Although born in the North-East of England, Elliott was living in Cardiff, the Welsh capital by the time he was a young man.

He was first selected to represent Wales when he was brought in at centre to replace team captain, Arthur 'Monkey' Gould, in the final game of the 1894 Home Nations Championship.

Wales lost the game by a single penalty goal on a boggy Belfast pitch, and the next season Elliott was replaced by Gould.

Elliott was given the captaincy of Cardiff for the 1896-97 season and four years after his previous international cap was called back into the Welsh team for the 1898 Championship.

Elliot played in both Welsh games of the tournament, this time brought in at his more familiar position of scrum-half alongside Selwyn Biggs.