Biography.guide
Home › People › Rugby union player › George Dobson
Portrait of George Dobson

George Dobson

1873 – 1917

Welsh rugby union player

Rugby union player Coal trimmer
Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About George Dobson

Lived 1873 – 1917 (aged 43–44). George Dobson was a British rugby union player and coal trimmer.

George Alexander Dobson (1873 – 8 June 1917) was a Welsh rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cardiff and international rugby for Wales. Although playing in only one international, it was part of the 1900 Wales Home Nations Championship winning season, making Dobson a Triple Crown winning player.

Rugby career Dobson's family moved to Wales from Scotland shortly before his birth in 1873, his brother Dobson having been born in Caithness just two years prior. Dobson found work as a young man as a coal trimmer in Cardiff Docks, a typical hard-working manual job that was popular in Welsh rugby clubs in their forward players. Dobson saw his brother join Cardiff Rugby Club followed by national selection for Wales in 1898. Dobson followed his brother with a place in the Cardiff team before he himself was chosen by the Welsh selectors to face Scotland, as part of the 1900 Home Nations Championship. Wales had won the opening match against England, and Dobson was brought in to replace Dick Hellings who was unavailable. Under the captaincy of Welsh sporting hero Billy Bancroft, Wales beat Scotland 12-3, setting up a potential Triple Crown season if they could beat Ireland in the final game. Although Dobson was replaced for the Irish match when Hellings returned, the Welsh win over Ireland on the 17 March made him a Triple Crown winning player in his one and only international match.

Dobson later went on to player for Rhondda team, Llwynypia, again following his brother. Dobson suffered from long periods of ill health dying in his late 40s in 1917.

International matches played for Wales Wales 1900

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

People in George Dobson's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped George Dobson's

Frequently asked questions

Who was George Dobson?

Welsh rugby union player

When was George Dobson born?

George Dobson was born in 1873 in Pontypridd.

When did George Dobson die?

George Dobson died on 8 June 1917 in Cardiff.

What was George Dobson's occupation?

George Dobson was a rugby union player and coal trimmer.

What nationality was George Dobson?

George Dobson was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: George Dobson

· Wikidata: Q5538555

· DBpedia: George Dobson (rugby union)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). George Dobson. https://biography.guide/george-dobson-rugby-union-player/

MLA: "George Dobson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/george-dobson-rugby-union-player/.

Chicago: "George Dobson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/george-dobson-rugby-union-player/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-25 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:11 UTC