Philip Leach Nicholas (30 May 1876 – 31 January 1952) was an 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 ...

wing who played club rugby for

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

and

Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...

. Nicolas played one international rugby game for

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

in 1902.

Personal history

Philip Nicholas was born in Monmouth in 1876, the son of Thomas Leach Nicholas, a proprietor of a small chemical works, and his wife Julia Elizabeth. He was educated locally at

Monmouth School Monmouth School was a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (Independent school (United Kingdom), independent boarding school, boarding and day school, day school) for boys in Monmouth, Wales. The school was founded in 1614 with a beques ...

before matriculating to

. After leaving university he became a clergyman and he was ordained in 1908. He moved to Devon where he was married to Annie Margaret. Nicolas died in 1952 and was buried at St. John the Baptist's Church Cemetery in

Bishop's Tawton Bishop's Tawton is a village and civil parish in the North Devon district of Devon, England. It is in the valley of the River Taw, about three miles south of Barnstaple. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 1,176. Des ...

, Devon.

Rugby career

Nicholas played rugby from a young age representing Monmouth School and

Monmouth Monmouth ( or ; ) is a market town and community (Wales), community in Monmouthshire, Wales, situated on where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. The population in the 2011 census was 10,508, rising from 8 ...

. When he went to Oxford University, he was selected to play for the university team and won three successive sporting Blues by playing in

the Varsity Match The Varsity Match is an annual rugby union fixture played between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge in England. The event began in 1872 with the first men's match, with interruptions only for the two World Wars and the COVID-19 pandemic ...

es of 1897, 1898 and 1899. On leaving Oxford he moved to Devon and there he joined Exeter RFC and was also selected to represent

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

at county level. During his time with Devon, the county won the County Championship of 1900–01, which was also the season he represented the Rest of England. In 1902, while an Exeter player, Nicolas was selected for his one and only international cap for England. He was called into the team at wing for the opening game of the 1902 Home Nations Championship, played at the

Rectory Field Rectory Field is a sports ground in Blackheath in the Royal Borough of Greenwich in south-east London. It was developed in the 1880s by Blackheath Cricket, Football and Lawn Tennis Company and became the home ground of rugby union team Blackhea ...

in Blackheath against

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 ...

, his home country. Wales won by a narrow 9–8 scoreline, and in the next game of the season Nicholas was not selected, his short international career was over.

International caps

England *

1902

References

Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholas, Philip 1876 births 1952 deaths Alumni of the University of Oxford Barbarian F.C. players England international rugby union players Exeter Chiefs players Oxford University RFC players People educated at Monmouth School for Boys Rugby union players from Monmouth, Wales Rugby union wings Welsh rugby union players Devon RFU players