In rugby union he represented Cardiff and London Welsh and gained two full international caps for Wales in 1933.

His father, Philip, was a Welsh international hockey player, winning a bronze medal with the Welsh team (later credited as part of a single Great Britain team) at the 1908 Olympics, and six of his eight sons, including Maurice, played for Cardiff Rugby Club.

[4] As a major in the First Battalion of the Welsh Guards he was killed instantly by a sniper's bullet during intense fighting for the French village of Montchamp after the Normandy landings in 1944.

[2] His body was recovered from the battlefield by one of his men, Sergeant Fred Llewellyn, and his personal possessions were sent home to his family.

He toured Australia and New Zealand in 1929-30 and South Africa in 1930-31, and represented England against the West Indies and India at home.

Writing in Wisden in 1978, Basil Easterbrook said: Not the least of Turnbull's achievements was that he was the first man to justify Glamorgan's elevation to first-class status in 1921.

[8] His elder brother, Bernard Turnbull had already represented Wales by this time, and had also played club rugby for St. Peters.

Turnbull himself was forced to withdraw because of injury,[11] which saw Bowcott also stand down to allow the introduction of the Swansea half-back pairing of Morris and Evans to take their place.