Ike Fowler

Ike Fowler

Birth name	Isaac John Fowler
Date of birth	(1894-08-27)27 August 1894
Place of birth	Pantyffynnon, Wales
Date of death	17 June 1981(1981-06-17) (aged 86)
Place of death	Batley, England
Occupation(s)	collier foreman
Rugby union career
Position(s) Scrum-half Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) > ? 1919 Tycroes RFC Ammanford RFC Llanelli RFC () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1919 Wales 1 (0)

Isaac "Ike" John Fowler (27 August 1894 – 17 June 1981) was a Welsh dual-code international rugby scrum-half who played rugby union for Llanelli and rugby league with Batley RLFC. He won just a single cap for Wales at rugby union, and was awarded a single cap for both the Wales rugby league team, and the Other Nationalities rugby league team.

Rugby career

Fowler was born in 1894 in Pantyffynnon, a small village in Carmarthenshire. He first played rugby for Tycroes, a club in the neighbouring village. He progressed to Ammanford before being selected by first class Welsh team, Llanelli. On the recommencement of rugby after the First World War, Llanelli faced two matches against New Zealand teams, the Larkhill depot of the New Zealand Army and the New Zealand Maoris. Fowler played in both matches. In 1919, Fowler won his first and only rugby union international call-up, when he was one of thirteen new caps to represent Wales against a New Zealand Army team. The Wales team lost 3-6, but before the country's next international match, Fowler turned professional, by joining rugby league team Batley. Such was the resentment caused by turning professional, Fowler was not only banned for life from playing rugby union at any level; a standard punishment, but he also had to wait until a 1975 'amnesty' to receive his international cap.

Fowler had a long career at Batley and secured two further international caps. His first came in 1921, when he was chosen to play for the Other Nationalities team to face England. Protests were made to recognise the team as a Wales squad as the entire 13 members were all Welsh by birth, but the request was rejected. On 12 April 1926 he was selected to play for the actual Wales rugby league side, against England at Pontypridd.

County Cup final appearances

Ike Fowler played Scrum-half/Halfback in Batley's 8-9 defeat by Wakefield Trinity in the 1924 Yorkshire Cup final during the 1924–25 season at Headingley Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 22 November 1924.

Bibliography

• 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.