Walter James Roman (1 July 1880^[3] – 28 July 1916^[4]) also known by the nickname of "Rattler", was an English rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s and 1910s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Somerset, and at club level for Bridgwater Dreadnaughts and Bridgwater & Albion RFC (captain), alongside Robert Dibble and Tommy Woods, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain (non-Test matches), England and Wales and the West of England, and at club level for Rochdale Hornets (captain), again alongside Tommy Woods, as a forward (prior to the specialist positions of; prop, hooker, second-row, loose forward), during the era of contested scrums.^[1]

Walter Roman was born in Bridgwater, Somerset, he served with the Somerset Light Infantry in the Second Boer War and Cawnpore (Kanpur, India), from 1899 to 1907, and later in World War I. On the first day of the Battle of the Somme at Beaumont-Hamel on Saturday 1 July 1916, his 36th birthday, he was admitted to the 12th Field Ambulance with hand, thigh, and leg injuries. He was evacuated from France on Wednesday 5 July 1916, and hospitalised in Cheltenham, his health initially appeared to improve, however he subsequently died of his wounds in Cheltenham.^[5]

Roman was the Licensed victualler of the Beehive Public house, St. Mary's Gate, Rochdale.

Walter Roman and his wife, Henrietta (née Washer), are buried together in Wembdon Road Cemetery in Bridgwater, along with Henrietta's brother, Clifford Washer.^[8]