He was born in Maesteg on June 2, 1931. He attended Maesteg Grammar School and Hereford Cathedral School and began work at Lloyd’s Bank before entering the family firm of butchers until retirement in 1990.
At Hereford Cathedral School he played in the same cricket team as brothers Peter and Dick Richardson, who later batted for Worcestershire and England.
He baceme the son-in-law of Arthur Hugh Jones, a Wales wing of 1933, and joined Cardiff after spells with Maesteg Celtic, Maesteg and Bridgend.
Howard, a centre, became a tall, long-striding wing with Cardiff and made 150 appearances from 1952-53 until 1958-59 season. In 1957-58 he scored 20 tries and played for Cardiff in the win over Australia and in 1958 appeared for Wales in a 9-6 win over Ireland in Dublin.
He won Cardiff and Cardiff Athletic caps but in the following season he suffered a blow on the field that ended his career.
In 1969 he found that a knee that waws troubling him had actually been fractured and knitted together without medical assistance, having occurred during the match against Ireland.
His son Richard played on the wing for many seasons with Cross Keys.
Howard Charles Warrender Nicholls died on Wednesday, March 2, 2011.
