Thomas, Bob

Click image for full size view

Born : 1871

Died : 7 March 1910, Brynhyfryd, Swansea

Position : Forward

Major Teams : Manselton Rangers, Mynyddbach RFC, Swansea, Wales.

Wales Caps : 4. Points : 0

Robert Thomas was a forward who played on 4 occasions for Wales between 1900 and 1901, including in the 3 ‘Triple Crown’ matches of 1900.

Bob made his debut for Swansea in 1892 and announced his retirement at the end of the 1900/01 season. The club wanted to honour the player who had been ‘an honest Swansea scrummager for several seasons’ with ‘badges’ to the value of £10. The Welsh Union would not sanction the presentation and the rugby writer ‘Argus’ in the Cambrian was so incensed he wrote ‘The Welsh Rugby Union is not endowed with a superabundance of common sense … its decisions are often bewildering, such as no fellah can understand’.
A long serving Swansea player, he had to wait till 1900 for his first cap which came at Gloucester against England. He had however the satisfaction of winning caps in the two following games against Scotland and Ireland in Wales' second Triple Crown triumph that year. His 4th and last cap followed again consecutively, in 1901 against England at Cardiff in which Wales were again winners and he finished his Swansea career at the end of the 1900-01 season with Swansea Champions for the third successive season. A head Injury sustained that season had hastened his decision to hang up his boots and probably contributed to his early death in 1910 aged just 39.