Ossie Male - Rugby Career

Rugby Career

When Male was first capped for his country, he was playing for Cross Keys. He turned out in the Welsh side that beat France at the Cardiff Arms Park on 26 February 1921, but the presence of Swansea's Joe Rees and Mountain Ash's Fred Samuel kept him out of the Wales team until 1923. Male was chosen for one game in the 1923 Five Nations Championship while at Pontypool and after moving to Cardiff, two games in the 1924 tournament; including the disastrous 1924 game against Scotland. Even though Male scored two conversions in the match, Wales were overrun as Scotland scored eight tries.

In 1924 Male was en route for the final game of that year's Five Nations Championship when he was involved in an embarrassing situation regarding the Welsh selection process. The Welsh team were travelling to France by train, via London, when the Welsh Rugby Union selection committee emerged from their carriage and announced that Male was to be suspended and would leave the party at Paddington. The reason for the WRU's decision was that Male had played for Cardiff within six days of the international game, breaking WRU rules. The fact that the WRU had waited until they were travelling was heavily criticised, not only to spare Male, but because the team now had to play out of position, with Penarth's Melville Rosser being pushed into the full back position, and Swansea's Joe Jones coming into three-quarters.

In 1927, Male was back in favour and back in the Welsh squad after Tommy Rees of London Welsh broke his leg at the end of 1926. Male played the entire 1927 Five Nations Championship, captaining Wales against Scotland, and in 1928, although missing the England game, he was back for the final three games of the tournament captaining Wales in two of the games. The final game was against France, and Wales lost against the French for the first time in their history. The defeat was made all the worse as French played threequarters of the game without Andre Camel. Male never played for Wales again.