Rhys Gabe
| File:Rhys Gabe.jpg Gabe in his Newport jersey | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Rees Thomas Gape 22 June 1880 Llangennech, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Died | 15 September 1967 (aged 87) Cardiff, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 12 st 8 lb (176 lb; 80 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Llanelli Intermediate School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Borough Road College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | teacher | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rhys Thomas "Rusty" Gabe (22 June 1880 – 15 September 1967)[2] born as Rees Thomas Gape,[3] was a Welsh rugby union player who played club rugby for Llanelli, London Welsh and Cardiff and gained 24 caps for Wales,[4] mainly as a centre.
Rugby career
[edit | edit source]Born in Llangennech, Gabe started his rugby career with Llangennech[3] before making his debut with Llanelli at the age of seventeen. In 1901 he moved to London to study at Borough Road Training College and joined London Welsh, where he was moved to centre. After qualifying as a mathematics teacher, he took a teaching post in Cardiff and joined the Cardiff club, where he formed a devastating centre combination with Gwyn Nicholls for both club and country. He played for Cardiff between 1902–03 and 1909–10, captaining the club in the 1907–08 season. He scored 51 tries for Cardiff in 115 appearances.[5]
Gabe won his first cap for Wales against Ireland in 1901, playing on the left wing. His 24 caps for Wales included the famous Match of the Century, the 1905 victory against New Zealand. Gabe would go on to captain Wales in the 1907 match against Ireland, and toured Australasia with the British Isles team of 1904. He played in all four test matches, including the three victories over Australia.[6]
Gabe was an impressive try scorer and scored 11 tries during his Welsh career. In his first game against England in 1902 he scored a memorable try when John Strand-Jones deceived the entire English pack and passed the ball to Gabe. With only the English full back Gamlin to beat, Gabe raced to the try line and rounded Gamlin but took a heavy blow to his solar plexus. Gabe managed to carry on, cross the line, score the try, only then passing out.[7]
His most remarkable try was probably one scored against England at Bristol in 1908. The match was played in thick fog, and Gabe and his teammate Percy Bush found a loose ball outside England's 25. Gabe won the tussle for the ball and set off in the direction of the line, while Bush ran off in the opposite direction to confuse the opposition. Eventually the referee and the other players arrived at the line to find Gabe waiting with the ball.[8]
Gabe retired in 1908, but still appeared occasionally for Cardiff. He was a fine club cricketer and played occasionally for Glamorgan. He also captained Radyr Golf Club, and played at Cardiff Golf Club well into his eighties.[6] He died in Cardiff in 1967.
International games played
[edit | edit source]Wales[9]
- File:Flag of England.svg England 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908
- File:Flag of France.svg France 1908
- File:IRFU flag.svg Ireland 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908
- File:Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand 1905
- File:Flag of Scotland.svg Scotland 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1907, 1908
- File:Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa 1906
British Isles
- File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia 1904, 1904, 1904
- File:Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand 1904
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Bibliography
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Further reading
[edit | edit source]Gareth Hughes (1983) One hundred years of scarlet (Llanelli Rugby Football Club) Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Rusty Gabe player profile Scrum.com
- ^ a b Jenkins (1991), pg 60.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ 'Cardiff Rugby Club History and Statistics 1876–1975' (1975) D.E. Davies Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b 'Cardiff Sporting Greats' (2007) Andrew Hignell and Gwyn Prescott pp 194–195 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Davies (1980), pg 143.
- ^ Davies (1980), pg 193.
- ^ Smith (1980), pg 466.
- 1880 births
- 1967 deaths
- British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Wales
- Cardiff RFC players
- Glamorgan County RFC players
- Llanelli RFC players
- Llangennech RFC players
- London Welsh RFC players
- Rugby union centres
- Rugby union players from Carmarthenshire
- Wales international rugby union players
- Wales rugby union captains
- Welsh rugby union players