Haydn Tanner

Full name

Haydn Tanner

Date of birth

9 January 1917

Place of birth

Penclawdd, Wales

Date of death

5 June 2009 (aged 92)

School

Gowerton Grammar School

University

University College, Swansea

Rugby union career

Amateur team(s)
Position(s)	Scrum-half
Years	Team	Apps	(Points)
National team(s)
Years	Team	Apps	(Points)
? 1935–1949 1938	Wales Schools Wales British Isles	? 25 1	((?) (0) (0))

Amateur team(s)
Position(s)	Scrum-half
Years	Team	Apps	(Points)
National team(s)
Years	Team	Apps	(Points)
? 1935–1949 1938	Wales Schools Wales British Isles	? 25 1	((?) (0) (0))

Haydn Tanner (9 January 1917 - 5 June 2009) was a Welsh international rugby union player who represented both Wales and the British and Irish Lions. At club level he played for several top-flight teams, including Bristol, Cardiff, Swansea, London Welsh and the Barbarians.

Tanner was educated at Gowerton Grammar School and was still a schoolboy when he played at scrum-half for Swansea against the All Blacks at St. Helens in 1935. Swansea won the game by 11 points to 3, with Tanner and his cousin Willie Davies outstanding. The New Zealand captain, Jack Manchester, is said to have passed back the message to New Zealand: "Tell them we have been beaten, but don't tell them it was by a pair of schoolboys".

In December the same year Tanner won his first cap for Wales at the age of 18 years and 11 months, making him one of the youngest players to appear for Wales. The match was again against the All Blacks and Tanner was again on the winning side. He went on to win 25 international caps, 12 as captain, despite his career being interrupted by the Second World War.

Tanner toured South Africa with the British and Irish Lions in 1938 and played in only one test owing to injury. In 1948 he was captain of the Barbarians against Australia. His last international match was against France in 1949.

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