Jack Rhapps

Background

Rhapps was born in the Penylan public in Aberaman, near Aberdare, but came to the Rhondda Valley to find work.

Career

Rhapps later "Went North", when he turned professional, joining rugby league team Salford, and along with Anthony Starks they became the World"s first dual-code rugby internationals. A collier by profession, Rhapps was one of the first "Rhondda forwards", an aggressive style of forward player who was expected to play a more physical style of game. Rhapps played just a single game for Wales, when he was selected to face England as part of the 1897 Home Nations Championship.

Rhapps joined a fairly inexperienced pack, which contained two other Rhondda players, Penygraig team mate Dai Evans and Llwynypia"s Dick Hellings.

Although Wales were readmitted in 1898, Rhapps had ended his international rugby union career by switching to the rugby league code in 1897 when he joined Salford. and gained the nickname "The Lion of Salford". International matches played

Wales

England 1897

Other Nationalities

England 1904.

Achievements

• The game ended in the largest win for Wales over the English to that date, but Wales failed to complete the competition after withdrawing from the International Rugby Board after the events of the The Gould Affair. Rhapps was extremely successful during his time as a professional, he won a cap playing Left-prop for Other Nationalities (RL) while at Salford in the 9-3 victory over England at Central Park, Wigan on Tuesday 5 April 1904, in the first ever international rugby league match.