Ronald Winston Boon (11 June 1909 – 3 August 1998) 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 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 ...

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 ...

. Boon possessed a tremendous self-confidence in his own ability and this was reflected in his nickname ''Cocky''.Thomas (1979), pg 80. Boon was a quick runner, representing

at the 220-yard sprint, and was an excellent drop kicker. He is best known in Welsh rugby as the man who scored all seven points in 1933 against England to end the 'Twickenham bogey', and along with

Jack Morley John Cuthbert Morley (28 July 1909 – 7 March 1972) was a Welsh international rugby wing who played rugby union for Newport and rugby league with Wigan. He won 14 caps for Wales in union, and five caps for Wales in rugby league, and was the ...

is seen as one of the greatest Welsh wings since the country's first Golden Era of rugby.

Rugby career

Boon began his career at Barry Parade Club, before playing at schoolboy level with Barry Grammar and then representing Wales for Welsh Secondary Schools. Boon played for several club teams, including

London Welsh London Welsh Rugby Football Club () was a rugby union club formed in 1885. Based in Old Deer Park, Richmond-upon-Thames, London Welsh RFC played in the English Premiership in the 2012–13 and 2014–15 seasons, after gaining promotion from ...

which he would become club secretary during most of the 1960s, but spent the majority of his time at Cardiff. He joined the blues during the 1928/29 season, and by 1930 he was selected to represent Wales in a

Five Nations Championship The Six Nations Championship (known as the Six Nations, branded as Guinness M6N) is an annual international rugby union competition by the teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. It is the oldest sports tournament contes ...

match against Scotland in an all-Cardiff three-quarter line alongside Davies, Jones and Turnbull. Wales lost the match, and although Boon missed the next game against Ireland he had impressed some quarters of the sporting press. 'Old Stager' reported that Boon's covering tackling against Scotland's

Ian Smith Ian Douglas Smith (8 April 191920 November 2007) was a Rhodesian politician, farmer, and fighter pilot who served as Prime Minister of Rhodesia (known as Southern Rhodesia until October 1964 and now known as Zimbabwe) from 1964 to 1979. He w ...

had been impressive and that he had shown an '...extraordinary facility for retaining a grasp on whatever part of his anatomy he could lay his hands'.Smith (1980), pg 257. For the final game against France, Boon's Wales rival Jack Morley had been selected to play for the British Lions, so Boon was reselected in a notoriously aggressive match which resulted in a Welsh win. Boon played in all of the

1931 Five Nations Championship The 1931 Five Nations Championship was the seventeenth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the forty ...

which saw Wales win the tournament for the first time in eight years. Under the captaincy of

Jack Bassett Jack Bassett (11 July 1905 – 19 February 1989) was a Welsh international rugby union full back who played club rugby for Penarth. He won 15 caps for Wales and was selected for the 1930 British Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand. He cap ...

, Wales won three of the games, and drew against England. Boon scored his first international try during the campaign in the game against Scotland, though he was forced to work hard for his score due to the poor distribution 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 ...

.Smith (1980), pg 262. The next season Boon was selected to face the touring South Africans, but the game was played in atrocious icy weather and after Wales lost Bassett was blamed for not switching his team's style of play to accommodate the conditions. Boon was reselected for 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 ...

and Wales won their two opening matches against England and Scotland, Boon scoring a try in both games and also managed a 'freak' drop goal in the England match. Wales lost the final game against Ireland, robbing them of a successive championship crown. In 1931, having qualified as a teacher, Boon left Wales to study at Dunfermline College of Education, before teaching at Dunfermline High School, while in Scotland he turned out for

Dunfermline Dunfermline (; , ) is a city, parish, and former royal burgh in Fife, Scotland, from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. Dunfermline was the de facto capital of the Kingdom of Scotland between the 11th and 15th centuries. The earliest ...

, though would still play for Cardiff when ever he could. In 1933 Boon was chosen to face England at

Twickenham Twickenham ( ) is a suburban district of London, England, on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historic counties of England, Historically in Middlesex, since 1965 it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, who ...

, a stadium Wales had failed to win at in ten attempts. Captained by

Watcyn Thomas Watcyn Thomas (16 January 1906 – 10 August 1977) was a Welsh rugby union player who captained Wales in the early 1930s. Thomas was born in Llanelli and educated at Llanelli County School and at University College, Swansea. While still at schoo ...

, Boon later argued that the Welsh forwards deserved all the credit for the Welsh victoryGoodwin (1984), pg 192. even though Boon scored all the Welsh points in a 7–3 victory. At half-time, England led the game 3–0 with a try from Walter Elliot; but soon after the restart, England's Ronald Gerrard kicked a loose ball across the ground straight into Boon's arms, and he calmly drop kicked the ball through the posts to take a 4–3 lead. A few minutes later Boon had extended the lead when the ball came back from a maul to Davey, who passed to Boon, and with the English defence out of position, he crossed at the corner and touched the ball down behind the posts for a try.

Vivian Jenkins Vivian Gordon James "Viv" Jenkins (2 November 1911 – 5 January 2004) was a Welsh rugby union player who, having taught Classics and Games at Dover College, went on to have a successful career as a sports journalist. He won 14 caps for Wales an ...

converted the try which was registered on the score board, but strangely the referee would later disallow the attempt after the game. The decision did not change the result, and Wales had finally beaten the 'Twickenham bogey' and Boon was hailed as a Welsh hero. Boon missed the next game against Scotland due to a knee injury but was back to face Ireland. Wales lost the game and the Welsh selectors dropped 11 of the squad from future fixtures. Those that never played for Wales again after that game included Watcyn Thomas, Arthur Lemon,

Harry Bowcott Henry Morgan Bowcott (30 April 1907 – 14 December 2004) was a Welsh international rugby union centre who played club rugby for Cardiff and London Welsh and later became president of the Welsh Rugby Union. Club career Bowcott was a product of ...

, Lonza Bowdler and Boon himself.

International matches played

WalesSmith (1980), pg 463. * 1931, 1932, 1933 * 1930, 1931 * 1931, 1932, 1933 * 1930, 1931, 1932 * 1931

Cricket career

Before his move to

, Boon tried out at cricket for

Glamorgan Glamorgan (), or sometimes Glamorganshire ( or ), was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It is located in the South Wales, south of Wales. Originally an ea ...

. He played just eleven first class games, bowling only 11 overs and averaging just 13.47 with the bat.

Territorial Army

Shortly after his move to Scotland, Boon was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 56th (Highland) Medium Brigade,

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

, Territorial Army on 3 May 1933, He was and promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

on 3 May 1936. He transferred to 227th Anti-Aircraft Battery on 1 February 1938, but with his move south to Brighton, transferred to the TA reserve of officers, on the list of 71st (Forth) Anti-Aircraft Brigade. Although he remained in the reserve until 30 September 1959 when he reached the age limit for service, he does not appear to have served in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, presumably because teaching was a

reserved occupation A reserved occupation (also known as essential services) is an occupation considered important enough to a country that those serving in such occupations are exempt or forbidden from military service. In a total war, such as the Second World War, ...

. He also represented the TA at rugby.

Later life

Boon stayed at Dunfermline until 1938, before heading south to Brighton. He would later become an inspector of schools and after returning to Wales became a councillor for South Glamorgan County Council. Boon kept his links with rugby and as well as becoming secretary of London Welsh from 1961 to 1969, he also became president of Barry RFC and served on the Sports Council of Wales. Boon emigrated to New Zealand in 1995 and died there in 1998.Obituary:Ronnie Boon
The Independent

Bibliography

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boon, Ronnie 1909 births 1998 deaths 20th-century British Army personnel Barbarian F.C. players Cardiff RFC players Dunfermline RFC players Glamorgan cricketers London Welsh RFC players Members of South Glamorgan County Council Royal Artillery officers Rugby union players from Barry Rugby union wings Wales international rugby union players Welsh cricketers Welsh rugby union players