Ralph Sweet-Escott

Ralph Bond Sweet-Escott (11 January 1869 – 11 November 1907) was an English-born international rugby union half back who played club rugby for Cardiff and was capped three times for Wales. Sweet-Escott also played cricket for Glamorgan representing the county in the Minor Counties Cricket Championship. His brother, Edward Sweet-Escott, was a notable cricketer for Glamorgan.[2]

Ralph Sweet-Escott
Birth nameRalph Bond Sweet-Escott
Date of birth(1869-01-11)11 January 1869
Place of birthEssington, Staffordshire, England
Date of death10 November 1907(1907-11-10) (aged 38)
Place of deathGermiston, South Africa
SchoolKing Henry VIII School
UniversityPeterhouse, Cambridge
Notable relative(s)Edward Sweet-Escott, brother
Rugby union career
Position(s) Half back
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
?
?
?
1891		 Blackheath F.C.
Cardiff RFC
Penarth RFC
Barbarian F.C.
Somerset		 ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1891–1895 Wales[1] 3 (0)

Early life

Sweet-Escott was the third son to the Rev. William Sweet-Escott JP, of Hartrow Manor in Taunton and the daughter of Lord Dynevor. He was educated at King Henry VIII School in Coventry, before being accepted into Peterhouse, Cambridge.[3]

Rugby career

Sweet-Escott was born in Essington, Staffordshire, and played club rugby for Blackheath F.C. before moving to Wales and joining first class Welsh club Cardiff. In 1891 he was first selected to represent the Welsh national team, in a match against Scotland as part of the Home Nations Championship. Under the captaincy of Llanelli's Willie Thomas, Wales were heavily beaten with Scotland running in seven tries without reply. Sweet-Escott lost his place in the Welsh team for the next game, with the Welsh selectors switching from the Cardiff partnership of Sweet-Escott and Ingledew to the exciting Swansea brother duo of Evan and David James.

In 1891, Sweet-Escott was chosen to represent the British invitational team, the Barbarians. He continued his career with Cardiff, and after a lapse of three years regained favour with the Welsh selectors, regaining his position in the Wales squad, this time alongside Newport's Fred Parfitt. As part of the 1894 Home Nations Championship and this time led by Frank Hill, Sweet-Escott found himself again on the losing side when Ireland won by a single penalty goal. Sweet-Escott's last game for Wales was another match against Ireland, in the following year's tournament. In this, his final international, Sweet-Escott finished on the winning side.

International matches played

Wales[4]

Bibliography
  • Godwin, Terry (1984). The International Rugby Championship 1883-1983. London: Willows Books. ISBN 0-00-218060-X.
  • Griffiths, John (1987). The Phoenix Book of International Rugby Records. London: Phoenix House. ISBN 0-460-07003-7.
  • 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.

References
  1. Welsh Rugby Union player profiles
  2. Edward Sweet-Escott player profile Glamorgan Cricket archive
  3. "Sweet-Escott, Ralph (SWT887RB)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  4. Smith (1980), pg 472.
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