Billy Bowen

{{short description|Wales international rugby union & league footballer}} {{other people||William Bowen (disambiguation){{!}}William Bowen}} {{for|the rugby union footballer who played in the 1880s and 1890s for Wales, and Swansea|William Bowen (rugby union)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}} {{Use British English|date=October 2016}} {{Infobox rugby biography | name = Billy Bowen | image = | caption = | birth_name = William E Bowen | birth_place = Swansea, Wales | birth_date = 6 December 1897 | death_place = Morriston, Wales | death_date = 19 December 1960 (aged 63) | height = | weight = | ru_position = Fly half | years1 = 1919-1922 | clubs1 = Swansea RFC<ref name="Statistics at swansearfc.co.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.swansearfc.co.uk/Teams/Player?personid=101196|title=Statistics at swansearfc.co.uk|publisher=swansearfc.co.uk|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018}}</ref> | repteam1 = Wales<ref name="Statistics at wru.co.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.wru.co.uk/eng/matchcentre/squads_wales_player_archive.php?player=25827&includeref=dynamic|title=Statistics at wru.co.uk|publisher=wru.co.uk|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180120040649/http://www.wru.co.uk/eng/matchcentre/squads_wales_player_archive.php?includeref=dynamic&player=25827|archive-date=20 January 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Statistics at en.espn.co.uk">{{cite web|url=http://en.espn.co.uk/wales/rugby/player/2748.html|title=Statistics at en.espn.co.uk|publisher=espn.co.uk|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018}}</ref> | repyears1 = 1921-1922 | repcaps1 = 6 | reppoints1 = 6 | ru_ntupdate = | module = {{infobox rugby league biography | embed = yes | position = Back, e.g. {{rlp|ce}} | year1start = 1922 | club1 = Leeds | appearances1 = 85 | points1 = 79 }} }}

'''William Bowen''' (6 December 1897 – 19 December 1960)<ref name="Statistics at swansearfc.co.uk"/> was a Welsh dual-code rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1910s and 1920s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Wales, winning 6 caps, and at club level for Swansea, as a fly half, and club level rugby league (RL) for Leeds, as a {{rlp|ce}}.

==Rugby career== Bowen was first selected to play for Wales during the 1921 Five Nations Championship in a game against Scotland. Under the captaincy of Tommy Vile, Wales lost the match in a match that was nearly abandoned due to crowd problems, when the St Helen's spectators kept pushing onto the pitch.<ref name="Godwin130">Godwin (1983), pg 130.</ref> Bowen was re-selected for the next game of the tournament this time against France in a victory at the Cardiff Arms Park, though he lost his place for the last match in Ireland.

Bowen was reselected to represent Wales for the entirety of the 1922 Five Nations Championship in which Wales won the tournament, winning three of the games and drawing against Scotland. Bowen scored two tries during the tournament; the first in the opening Welsh victory over England when Bowen was one of eight different players to score a try for Wales. His second was more important, as it allowed the draw with Scotland snatched by Wales when Islwyn Evans scored a drop goal in the last two minutes.<ref name="Godwin135">Godwin (1983), pg 135.</ref>

Bowen may have been awarded more caps for Wales, but he 'Went North' in 1922, switching codes to professional rugby league, joining Leeds RLFC.<ref>Robert Gate (1986). "Gone North - Volume 1". R. E. Gate. {{ISBN|0-9511190-0-1}}</ref> Bowen made his début for Leeds against Bradford Northern at Headingley, Leeds on Saturday 2 September 1922.<ref name="The Headingley Story - 1890-1955 - Volume One - Rugby">Dalby, Ken (1955). ''The Headingley Story - 1890-1955 - Volume One - Rugby''. The Leeds Cricket, Football & Athletic Co. Ltd ASIN: B0018JNGVM</ref> Bowen played at {{rlp|ce}} and scored a try in Leeds' 28–3 victory over Hull F.C. in the 1922–23 Challenge Cup Final during the 1922-23 season at Belle Vue, Wakefield, the only occasion the Challenge Cup final has ever been staged at Belle Vue.<ref name="History of Leeds Rugby League Club">{{cite web|url=http://britishrugbyleague.blogspot.co.uk/2005/12/history-of-leeds-rugby-league-club.html|title=History of Leeds Rugby League Club|publisher=britishrugbyleague.blogspot.co.uk|date=31 December 2012|accessdate=1 January 2013|archive-date=16 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216182749/http://britishrugbyleague.blogspot.co.uk/2005/12/history-of-leeds-rugby-league-club.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Leeds backline in the early 1920s was known as the Busy Bs, as it included; Jim Bacon, Arthur Binks, Billy Bowen, Joe Brittain and Harold Buck.<ref name="Leeds rugby league legend medals auction">{{cite news|url=http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/yep125/leeds-rugby-league-legend-medals-auction-1-6117009|title=Leeds rugby league legend medals auction|work=Yorkshire Evening Post|date=31 December 2013|accessdate=1 January 2014}}</ref>

===International matches played=== '''Wales'''<ref name="Smith464">Smith (1980), pg 464.</ref> *{{ru|ENG}} 1922 *{{ru|FRA}} 1921, 1922 *{{ru|IRE}} 1922 *{{ru|SCO}} 1921, 1922

==Bibliography== *{{cite book|last=Godwin|first=Terry|title=The International Rugby Championship 1883-1983|year=1984|publisher=Willows Books|location=London|isbn=0-00-218060-X}} *{{cite book|last=Smith|first=David|last2=Williams|first2= Gareth|title=Fields of Praise: The Official History of The Welsh Rugby Union|year=1980|publisher=University of Wales Press|location=Cardiff|isbn=0-7083-0766-3}}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/search/?q=Bowen Search for "Bowen" at rugbyleagueproject.org]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowen, Billy}} Category:1897 births Category:1960 deaths Category:20th-century Welsh sportsmen Category:Leeds Rhinos players Category:Rugby league centres Category:Rugby league players from Swansea Category:Rugby union fly-halves Category:Rugby union players from Swansea Category:Swansea RFC players Category:Wales international rugby union players Category:Welsh rugby league players Category:Welsh rugby union players