Johnnie Morgan
John Lewis Morgan (23 October 1892 - 7 July 1947) was a Welsh international forward who played club rugby for Llandovery College and Llanelli.[1] He won two caps for Wales before returning to live in his home country of Argentina. He is the only Wales rugby union player to date born in Patagonia.[2]
| Birth name | John Lewis Morgan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 2 October 1892 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Patagonia, Argentina | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 7 July 1947 (aged 54) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Campo Largo, Chaco, Argentina | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Personal history
Morgan was born in Alejandra, Argentina in 1892.[3] He moved to Wales as a child and was educated at Carmarthen Grammar School and later at Llandovery College. He was a talented all-round sportsperson who played as a hooker for the college during the winter and was an important member of the cricket XI during the summer months.[3] After leaving college he found employment as an engineer at the Thomas and Clement Foundry in Llanelli.[3] In 1913 he returned to Argentina where he became a farmer in his birth town of Alejandra.[3] In 192 he moved to Campo Largo where he worked as a police officer.[4] He died in Argentina in 1947.[3]
Rugby career
Morgan is initially recorded playing rugby when he was a student at Llandovery College.[3] On moving to Llanelli he joined local side the Oriental Stars, where he was soon spotted by Llanelli RFC and given a place in their team.[3] While at Llanelli Morgan faced his first international opponents, selected for his club against the second touring South Africans. It was a close match with the tourists winning 8-7. Morgan did enough to impress and was selected for his first international cap for Wales, facing the same South African team.[1] In another tough match Morgan again found himself on the losing side this time the result was 3-0. Morgan played one last match for his adopted country when he faced England in the 1913 Five Nations Championship.[1]
References
- "Johnnie Morgan". ESPN. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- Hughes 1986, p. 87.
- Jenkins, Pierce & Auty 1991, p. 112.
- Jenkins, Pierce & Auty 1991, p. 113.
Bibliography
- Hughes, Gareth (1986). The Scarlets: A History of Llanelli Rugby Club. Llanelli: Llanelli Borough Council. ISBN 0906821053.
- Jenkins, John M.; Pierce, Duncan; Auty, Timothy (1991). Who's Who of Welsh International Rugby Players. Wrexham: Bridge Books. ISBN 1-872424-10-4.
- 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.