# Tom Clapp

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Tom_Clapp
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Tom_Clapp.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Clapp
> Source revision: 1343582056
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|Wales international rugby union player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2016}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name            = Tom Clapp
| image           =
| caption         = 
| birth_name      = Thomas John Sercombe Clapp<ref>[http://www.blackandambers.co.uk/Personnel.aspx?pr=106404 Newport RFC player profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617035631/http://www.blackandambers.co.uk/Personnel.aspx?pr=106404 |date=17 June 2011 }}</ref>
| birth_date      = {{birth date|1858|10|25|df=y}}
| birth_place     = [Marylebone](/source/Marylebone), [London](/source/London), England
| death_date      = {{Death date and age|1933|11|15|1858|10|25|df=yes}}
| death_place     = 
| height          = 
| weight          = 
| position        = [Forward](/source/Rugby_union_positions)
| amatyears1      = 
| amatyears2      = 
| amatyears3      = 1883–1888
| amatteam1       = [Blaina RFC](/source/Blaina_RFC)
| amatteam2       = [Nantyglo RFC](/source/Nantyglo_RFC)
| amatteam3       = [Newport RFC](/source/Newport_RFC)
| ru_amclubcaps   = 
| ru_amclubpoints = 
| ru_amupdate     = 
| repteam1        = [Wales](/source/Wales_national_rugby_union_team)
| repyears1       = 1882–1888<ref>[http://www.wru.co.uk/12750_14256.php?player=25853&includeref=dynamic WRU player profiles]</ref>
| repcaps1        = 14
| reppoints1      = 2
| ru_ntupdate     = 
| coachteams1     = 
| coachyears1     = 
| ru_coachupdate  = 
| occupation      = Articled clerk<br>Fruit farmer
| school          = [Monmouth School](/source/Monmouth_School)
}}

'''Tom Clapp''' (25 October 1858 – 15 October 1933) was an English-born international [rugby union](/source/rugby_union) forward who played club rugby for [Newport](/source/Newport_RFC) and [Nantyglo RFC](/source/Nantyglo_RFC). He won 14 caps for [Wales](/source/Wales_national_rugby_union_team) and captained the team on three occasions. Clapp was the first Newport player to captain Wales.

==Rugby career==
Born in [Portman Square](/source/Portman_Square), [Marylebone](/source/Marylebone), [London](/source/London), but raised in [Somerset](/source/Somerset),<ref name="Parry-Jones36">Parry-Jones (1999), pg 36.</ref> Clapp's family moved to [Nantyglo](/source/Nantyglo) when he was still in his youth. Clapp would play his early rugby for [Blaina](/source/Blaina_RFC) before moving to Nantyglo RFC. In 1883 he moved to first class team Newport and Clapp made an impression on the club as in the 1884/85 and the 1885/86 seasons he was made team captain. In May 1888 Clapp left Welsh rugby behind and emigrated to the United States following his brother David who left a year earlier. In 1920 both brothers were citrus fruit farmers in [California](/source/California).

===International career===
Clapp gained his first cap in [1882 against Ireland](/source/1881%E2%80%9382_Home_Nations_rugby_union_matches), a game in which he scored a try. The next two games, against England and Scotland, were his last for Nantyglo. Clapp would represent Wales in 14 matches and on 12 March 1887 he captained Wales at Birkenhead Park against Ireland. Wales won the game due to a [try](/source/Try_(rugby)) being worth a single point, as they were out scored 3 tries to one, but a drop goal from [Arthur Gould](/source/Arthur_Gould_(rugby_union)) gave the visitors the win. Clapp retained the captaincy for the next match against Scotland, and led his country in their first win against the Scottish team. His next game against Ireland, on 3 March 1888, would not only be his last as captain, but his last in the Welsh shirt.

===International matches played===
'''Wales'''<ref name="Smith464">Smith (1980), pg 464.</ref>
* {{ru|ENG}} 1883, 1884, 1885, 1887
* {{ru|IRE}} 1882, 1884, 1887, 1888
* {{ru|SCO}} 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book |last=Parry-Jones |first=David |title=Prince Gwyn, Gwyn Nicholls and the First Golden Era of Welsh Rugby |year=1999 |publisher=seren |location=Bridgend |isbn=1-85411-262-7}}
* {{cite book |last=Smith |first=David |author2=Williams, 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}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-sports|ruc}}
{{succession box|title=[Newport RFC](/source/Newport_RFC) captain|before=[Horace Lyne](/source/Horace_Lyne) |after=[Bob Gould](/source/Bob_Gould_(rugby_union)) ||years=1884–1886}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clapp, Tom}}
Category:1858 births
Category:1933 deaths
Category:Blaina RFC players
Category:English rugby union players
Category:Newport RFC players
Category:Rugby union fullbacks
Category:Rugby union players from the City of Westminster
Category:Wales international rugby union players
Category:Welsh rugby union players
Category:Wales rugby union captains
Category:People from Marylebone

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tom Clapp](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Clapp) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Clapp?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.