Charles Howard Norris was born in Porth on 11 June 1934 and educated at Porth Grammar School and St Luke's College, Exeter, where he qualified as a teacher. After schoolboy caps as a lock and senior rugby initially as a number 8, he moved to prop where he gained two caps for Wales in 1963 and 1966, both against France. He captained Cardiff between 1967 and 1969 and set a new club record of 413 first XV appearances. In 1966 Howard Norris toured Australasia with the British Isles, playing in 17 games, including three tests. He captained the Barbarians in the 1968 Mobbs Memorial Match and also played against New Zealand in 1967.