Rugby: A true sporting hero

May 1 2008 by Gary Marsh, Cynon Valley Leader

THIS month sees the Welsh Academicals take on a combined Cynon Valley side at Parc Duffryn Pennar in Mountain Ash (Sunday, May 11). Editor GARY MARSH looks back on the life of Les Manfield – a celebrated "Accie" player, World War II hero and a famous son of Mountain Ash.

LES MANFIELD was one of only four Rugby Union players who represented Wales before and after World War II.

And the Cynon Valley is a poorer place following his death two years ago, but richer for having had him living and working among us.

Born in Mountain Ash on November 10, 1915, Mr Manfield travelled to England studying, working and playing.

He then travelled much further afield, to Africa and Europe, while serving with the Royal Air Force during wartime, before returning home to live in his beloved Mountain Ash.

Mr Manfield attended Mountain Ash County Intermediate School, and on March 1, 1930, he made his Wales debut – albeit with the Under-15s against England at Cardiff in a 9-6 win, in which he scored a try.

He went on to pull on many varied Wales jerseys until his last one 18 years later.

Unfortunately, his father – a railway signalman – had already died and his mother received 10 shillings (50p) widow’s pension per week. Both parents were born in England.

The Under-15s game in Cardiff saw his teacher take him by car to play second-row.

His boots had been his elder brother’s and had seen better days.

The Manfield family could not afford a new pair, so the school staff clubbed together to buy them for him.

He was such a good player, and his talent was recognised very early on with his home town club Mountain Ash RFC.

He made a senior appearance for the Old Firm against Aberavon at the age of 15.

It was hard to believe that only four years earlier he had recovered from scarlet fever, which had left him with a weak heart.

There being no England side at secondary schools level, Welsh schoolboy caps were awarded against Yorkshire Schools.

And Mr Manfield, at Mountain Ash County School, played in the 1932 games at Pontypridd and Leeds, and in the 1934 matches at Pontypridd and Skipton.

He went to University College, Cardiff, graduating in chemistry and taking a MSc course.

He also went on to captain the university rugby side and was also a guest player for Neath, Bridgend and Penarth.

But Mr Manfield then moved to Carnegie College, Leeds, to train on a PE course, and as a boxer he reached the semi-finals and won the light-heavyweight Welsh Universities College title in 1937.

His weight rose from 12 stone to 14 stone, but rugby was to prove his greatest love.

He played only one second-team game with Otley RFC before playing first-team rugby at Otley, eventually going on to represent Yorkshire County.

England invited him to a trial and in 1939 he was at Twickenham to see Wales lose 3-0 – but he chose Wales instead.

At the time, Mr Manfield said: “My sympathies lie with Wales, where I learned my football.

“I had cheered every Wales match for some years.”

On February 4, 1939, he gained a Wales senior cap in the middle of the back row in an 11-3 win over Scotland at Cardiff Arms Park.

The Ireland game – a 7-0 win – was to be his last full international for eight years.

Mr Manfield had met his wife-to-be Mary, but volunteered for the RAF in 1940, being posted to Uxbridge, then Cosford and then St Athan, near Cardiff, where Rugby League star Alan Edwards and Union cap Arthur Rees were based.

All three played in a charity game at Richmond organised by Air Commodore Eira Jones, the Welsh World War I flying ace.

Next came training as an air observer at St Andrews in Scotland, followed by Harwell.

At rugby he played in 1940 for Wales against England as Cpl Manfield in Red Cross internationals at Cardiff and Gloucester.

By 1942 he was a Flying Officer and played in services internationals against England at Swansea and Gloucester, also appearing in a British Red Cross game at Swansea for the Wales Services.