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114


DARMOUTH RUGBY GREATS


by Jonathan Turner of the Dartmouth History Research Group


With the Rugby World Cup now underway in Japan until early November, it’s worth reflecting on Dartmouth’s contribution to this great game. Dartmouth has had at least six residents who have played rugby for their country over the last 150 years; three of them were educated, or were members of staff, at Britannia Royal Naval College.


CHARLES TAYLOR BLACKHEATH, LONDON WELSH AND WALES. 1884 - 87


An all-round athlete, Welsh cham- pion pole vaulter, and footballer, as well as a successful club and inter- national rugby player who played regularly for Wales 1884-87. Charles began his naval career


as an Assistant Engineer in 1885, training at HMS Marlborough in Portsmouth, during which he was first introduced to rugby. This was a time when engineering was being professionalised within the service and his career developed rapidly, in the context of changes to naval officer education introduced by the revolutionary Admiral Jacky Fisher. Charles was first appointed to HMS Britannia, as senior engineer officer, in 1903, and spent several years in Dartmouth with his family, living at Barrington House, Townstal. In 1913, he was appointed in com- mand of the Royal Naval Engineer- ing College at Keyham, Devonport, heading up the new engineering officer training arrangements brought in that year. He was the first Engineer Officer ever to be appointed in command of a ship or shore establishment. As a rugby player, Charles was


fast, useful with the ball in hand and a good tackler but was best known


for his kicking. His particular special- ity was a legacy from his soccer days: the fly kick to touch, a potentially dangerous tactic at any time but one which Charles could usually bring off with extraordinary accuracy. He was well liked for his charm, humour and, not least, his post-match party piece on the banjo. In 1885, Taylor was spending much of his time in London, and when a group of Welshmen came together to form a club for London ‘exiles’,


His particular speciality was a legacy


from his soccer days: the fly kick to touch, a


potentially dangerous


tactic at any time but one which Charles could usually bring off with extraordinary accuracy.


Taylor was among them, and the club became known as the London Welsh, still providing international players to the Welsh team today. Charles played 9 times for Wales, including being part of the team


that experimented with the four three-quarter system for the first time in an international match: with seven backs and eight forwards, instead of six backs and nine forwards. It was an unsuccessful experiment and was abandoned during the match, however, this formation would revolutionise the sport and was eventually adopted universally at international and club level. Taylor’s final game for Wales was in 1887 against Ireland in a win at Birkenhead. Early in the first world war he


was appointed Squadron Engineer Officer, and on 24th November 1914 he was transferred to HMS Tiger, a new battleship, to oversee bringing her up to full effective- ness. He was one of ten men killed when HMS Tiger was hit during the Battle of the Dogger Bank, on 23rd January 1915. He is commemo- rated on the Dartmouth Town War Memorial. You can read more at www.dartmouthgreatwarfallen. org. His son Philip joined Britannia soon after his father’s death and had a successful career as an Engineering Officer, retiring as Rear Admiral in 1956.


Below: An early picture of the London Welsh, Charles Taylor circled


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