Williams' first notable connection to rugby occurred on 24 October 1885, when he turned out for the very first match for the London exile team, London Welsh. The team contained six players who were, or would soon, be capped for Wales, Williams, Arthur 'Monkey' Gould, Martyn Jordan, Thomas Judson, Charles Taylor and Rowley Thomas.[2] Williams became a regular player for London Welsh, and was one of the team's players to be included in an 'exiles' team, along with players from London Scottish, to face a London XV in a charity match at The Oval, in the presence of the Prince of Wales.[3]
By 1888, Williams was playing for Swansea, and on 4 February he earns his first international cap when he is selected for the team to face Scotland, as part of the Home Nations Championship.[4] Under the captaincy of Tom Clapp, Williams came into a very inexperienced pack to face a team that Wales had yet to beat in a rugby international. Williams was one of seven new Welsh caps in the match, which included Swansea teammates John Meredith and William Howell. Wales won an historic match, beating Scotland for the first time, thanks to a debut try from Thomas Pryce-Jenkins, who was at the time playing club rugby for London Welsh. Williams was reselected for the very next match, his second and final international for Wales. Played away from home at Lansdowne Road, Wales were beaten by Ireland two goals to nil.
Towards the end of 1888, the world's first touring Southern Hemisphere rugby team, the New Zealand Natives, challenged several Welsh teams. The Māoris had already been beaten by Llanelli and Wales, and on 24 December, they faced Swansea in a match played in continuous heavy rain.[5] Williams lined up in the pack with his team captain William Towers, but the squad was missing two of their influential backs, Whapham and Gwynn.[5] Swansea had only lost one match that season before the game, and after a clear New Zealand victory, the Swansea team was criticised for its "Boundless complacency".[5]