Billy Edwards (rugby union)
| Full name | William Victor Edwards | ||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 16 October 1887 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Strandtown, Belfast, Ireland | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 29 December 1917 (aged 30) | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | near Deir Ibzi, Palestine | ||||||||||||||||
| School | Coleraine Academical Institution Campbell College | ||||||||||||||||
| University | Queen's University Belfast | ||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Chartered accountant | ||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||
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William Victor Edwards (16 October 1887 — 29 December 1917) was an Irish international rugby union player.[1]
Biography
[edit]The son of a merchant, Edwards was born in Strandtown, Belfast. He attended attended Coleraine Academical Institution, Campbell College and Queen's University Belfast, where he studied to be an accountant.[2]
Edwards played his rugby for Belfast clubs Knock and Malone. A forward, Edwards represented Ulster and was capped twice for Ireland in the 1912 Five Nations, against France in Paris and England at Twickenham.[2]
During his youth, Edwards also excelled in aquatic sports, winning the Irish 220 yards swimming championship title in 1912, as well as representing Ireland as a water polo player. He had the distinction of being the first person to swim across the Belfast Lough, a feat he achieved on 16 August 1913, clocked at a little over four hours.[2]
Edwards was commissioned as a second lieutenant to the 7th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers, in late 1914. Posted to Tipperary, Edwards was promoted to captain the following year and in February 1916 got sent to France. He suffered the effects of being gassed while on the Western Front and also received a head wound in the Battle of Ginchy. After being transferred to the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, Edwards got posted to the Middle East and was killed in action on 29 December 1917 during the Battle of Jerusalem.[3][4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Noted Athletes Fall In Battle". The Edmonton Bulletin. 4 March 1918.
- ^ a b c Shanahan, Jim. "Edwards, William Victor ('Billy')". Dictionary of Irish Biography.
- ^ "Sporting heroes who answered Ireland's call played part in first World War". The Irish Times. 26 September 2015.
- ^ "Lest We Forget – William Victor Edwards (Ireland) 29/12/1917". World Rugby Museum. 29 December 2017.
External links
[edit]- Billy Edwards at ESPNscrum
- 1887 births
- 1917 deaths
- Irish rugby union players
- Ireland international rugby union players
- Rugby union players from Belfast
- Rugby union forwards
- Malone RFC players
- Ulster Rugby players
- Male swimmers from Northern Ireland
- Male long-distance runners from Northern Ireland
- Irish male water polo players
- People educated at Coleraine Academical Institution
- People educated at Campbell College
- Alumni of Queen's University Belfast
- Royal Irish Fusiliers officers
- Royal Dublin Fusiliers officers
- British military personnel killed in World War I