Joe Rees

For the Welsh rugby union player born 1990 see Joe Rees (rugby player)

Joseph "Joe" Rees (3 June 1893 – 12 April 1950)^[1] was a Welsh international rugby union full-back who played club rugby for Swansea. Rees made his debut for Swansea in 1919 and captained his club in the 1922/23 season.^[2] Rees would play 12 times for Wales,^[3] and captained them on one occasion. His brother, William "Billo" Rees, was a rugby league player who played for Wales and the Great Britain team, and toured Australia.

International rugby career

In 1920 Rees was selected to play against England at St Helens. It was a ground-breaking game that saw Newport's Jerry Shea score 16 points and become the first person to achieve an international rugby 'Full House', of all four scoring types. Rees played all four games in the 1920 Five Nations Championship in which Wales won the competition. After playing three games in the 1921 tournament Rees was selected for the opening game in 1922 against England. During this game Rees scored his first points in a Welsh shirt when he converted two tries; though as Wales scored eight tries the return could have been better. Rees managed a penalty goal against France in 1923, which was the last score he would achieve for his country. The next year, in his last game for Wales against England, Rees was given the captaincy of his country. Wales lost the game 17-9.

International matches played

Wales^[4]

•  England 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924
•  France 1920, 1923
•  Ireland 1920, 1921, 1923
•  Scotland 1920, 1921

Bibliography

• Smith, David; Williams, Gareth (1980). Fields of Praise: The Official History of The Welsh Rugby Union. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-0766-3. 

References