Roland Williams (1817-1870) made two lasting contributions to Welsh society. First, he introduced rugby to Wales, considered by many today to be its national sport. When Roland became Vice-Principal of St. David’s College (now the University of Wales) in 1850, he was concerned about its students’ lack of physical activity. Inspired by the “muscular Christianity” movement, he instituted rules to govern student life, including the policy that students spend their relaxation time on healthy exercise, not in “clownish lounging around” in marketplace shops. Since he had played rugby in his student days at the University of Cambridge, England, he introduced the sport to eager students. Roland’s second contribution as a Hebrew professor at the college was his ground-breaking book, Christianity and Hinduism. Early missionaries from the United Kingdom were confrontational and hostile toward indigenous religions they encountered in the mission field. This would explain their cool reception and the allegation that these Western European missionaries were importing a foreign religion. His approach marked a new era in foreign missions. His book, arranged as a dialogue between Christian and Hindu scholars, was respectful in its analysis of comparative theology. While Roland held fast to the conviction that Christianity is a superior religion, his approach opened the way for Christianity to be expressed in sync with local customs.
Roland was deeply devoted to prayer, as evidenced in his prayer that follows here: