Malcolm Campbell Thomas

Malcolm Campbell Thomas

Malcolm Campbell Thomas was born in Machen on 25 April 1929 and educated at Bassaleg Grammar School and Caerleon Training College. He did National Service as an instructor lieutenant in the Royal Navy and played in the Inter-Services' tournament at Twickenham. Between 1946 and 1959 he played 276 games and scored 342 points, including 79 tries, for Newport. He was also club captain for four seasons from 1954 to 1957 and played against South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. Originally capped as a 19-year-old centre in 1949, he went on to gain 27 caps for Wales by 1959, playing also on the wing and at fly-half and captaining the side twice in 1957. In 1950 Malcolm Thomas was the youngest player in the original 30-man squad for the British Isles' tour to New Zealand and Australia. He scored 21 points on his debut - a new Lions' record - and finished the tour as second-highest scorer with 96 points in 15 appearances, including three tests. Having being overlooked by the selectors for the 1955 tour of South Africa, he became a Lion for the second time in 1959, again to Australasia and again setting an individual match record with 25 points against a Combined XV at Blenheim. In 17 games on that tour he scored 56 points and played in one test against New Zealand. In 1958 he captained the Barbarians against Cardiff and later that summer toured South Africa with the club. Malcolm Thomas died on 9 April 2012, aged 82.