W. Rowe Harding (10 September 1901 – 10 February 1991) was a Welsh international
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the Comparison of rugby league and rugby union, two codes of ru ...
wing who played club rugby for
Swansea. An intelligent player, Harding played for several teams at club and international level. In 1926 he attended Cambridge University and played for Cambridge in a varsity match. Rowe retired from rugby at the age of 28 when he was called to the bar, and would later become a Circuit Court judge in 1953. Harding spent his later life connected with all manner of sports. He was
Welsh Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU; cy, Undeb Rygbi Cymru) is the governing body of rugby union in the country of Wales, recognised by the sport's international governing body, World Rugby.
The WRU is responsible for the running of rugby in Wales, ove ...
vice-president from 1953 to 1956, chairman and president of
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club ( cy, Criced Morgannwg) is one of eighteen first-class cricket, first-class county cricket, county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the Historic counties of Wales, hi ...
, president of Swansea Lawn Tennis and Squash Rackets Club and patron of
Cwmgors RFC.
Harding was a published author of the rugby book, ''Rugby Reminiscences and Opinions'' which is noted for its forthright and blunt viewpoints on the issues affecting Welsh rugby at the time,
[Thomas (1979), pg 64.] for example, while addressing the Welsh Rugby Union in 1950 "The
Rugby League
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
is only an infant, but it wants strangling."
Club career
After playing his early career with
Loughor, Harding was selected to play for
Llanelli
Llanelli ("St Elli's llan (placename element), Parish"; ) is a market town and the largest community in Carmarthenshire and the Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county of Dyfed, Wales. It is located on the Loughor estuary north-west of ...
and his natural speed was used on the right wing. After only eight games he was switched to the left to play outside
Albert Jenkins. In his first game in his new position, in a game against
Penarth
Penarth (, ) is a town and community in the Vale of Glamorgan ( cy, Bro Morgannwg), Wales, exactly south of Cardiff city centre on the west shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay.
Penarth is a wealthy seaside resort ...
, Harding was given three perfect passes and dropped all three. After this performance he was dropped by Llanelli and transferred to
Swansea. On 8 November Harding made his debut for Swansea against
Cambridge University
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
.
In 1926, while a student studying law at Cambridge, he would play for Cambridge in four varsity matches, scoring tries in the 1926 and 1927 match, and captaining the university in 1927.
International rugby career
Rowe gained his first international cap against England on 20 January 1923, which Wales lost 7–3. He would gain 17 caps in total scoring five tries for his country. In 1924 Rowe missed the home nation matches against England and Scotland after breaking his collar-bone at Christmas;
but later in the season, in the match against France at the
Stade Colombes
The Stade Yves-du-Manoir (officially Stade olympique Yves-du-Manoir, also known as the Stade olympique de Colombes, or simply Colombes to the locals) is a rugby, track and association football stadium in Colombes, near Paris, France.
History
...
, Rowe captained Wales for the first time, an honour he would achieve on another three occasions.
In 1924 Rowe was chosen to represent the British Isles on their Tour of South Africa. Rowe was chosen to play in three tests.
International matches played
Wales
[Smith (1980), pg 466.]
* 1923, 1926, 1927, 1928
* 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927
* 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927
* 1924
* 1923, 1927
British Isles
* 1924
Elizabeth and Rowe Harding Reserve
Harding has a wildlife reserve named after himself and his wife, after they donated sections of the land to the Wildlife trust for South and South West Wales. The reserve is called the ''Elizabeth and Rowe Harding Reserve'' and consists of a woodland and quarry face near
Ilston village in the Gower. The site is open to the public and is noted for its flora and as a nesting site for
kestrels.
[http://www.welshwildlife.org/attachments/Reserves/Handbooks/Glam/West/elizabethandrowe.pdf Welsh Wildlife site description]
Published works
*''Rugby Reminiscences and Opinions''; Pilot Press, London (1929)
Bibliography
*
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harding, Rowe
1901 births
1991 deaths
20th-century Welsh judges
Barbarian F.C. players
British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Wales
Cambridge University R.U.F.C. players
Llanelli RFC players
London Welsh RFC players
People educated at Gowerton Grammar School
Rugby union flankers
Rugby union players from Swansea
Swansea RFC players
Wales international rugby union players
Wales rugby union captains
Welsh rugby union players