St Helen’s ArchivePreserving the past for the future
Item
OT095
Title
OT095
Description
Tobacco pouch, leather with zipper. signed be the Wales Grand Slam side of 1952
Type
Rights Holder
CIC
Date
Abstract
This tobacco pouch became a souvenir of Wales' rugby Grand Slam of 1952 when its owner managed to get many of the 1952 Welsh team's signatures on it. Wales beat England (8 - 6), Scotland (11 - 0), Ireland (14 - 3) and France (9 - 5) to win the Triple Crown, Five nations Championship and achieve a Grand Slam in 1952. They had done so in 1950 also but had to look back to 1911 and Wales' first 'Golden Era' for similar success. The captain was J A (John) Gwilliam, a former newport player, then with Edinburgh Academicals. Swansea RFC were represented by Forwards Billy "Stoker" Willimas, len Blyth, Clem Thomas and wing Horace Phillips. Williams played in all four matches, Len Blyth against England and Scotland, Clem Thomas against Ireland and France and Horace Phillips gained his one Welsh cap against France at St Helen's. Signatures are just legible belonging to Ken Jones, W A Williams, J R G Stephens, John Gwilliam, D M Davies, George Williams, Clem Thomas, Don Hayward, Roy John, Lewis Jones and Cliff Morgan. The pouch was gifted to Swansea RFC by Byron Tucker in 2015.
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