Ronnie Boon
| Full name | Ronald Winston Boon | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 11 June 1909 | ||
| Place of birth | Barry, Wales | ||
| Date of death | 3 August 1998 (aged 89) | ||
| Place of death | Waipukurau, New Zealand | ||
| School | Barry County School | ||
| University | Trinity College, Carmarthen | ||
| Occupation(s) | teacher | ||
| Rugby union career | |||
| Playing career | |||
| Position | Wing | ||
| Amateur clubs | |||
| Years | Club / team | ||
| 1929–1939 1931–? 1932–1933 |
Cardiff RFC Dunfermline RFC Barbarian F.C. London Welsh RFC New Brighton |
||
| National team(s) | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 1930–1933 | Wales | 12 | (20) |
Ronald Winston "Ronnie" Boon (11 June 1909 – 3 August 1998) was an international rugby union wing for Wales who played club rugby for Cardiff. Boon possessed a tremendous self-confidence in his own ability and this was reflected in his nickname Cocky. Boon was a quick runner, representing Wales at the 220-yard sprint, and was an excellent drop kicker. He is best known in Welsh rugby as the man who scored all seven points in 1933 against England to end the 'Twickenham bogey', and along with Jack Morley is seen as one of the greatest Welsh wings since the country's first Golden Era of rugby.
Boon began his career at Barry Parade Club, before playing at schoolboy level with Barry Grammar and then representing Wales for Welsh Secondary Schools. Boon played for several club teams, including London Welsh which he would become club secretary during most of the 1960s, but spent the majority of his time at Cardiff. He joined the blues during the 1928/29 season, and by 1930 he was selected to represent Wales in a Five Nations Championship match against Scotland in an all-Cardiff three-quarter line alongside Davies, Jones and Turnbull. Wales lost the match, and although Boon missed the next game against Ireland he had impressed some quarters of the sporting press. 'Old Stager' reported that Boon's covering tackling against Scotland's Ian Smith had been impressive and that he had shown an '...extraordinary facility for retaining a grasp on whatever part of his anatomy he could lay his hands'. For the final game against France, Boon's Wales rival Jack Morley had been selected to play for the British Lions, so Boon was reselected in a notoriously aggressive match which resulted in a Welsh win.
Boon played in all of the 1931 Five Nations Championship which saw Wales win the tournament for the first time in eight years. Under the captaincy of Jack Bassett, Wales won three of the games, and drew against England. Boon scored his first international try during the campaign in the game against Scotland, though he was forced to work hard for his score due to the poor distribution of Claude Davey. The next season Boon was selected to face the touring South Africans, but the game was played in atrocious icy weather and after Wales lost Bassett was blamed for not switching his team's style of play to accommodate the conditions. Boon was reselected for the 1932 Home Nations Championship and Wales won their two opening matches against England and Scotland, Boon scoring a try in both games and also managed a 'freak' drop goal in the England match. Wales lost the final game against Ireland, robbing them of a successive championship crown.
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