Ronnie Boon

Ronald Winston 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. 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.

In 1931, having qualified as a teacher, Boon left Wales to study at Dunfermline College of Education, before teaching at Dunfermline High School, while in Scotland he turned out for Dunfermline, though would still play for Cardiff whenever he could. In 1933 Boon was chosen to face England at Twickenham, a stadium Wales had failed to win at in ten attempts. Captained by Watcyn Thomas, Boon later argued that the Welsh forwards deserved all the credit for the Welsh victory even though Boon scored all the Welsh points in a 7–3 victory. At half-time, England led the game 3–0 with a try from Walter Elliot; but soon after the restart, England's Ronald Gerrard kicked a loose ball across the ground straight into Boon's arms, and he calmly 1931, 1932, 1933 1930, 1931 1931, 1932, 1933 1930, 1931, 1932 1931

Cricket career Before his move to Dunfermline, Boon tried out at cricket for Glamorgan. He played just eleven first class games, bowling only 11 overs and averaging just 13.47 with the bat.

Territorial Army Shortly after his move to Scotland, Boon was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 56th (Highland) Medium Brigade, Royal Artillery, Territorial Army on 3 May 1933, He was and promoted to lieutenant on 3 May 1936. He transferred to 227th Anti-Aircraft Battery on 1 February 1938, but with his move south to Brighton, transferred to the TA reserve of officers, on the list of 71st (Forth) Anti-Aircraft Brigade. Although he remained in the reserve until 30 September 1959 when he reached the age limit for service, he does not appear to have served in the Second World War, presumably because teaching was a reserved occupation. He also represented the TA at rugby.