Rhapps was born in the Penylan pub in Aberaman,[3] near Aberdare, but came to the Rhondda Valley to find work.
[5] Rhapps played just a single game for Wales, when he was selected to face England as part of the 1897 Home Nations Championship.
Rhapps joined a fairly inexperienced pack, which contained two other Rhondda players, Penygraig teammate Dai Evans and Llwynypia's Dick Hellings.
The game ended in the largest win for Wales over the English to that date, but Wales failed to complete the competition after withdrawing from the International Rugby Board after the events of the Gould Affair.
[6] Rhapps was successful during his time as a professional, playing as a Forward in Salford's 8–16 defeat by Swinton in the 1900 Challenge Cup Final during the 1899–1900 season at Fallowfield Stadium, Manchester, in front of a crowd of 17,864, and he won a cap playing as a forward for Other Nationalities (RL) while at Salford in the 9–3 victory over England at Central Park, Wigan on Tuesday 5 April 1904, in the first ever international rugby league match.