Dicky Ralph

Dicky Ralph

Birth name	Albert Raymond Ralph
Date of birth	(1908-01-21)21 January 1908
Place of birth	Abercarn, Caerphilly County Borough, Wales
Date of death	5 October 1989(1989-10-05) (aged 81)
Place of death	Leamington Spa, England
School	Pontywaun Grammar School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fly-half Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) Abercarn RFC () Caerleon RFC () 1929-1930 London Welsh RFC () 1930-1933 Newport RFC () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1931-1932 Wales 6 (17)

Dicky Ralph (21 January 1908 – 5 October 1989) was a Welsh international rugby fly-half who played rugby union for Newport and rugby league with Leeds and Batley. He won six caps for Wales at rugby union, and also represented Wales at rugby league.

International career

Ralph was first capped for Wales against France on 28 February 1931 under the captaincy of Jack Bassett. The game was a walkover, with Wales winning 35-3, Ralph scored two tries of the seven scored by the Welsh team that day and unsurprisingly was reselected two weeks later to face Ireland. In a bruising encounter, Wales won at Ravenhill, with Ralph again on the score sheet, this time with a drop goal. Later that year he faced Bennie Osler's touring South African team twice, once with Newport, and then again in December as part of the Welsh team. Ralph appeared on the losing team on both occasions, though played some strong rugby during the international and his screw kicking on the day was excellent.

In the 1932 Home Nations Championship, Ralph was back in the squad, alongside his Newport team mate Jack Morley. Ralph played all three games, scoring against Ireland with a try and a drop goal. Ralph may have gained further caps, but switched codes to rugby league in 1933, joining Leeds. On 30 December 1933 Ralph played for the Wales rugby league team in an encounter with Australia, becoming a dual-code international.

International matches played

Wales (rugby union)

• England 1932
• France 1931
• Ireland 1931, 1932
• Scotland 1932
• South Africa 1931

Wales (rugby league)

• Australia 1933

Bibliography

• Billot, John (1974). Springboks in Wales. Ferndale, Glamorgan: Ron Jones Publications.
• Godwin, Terry (1984). The International Rugby Championship 1883-1983. Grafton Street, London: Willow Books. ISBN 0-00-218060-X.
• Smith, David; Williams, Gareth (1980). Fields of Praise: The Official History of The Welsh Rugby Union. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-0766-3.