Jim Webb (rugby)

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.

Jim Webb

Jim Webb with the British Isles team in 1910
Birth name	Alfred James Webb[1]
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
Position(s) Prop, Hooker, Second-row Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 1912-1913 St. Helens 5 (0)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) ?-1912 Abertillery RFC () – Monmouthshire () National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1907-1912 Wales 20 (6) 1910 British Isles 3 (0)

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

1. Newport Gwent Dragons player profiles Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
2. Jim Webb player profile Scrum.com
3. Thomas (1979), pg 47.
4. Thomas (1979), pg 48.
5. Smith (1980), pg 473.

External links

• Profile at saints.org.uk