Griffiths came to note as a rugby player when playing for club team Llanelli.
In 1888 Griffiths was part of the Llanelli squad who faced the first touring Southern Hemisphere rugby team, the New Zealand Natives.
Griffiths was constant in rushes against the Maoris,[1] and the game was decided by a single long range dropped goal from Llanelli's Harry Bowen.
The Welsh team on that day included four Llanelli players, Griffith's team-mates being Tom Morgan, Dan Griffiths and Ned Roberts, all four playing their final international match.
The game was played at St. Helen's and the Wales team was captained for the first time by rugby superstar Arthur 'Monkey' Gould.