

WalesSmith (1980), pg 463. * 1899, 1900, 1901 * 1899, 1900, 1901 * 1899, 1900, 1901

Bibliography

* * *

Note

In 'Gone North - Volume 2', the 'Errata to (Gone North) Volume 1'Robert Gate (1986). "Gone North — Volume 1". R. E. Gate. section states that "Detailed research now indicates that Jere Blake and

William Morris William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was an English textile designer, poet, artist, writer, and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts movement. He was a major contributor to the revival of traditiona ...

appear never to have signed for

Salford Salford ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Greater Manchester, England, on the western bank of the River Irwell which forms its boundary with Manchester city centre. Landmarks include the former Salford Town Hall, town hall, ...

or any other professional club although they do appear to have trialled for

Northern Union The Rugby Football League (RFL) is the governing body for rugby league in England. Founded in 1895 as the Northern Rugby Football Union following 22 clubs resigning from the Rugby Football Union, it changed its name in 1922 to the Rugby Footb ...

clubs".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blake, Jere 1875 births 1933 deaths Cardiff RFC players Rugby union forwards Rugby union players from Cardiff Wales international rugby union players Welsh miners Welsh rugby union players