Jim Webb (rugby)
![]() Jim Webb with the British Isles team in 1910 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Birth name | Alfred James Webb[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 1878 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Coleford, Gloucestershire, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of death | 29 July 1955 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of death | Upper Soudley, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 181 cm (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 89 kg (14 st 0 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Occupation(s) | collier | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby league career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Alfred James "Jim" Webb (1878 – 29 July 1955[2]) was an English-born international rugby union footballer who played club rugby for Abertillery, and county rugby for Monmouthshire. He won 20 caps for Wales, and was part of the 1910 touring British Isles team to South Africa.
Webb was a strong forward player who was part of three Triple Crown Wales teams, and won 19 consecutive caps, all while playing for a 'second class' team, normally unpopular with selectors. On 22 December 1908, Webb while captain of Abertillery, lead his team against the first touring Australian team. The resulting 3-3 draw is one of the greatest days in the club's history.[3]
Webb is remembered as a powerful scrummager, strong at line-outs and mauls. He was a modest, proud and defiantly loyal man.[3]
International career
After a strong performance against the touring South Africans with county team Monmouthshire, Webb was capped for Wales against Scotland in February 1907. He would play for Wales a further 19 times. His final game was against Scotland in 1912 in which he led the pack in a rousing victory. The selectors though felt Webb was too old and too slow and he was dropped. Webb would later argue with the Welsh Rugby Union selectors and leave the game of rugby union. He joined St. Helens but would only play five matches for the team.[4]
International matches played
Wales[5]
Australia 1908,
England 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912
France 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911
Ireland 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911
Scotland 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912
British Isles
South Africa 1910 (x3)
Bibliography
- 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.
- Thomas, Wayne (1979). A Century of Welsh Rugby Players. Ansells Ltd.
References
- ^ Newport Gwent Dragons player profiles Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Jim Webb player profile Scrum.com
- ^ a b Thomas (1979), pg 47.
- ^ Thomas (1979), pg 48.
- ^ Smith (1980), pg 473.
External links
- 1878 births
- 1955 deaths
- Abertillery RFC players
- Monmouthshire County RFC players
- British and Irish Lions rugby union players from Wales
- English rugby league players
- English rugby union players
- People from Coleford, Gloucestershire
- St Helens R.F.C. players
- Wales international rugby union players
- Welsh rugby league players
- Welsh rugby union players
- Sportspeople from Gloucestershire