The governing bodies of sports in Wales perform an organisational, regulatory or sanctioning function at a national level in

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

, some tracing their history to the 19th Century. Many cooperate with similar bodies from other countries to agree rule changes for their sport. Most implement decisions made by the international bodies to which they belong. Some, such as the Welsh Sports Association, cover a range of sports. Most of the governing bodies involved in competitive sports select, organise and manage individuals or teams to represent their

countries A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state (polity), state, nation, or other polity, political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, so ...

at international events or fixtures against other countries.

Sport Wales Sport Wales ( Welsh: ''Chwaraeon Cymru'') is the national organisation responsible for developing and promoting sport and physical activity in Wales. Working alongside partners such as governing bodies of sport and local authorities, they aim t ...

recognise over fifty governing bodies of sports in Wales, which represent their sports.

Multi-sport bodies

The Federation of Disability Sport Wales ( cy, Chwaraeon Anabledd Cymru) is the national pan-disability governing body of sports organisations that provide local sporting and physical activity opportunities to disabled people in Wales. The Federation of Disability Sport Wales is based at the

Sport Wales National Centre The Sport Wales National Centre ( cy, Canolfan Genedlaethol Chwaraeon Cymru) is a sports facility in Cardiff, Wales, set up to assist the development of elite athletes in Wales. The Centre, owned and operated by Sport Wales, was established b ...

, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.

() is responsible for developing and promoting sport and active lifestyles in Wales. It was established in 1927 with the objectives of "fostering the knowledge and practice of sport and physical recreation among the public at large in Wales and the provision of facilities thereto". Sport Wales is the

Welsh Assembly Government Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

's main adviser on sporting matters and is responsible for distributing National Lottery awards to sports in Wales. Sport Wales is based at the Sport Wales National Centre, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. The Welsh Sports Association () (WSA) (established 1972) is an independent, umbrella body, supporting and representing the national and international interests of all the national governing bodies (NGBs) of sport and physical recreation in Wales. It has a membership of over 60 NGBs. The WSA acts as an independent consultative body to the

, Sport Wales and to

UK Sport UK Sport is the government agency responsible for investing in Olympic and Paralympic sport in the United Kingdom. It is an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport. It was created ...

. The Welsh Sports Association is based at the Sport Wales National Centre, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.

Angling

The

Federation of Welsh Anglers The Federation of Welsh Anglers (FWA) is the umbrella body for the three national governing bodies for sea, coarse and game fishing in Wales – the Welsh Federation of Sea Anglers, the Welsh Federation of Coarse Anglers and the Welsh Salmo ...

(FWA) is the umbrella body for the three national governing bodies for

sea The sea, connected as the world ocean or simply the ocean, is the body of salty water that covers approximately 71% of the Earth's surface. The word sea is also used to denote second-order sections of the sea, such as the Mediterranean Sea, ...

, coarse and game fishing in Wales—the Welsh Federation of Sea Anglers, the Welsh Federation of Coarse Anglers and the Welsh Salmon and Trout Angling Association. It is responsible for

angling Angling is a fishing technique that uses a fish hook or "angle" (from Old English ''angol'') attached to a fishing line to tether individual fish in the mouth. The fishing line is usually manipulated via a fishing rod, although rodless techni ...

coaching development in Wales. The FWA is based in

Hirwaun Hirwaun is a village and community at the north end of the Cynon Valley in the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. It is NW of the town of Aberdare, and comes under the Aberdare post town. At the 2001 census, Hirwaun had a popul ...

Rhondda Cynon Taf Rhondda Cynon Taf (; RCT; also spelt as Rhondda Cynon Taff) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It consists of five valleys: the Rhondda Fawr, Rhondda Fach, Cynon, Taff (Welsh: ''Taf'') and Ely valleys, plus a number of towns and vill ...

. The

Welsh Federation of Coarse Anglers The Welsh Federation of Coarse Anglers (WFCA) is the national governing body for coarse fishing in Wales. It was established in 1977 and by 2003 had 69 affiliated clubs and over 23,000 members. The Welsh Federation of Coarse Anglers is based ...

(WFCA) is the governing body for coarse angling in Wales. It was established in 1977 and by 2003 had 69 affiliated clubs and over 23,000 members. The WFCA is based at

Briton Ferry Briton Ferry ( cy, Llansawel) is a town and community in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales. The Welsh name may indicate that the church, ''llan'', is protected from the wind, ''awel''. Alternatively, ''Sawel'' may be a derivati ...

Neath Port Talbot Neath Port Talbot ( cy, Castell-nedd Port Talbot) is a county borough in the south-west of Wales. Its principal towns are Neath, Port Talbot, Briton Ferry and Pontardawe. The county borough borders Bridgend County Borough and Rhondda Cynon Taf ...

. The

Welsh Federation of Sea Anglers The Welsh Federation of Sea Anglers (WFSA) (established 2100) is the national governing body of sea angling in Wales. It organises major angling events at regional and national levels. The WFSA fights for member clubs' access to, and fishing fro ...

(WFSA) (established 1955) is the governing body of sea angling in Wales. The WFSA organise major angling events at regional and national levels. The WFSA fights for member clubs' access to, and fishing from, threatened facilities, as well as organising the election of individuals and teams to represent Wales at international sea angling competitions. The Welsh Federation of Sea Anglers is based in

Bargoed Bargoed ( cy, Bargod) is a town and community in the Rhymney Valley, Wales, one of the South Wales Valleys. It lies on the Rhymney River in the county borough of Caerphilly. It straddles the ancient boundary of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, wit ...

Caerphilly County Borough Caerphilly County Borough ( cy, Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It is governed by Caerphilly County Borough Council. Its main and largest town is Caerphilly. Other towns in the county borough are B ...

. The

Welsh Salmon and Trout Angling Association The Welsh Salmon and Trout Angling Association ( cy, Cymdeithas Genweirwyr Eog a Brithyll Cymru) (WSTAA) is the governing body for game angling in Wales. It has about one hundred member clubs. Founded as the Welsh Fly Fishing Association () in 195 ...

() (WSTAA) is the governing body for game angling in Wales and has about one hundred member clubs. Founded as the Welsh Fly Fishing Association ( cy, Cymdeithas Pysgota Pluen Cymru) in 1952, the WSTAA organise national and international angling competitions, including two major World Fly Fishing Championships and the 2002 Commonwealth championship in Wales—The WSTAA Wales team won gold at the 2009 IFFA River International competition. The WSTAA also highlights issues that affect Welsh anglers including: game fishing conservation; threats to water quality from

acid rain Acid rain is rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it has elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). Most water, including drinking water, has a neutral pH that exists between 6.5 and 8.5, but ac ...

;

water pollution Water pollution (or aquatic pollution) is the contamination of water bodies, usually as a result of human activities, so that it negatively affects its uses. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs and groundwater. ...

; barrages;

poaching Poaching has been defined as the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals, usually associated with land use rights. Poaching was once performed by impoverished peasants for subsistence purposes and to supplement meager diets. It was set a ...

;

stocking Stockings (also known as hose, especially in a historical context) are close-fitting, variously elastic garments covering the leg from the foot up to the knee or possibly part or all of the thigh. Stockings vary in color, design, and transpare ...

; and Objective One funding. The Welsh Salmon and Trout Angling Association is based in Waunfawr,

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location i ...

Ceredigion Ceredigion ( , , ) is a county in the west of Wales, corresponding to the historic county of Cardiganshire. During the second half of the first millennium Ceredigion was a minor kingdom. It has been administered as a county since 1282. Cer ...

Archery

The Welsh Archery Association (WAA) is the governing body for

archery Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In ...

in Wales. It was established in 2000 by the merger of the South Wales Archery Society (formed 1951), the North Wales Archery Society (formed 1953) and the Welsh Archery Federation (formed 1970s), and by 2002 had 51 affiliated clubs and over 800 members. Responsibilities of the WAA include the competition, judging and coaching of archery in Wales. The WAA also control the selection and management of representative teams competing for Wales at international events. The Welsh Archery Association is based in

Barry Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 195 ...

Vale of Glamorgan The Vale of Glamorgan ( cy, Bro Morgannwg ), often referred to as The Vale, is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It borders Bridgend County Borough to the west, Cardiff to the east, Rhondda Cynon Taf to the north, and the Bristol ...

Athletics

Welsh Athletics Welsh Athletics (WA; cy, Athletau Cymru) is the governing body for the sport of athletics in Wales. It was set up as a limited company in 2007, replacing the former Athletic Association of Wales. Welsh Athletics is part of UK Athletics, the natio ...

() (WA) is the national governing body for

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competi ...

. Set up as a

limited company In a limited company, the liability of members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by shares or by guarantee. In a company limited by shares, the li ...

in 2007 to replace the former Athletic Association of Wales, Welsh Athletics has more than 70 affiliated clubs, with over 7,000 athletes taking part in WA competitions. Welsh Athletics has been based at the

Cardiff International Sports Stadium Cardiff International Sports Campus ( cy, Campws Chwaraeon Rhyngwladol Caerdydd), is an athletics stadium and playing fields in the Leckwith area of Cardiff, Wales. The campus opened in 2009 as part of the major Leckwith Development, which in ...

Leckwith Leckwith ( cy, Lecwydd) is a small village in the Vale of Glamorgan, just west of Cardiff. Historically, the parish of Leckwith also included land on the east side of the river Ely that is now part of Cardiff itself. This area is also commonly kn ...

, since 2009, having been based at the

Cardiff Athletics Stadium The Cardiff Athletics Stadium (also known as Leckwith Athletics Stadium) was an athletics and football stadium in Cardiff, Wales. It opened in 1989 and was demolished in 2007, replaced by the Cardiff International Sports Stadium. The Card ...

until the stadium was demolished in 2007.

Badminton

Welsh Badminton Cymru Badminton Wales (formerly Welsh Badminton Union or WBU) is the national governing body for badminton in Wales. Formed in 1928 as The Welsh Badminton Union, in 1934 it was one of the founder members of the Badminton World Federation. WBU became a ...

(WBC) is the governing body for

badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players p ...

in Wales. Formed in 1928 as The Welsh Badminton Union, in 1934 it was one of the founder members of the

Badminton World Federation The Badminton World Federation (BWF) is the international governing body for the sport of badminton recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It was founded in 1934 as the International Badminton Federation (IBF) with nine membe ...

. It became a member of the European Badminton Union in 1968 (now

Badminton Europe Badminton Europe (BE) is the governing body of badminton in Europe. It is one of the five continental bodies under the flag of the Badminton World Federation (BWF). It has 53 member associations and 1 associate member. It was founded on 27 Sept ...

). Over 90 senior clubs are affiliated to Welsh Badminton Cymru, and its membership is nearly 4000.]. Wales competes in the European Badminton Championships, European Championships,

World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the ex ...

and the

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...

and

Uber Cup The Uber Cup, sometimes called the World Women's Team Championships, is a major international badminton competition contested by women's national badminton teams. First held in 1956–1957 and contested at three year intervals, it has been contes ...

World Team Championships. WBC organises national and international competitions, including the

Welsh National Badminton Championships The Welsh National Badminton Championships is a tournament organized to crown the best badminton players in Wales since 1938. However, until 1960 there was only mixed doubles competition, in 1960 the number of competitions increased to three, with ...

and the

Welsh International Badminton Championships The Welsh International is an international badminton championship held in Wales since 1928 and is thereby one of the oldest badminton tournaments in the world. The tournament was halted during World War II and until 1956, between 1960 and 1966, ...

, and manages the Wales representative squads internationally, at all levels. Welsh Badminton Cymru is based at the

, Sophia Gardens,

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a ...

Baseball

Welsh Baseball Union (WBU), formed in 1892, is the governing body of men's

British baseball Welsh baseball ( cy, Pêl Fas Gymreig), is a bat-and-ball game played in Wales. It is closely related to the game of rounders. In the tradition of bat-and-ball games, baseball has roots going back centuries, and there are references to "b ...

in Wales. It is based in Heath, Cardiff. Welsh Ladies Baseball Union (WLBU) is the governing body of women's British baseball in Wales. It was formed in 2006 when the WLBU decided to break away from the men's WBU. The WLBU are based in

Grangetown, Cardiff Grangetown (Welsh: usually ''Grangetown'', also Trelluest) is a district and community in the south of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It is one of the largest districts in the south of the city and is bordered by Riverside, Canton and Butetown. T ...

Basketball

Basketball Wales Basketball Wales ( cy, Pêl-fasged Cymru) (founded in 1952 as the Basketball Association of Wales) is the sole controller and the national governing body of all aspects of the game of basketball in Wales. It is responsible for the management of t ...

() is the sole controller and the governing body of all aspects of the game of

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

in Wales. It is responsible for the management of the Welsh National Basketball League, the national teams and for the organisation of all national and international basketball competitions held in Wales. Basketball Wales is based at the Sport Wales National Centre, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.

Bowls

The

Welsh Bowls Federation The Welsh Bowls Federation (WBF) (established 2001) is an umbrella partnership body comprising representatives from the six national governing bodies: the Welsh Bowling Association; the Welsh Indoor Bowls Association; the Welsh Ladies Indoor Bowl ...

(WBF) (established 2001) is an umbrella partnership body comprising representatives from the five national governing bodies: the Welsh Bowling Association; the Welsh Indoor Bowls Association; the Welsh Ladies Indoor Bowling Association; the Welsh Short Mat Bowls Association; and the Welsh Women's Bowling Association. The Welsh Bowls Coaching Association and Welsh Bowls Umpires Association are also represented. The WBF has 670 affiliated clubs and over 25,000 members. The Welsh Bowls Federation is based at

Whitland Whitland (Welsh: , lit. "Old White House", or ''Hendy-gwyn ar Daf'', "Old White House on the River Tâf", from the medieval ''Ty Gwyn ar Daf'') is both a town and a community in Carmarthenshire, Wales. Description The Whitland community is ...

Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire ( cy, Sir Gaerfyrddin; or informally ') is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known as ...

. The

Welsh Bowling Association The Welsh Bowling Association (WBA) is the governing body for men's outdoor bowling clubs in Wales. It has 10 affiliated counties and 286 affiliated clubs. The WBA organise competitions, including the county championship, and select and manage the ...

(WBA) is the governing body for men's outdoor bowling clubs in Wales. It has 10 affiliated counties and 286 affiliated clubs. The WBA organise competitions, including the county championship, and select and manage the national side. At the 2009 Atlantic Rim Championship in

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a Megacity#List of megacities, megacity, and is List of urban areas by p ...

, the Welsh men's team finished third. The Welsh Bowling Association is based at

Llanishen Llanishen (Welsh language, Welsh Llanisien ''llan'' church + ''Isien'' Saint Isan) is a district and Community (Wales), community in the north of Cardiff, Wales. Its population as of the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census was 17,417. Lla ...

, Cardiff. The

Welsh Crown Green Bowling Association The Welsh Crown Green Bowling Association (WCGBA), founded 1927, is the national governing body for crown green bowling in Wales. The WCGBA organise competitions, including the Welsh Club Championship, and select and manage the national side. Se ...

(WCGBA) is the governing body for crown green bowling in Wales. The WCGBA organise competitions, including the Welsh Club Championship, and select and manage the national side. The

Welsh Indoor Bowls Association The Welsh Indoor Bowls Association (WIBA) is the governing body for the indoor bowling clubs in Wales. It has 24 affiliated clubs. The WBA organise competitions, including the WIBA Club Championship, and select and manage the national side. The W ...

(WIBA) is the governing body for the indoor bowling clubs in Wales. It has 24 affiliated clubs. The WBA organise competitions, including the WIBA Club Championship, and select and manage the national side. The Welsh Bowling Association is based at

Gorseinon Gorseinon is a town within the City and County of Swansea, Wales, near the Loughor estuary. It was a small village until the late 19th century when it grew around the coal mining and tinplate industries. It is situated in the north west of Sw ...

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the C ...

. The

Welsh Ladies Indoor Bowling Association The Welsh Ladies Indoor Bowling Association (WLIBA) (formed 1950) is the governing body for the indoor bowling clubs in Wales. It has 25 affiliated clubs. The WLIBA organise national competitions and select and manage the national side. The Welsh ...

(WLIBA) (formed 1950) is the governing body for the indoor bowling clubs in Wales. It has 25 affiliated clubs. The WLIBA organise national competitions and select and manage the national side. The Welsh Ladies Indoor Bowling Association is based at

Ton Pentre Ton Pentre () is a village in the Rhondda Valley in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Historically part of Glamorgan, Ton Pentre, a former industrial coal mining village, is a district of the community of Pentre. The old district o ...

. The

Welsh Short Mat Bowls Association The Welsh Short Mat Bowls Association ( cy, Cymdeithas Bowlio Mat Byr Cymru) (WSMBA) is the governing body for short mat bowling clubs in Wales. The WSMBA organise national competitions, including league and inter-county, and select and manage the ...

() (WSMBA) is the governing body for short mat bowling clubs in Wales. The WSMBA organise national competitions, including league and inter-county, and select and manage the national side. The Welsh Women's Bowling Association (WWBA) (founded in 1932 as Welsh Ladies Bowls Association) is the governing body for women's outdoor bowling clubs in Wales. It has eight affiliated counties and 160 affiliated clubs. The WBA organise competitions, including the county championship, and select and manage the national side. At the 2009 Atlantic Rim Championship in

, the Welsh women's team finished first. The Welsh Women's Bowling Association is based at Knighton,

Powys Powys (; ) is a county and preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh successor state, petty kingdom and principality that emerged during the Middle Ages following the end of Roman rule in Britain. Geog ...

Canoeing

Canoe Wales-Canw Cymru (formed as the Welsh Canoeing Association) is the governing body for

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other act ...

and

kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits faci ...

in Wales. It has over 50 affiliated clubs and a membership of 1800. Canoe Wales-Canw Cymru is responsible for the formal access agreements on the

Conwy Conwy (, ), previously known in English as Conway, is a walled market town, community and the administrative centre of Conwy County Borough in North Wales. The walled town and castle stand on the west bank of the River Conwy, facing Deganwy on ...

Glaslyn Glaslyn ( cy, Blue lake) is a lake in the Snowdonia National Park in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It is found at approximately above sea level in a cwm on the eastern flanks of Snowdon. It is a rough ellipse in shape, about east–west and a ...

, Llwyd,

Ogwr The Borough of Ogwr was one of six districts of Mid Glamorgan in Wales, which existed from 1974 to 1996. History It was formed under the Local Government Act 1972 from the urban districts of Bridgend, Maesteg, Ogmore and Garw and Porthcawl, al ...

Severn , name_etymology = , image = SevernFromCastleCB.JPG , image_size = 288 , image_caption = The river seen from Shrewsbury Castle , map = RiverSevernMap.jpg , map_size = 288 , map_c ...

Tawe The River Tawe (; cy, Afon Tawe ) is a long river in South Wales. Its headwaters flow initially east from its source below Llyn y Fan Fawr south of Moel Feity in the Black Mountains, the westernmost range of the Brecon Beacons National P ...

, Tryweryn, Twrch,

Usk Usk ( cy, Brynbuga) is a town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales, northeast of Newport. It is located on the River Usk, which is spanned by an arched stone bridge at the western entrance to the town. Usk Castle, above the town, overlooks th ...

and Wye and informal agreements on rivers and managed stillwaters. It is also responsible for the rights of navigation agreements on sections of the Lugg, Severn and Wye. Canoe Wales-Canw Cymru organises competition at national and international level in all the canoeing and kayaking disciplines in Wales: freestyle; slalom; wild water racing; marathon racing; sprint racing; surf kayaking; and

canoe polo Canoe polo, also known as kayak polo, is one of the competitive disciplines of kayaking. The sport is also known simply as "polo" by its players and supporters. Each team has five players on the pitch (and up to three substitutes), who compete t ...

. Canoe Wales-Canw Cymru manages Canolfan Tryweryn, the National Whitewater Centre near

Bala, Gwynedd Bala ( cy, Y Bala) is a town and community in Gwynedd, Wales. Formerly an urban district, Bala lies in the historic county of Merionethshire, at the north end of Bala Lake ( cy, Llyn Tegid). According to the 2021 Census, Bala had a population ...

, where Canoe Wales-Canw Cymru is based. The Afon Tryweryn is a dam released river, allowing water to flow when other rivers are running dry, providing a year-round white water venue.

Caving

The

Cambrian Caving Council The Cambrian Caving Council (CCC) (formed 1969) is the national governing body of caving in Wales. It is the national association for caving, representing the interests of caving clubs in Wales, Forest of Dean and the Marches. CCC is a member of, ...

(CCC) (formed 1969) is the national association for

caving Caving – also known as spelunking in the United States and Canada and potholing in the United Kingdom and Ireland – is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems (as distinguished from show caves). In contrast, speleology i ...

, representing the interests of caving clubs in Wales. It is a member of several organisations including the

Brecon Beacons National Park The Brecon Beacons National Park ( cy, Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog) is one of three national parks in Wales, and is centred on the Brecon Beacons range of hills in southern Wales. It includes the Black Mountain ( cy, Y Mynydd Du) i ...

Access & Recreation Advisory Group, the

Countryside Council for Wales The Countryside Council for Wales (CCW; cy, Cyngor Cefn Gwlad Cymru (CCGC)) was a Welsh Assembly sponsored body responsible for wildlife conservation, landscape and countryside access authority for Wales. It was merged with Forestry Commis ...

, the Gower Cave Advisory Group, the Gwenlais Valley Consortium (Carmel Woods), the Pembrokeshire Outdoor Charter, the Welsh Exploration Society and the Welsh Sports Association. The CCC also maintains contact with several other regional and national bodies including, the

Natural Resources Wales Natural Resources Wales ( cy, Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru) is a Welsh Government sponsored body, which became operational from 1 April 2013, when it took over the management of the natural resources of Wales. It was formed from a merger of the Coun ...

, Forestry Enterprise, various bat groups,

Welsh Water Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

and Sport Wales, as well as with the other Regional Caving Councils.

Cricket

Cricket Wales () is an umbrella partnership body comprising the Welsh Cricket Association, Glamorgan Cricket, Wales National County, the Welsh Schools Cricket Association and Sport Wales. It regulates the sport of

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...

in Wales and organises competitions up to national level. Cricket Wales is based at the

SWALEC Stadium The Cardiff Wales Stadium, which is part of Sophia Gardens Cardiff ( ; cy, Gerddi Soffia Caerdydd), is a cricket stadium in Cardiff, Wales. It is located in Sophia Gardens on the River Taff. It is home to Glamorgan County Cricket Club and is l ...

, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Glamorgan Cricket () is the Welsh first class, professional club. Glamorgan CCC play in the

England and Wales Cricket Board The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is the national governing body of cricket in England and Wales. It was formed on 1 January 1997 as a single governing body to combine the roles formerly fulfilled by the Test and County Cricket Board, ...

County Championship The County Championship (referred to as the LV= Insurance County Championship for sponsorship reasons) is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales and is organised by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). It b ...

. The club has over 7000 members. It also runs the Welsh Cricket Academy. Glamorgan Cricket is based at the SWALEC Stadium, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.

Wales National County Cricket Club Wales National County Cricket Club is one of twenty National county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents all of the historic counties of Wales except Glamorgan and is currently the only non-English m ...

runs the Welsh team in the

National Counties Cricket Championship The NCCA 3 Day Championship (previously the Minor Counties Cricket Championship) is a season-long competition in England and Wales that is contested by the members of the National Counties Cricket Association (NCCA), the so-called national cou ...

. The Welsh Asians Cricket Club is based in Grangetown, Cardiff. The Welsh Cricket Academy () is run by Glamorgan Cricket, based at the SWALEC Stadium, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. The

Welsh Cricket Association The Welsh Cricket Association (WCA) (founded 1969) is the governing body of Welsh amateur cricket. It also runs the Welsh Cup and convenes the Welsh Coaching Forum. The WCA aims to promote, encourage, and improve amateur cricket in Wales, and to ...

() (WCA) (founded 1969) is the governing body of Welsh amateur cricket. It also runs the Welsh Cup and convenes the Welsh Coaching Forum. The WCA aims to promote, encourage, and improve amateur cricket in Wales, and to encourage and develop active participation in the game. Over 270 counties, associations, leagues and clubs are affiliated to the WCA. The Welsh Cricket Association is based at the SWALEC Stadium, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. The Welsh Clubs Cricket Conference is based in

, Cardiff. The

Welsh Schools' Cricket Association Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

run inter schools competitions in Wales. It is based in

Fishguard Fishguard ( cy, Abergwaun, meaning "Mouth of the River Gwaun") is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, with a population of 3,419 in 2011; the community of Fishguard and Goodwick had a population of 5,407. Modern Fishguard consists of two p ...

Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a county in the south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The county is home to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. The Park oc ...

. Welsh Women's Cricket is based in

Builth Wells Builth Wells (; cy, Llanfair-ym-Muallt) is a market town and community in the county of Powys and historic county of Brecknockshire (Breconshire), mid Wales, lying at the confluence of rivers Wye and Irfon, in the Welsh (or upper) part of ...

Curling

The Welsh Curling Association () (WCA) is the governing body of

curling Curling is a sport in which players slide stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard. Two teams, each with four players, take turns slidi ...

in Wales.

Cycling

Beicio Cymru-Welsh Cycling is "the internationally recognised governing body of cycling in Wales". It administers all six

cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from ...

disciplines—

BMX BMX, an abbreviation for bicycle motocross or bike motocross, is a cycle sport performed on BMX bikes, either in competitive BMX racing or freestyle BMX, or else in general street or off-road recreation. History BMX began during the earl ...

; cyclo-cross;

mountain biking Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and pe ...

( downhill and cross-country);

road racing Road racing is a form of motorsport racing held on a paved road surface. The races can be held either on a closed circuit or on a street circuit utilizing temporarily closed public roads. Originally, road races were held almost entirely on publ ...

; time trials; and

track racing Track racing is a form of motorcycle racing where teams or individuals race opponents around an unpaved oval track. There are differing variants, with each variant racing on a different surface type. The most common variant is Speedway which ha ...

. Beicio Cymru-Welsh Cycling is responsible for all aspects of sports cycling in Wales including competitions and racing licences and organising the Wales

cycling team. Beicio Cymru-Welsh Cycling is based at the Wales National Velodrome,

Newport International Sports Village Newport International Sports Village is a multi-sport complex located at Lliswerry in the South East of the city of Newport, South Wales. It is known locally as Spytty Park, the name coming from the original Spytty Fields on which it is built ...

Newport.

Fencing

Welsh Fencing is the governing body of

fencing Fencing is a group of three related combat sports. The three disciplines in modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also ''saber''); winning points are made through the weapon's contact with an opponent. A fourth discipline, ...

in Wales. In 2003 it had 34 affiliated clubs, 260 adult and 559 junior members. Welsh Fencing organises competitions including the Welsh Open. Welsh Fencing are responsible for the selection and management of the Wales representative squad, who compete in the Winton Cup and the

. To compete at the European and World Championships Welsh fencers represent Great Britain, if selected. Welsh Fencing is based in

Canton, Cardiff Canton ( cy, Treganna) is an inner-city district and community in the west of Cardiff, capital of Wales, lying west of the city's civic centre. Canton is one of the most ethnically diverse of Cardiff's suburbs, with a significant Pakistani an ...

Football

The

Football Association of Wales The Football Association of Wales (FAW; cy, Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru) is the governing body of association football and futsal in Wales, and controls the Welsh national football team, its corresponding women's team, as well as the Welsh ...

() (FAW) is the third oldest football association in the world. It has been the governing body of

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

in Wales since its formation in 1876. The FAW is one of the associations that make up a body called the

International Football Association Board The International Football Association Board (IFAB) is the body that determines the Laws of the Game of association football. IFAB was founded in 1886 to agree standardised Laws for international competition, and has since acted as the "guardia ...

(IFAB)—the others are the other three UK associations: the

Football Association The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world a ...

, the

Scottish Football Association The Scottish Football Association (also known as the SFA and the Scottish FA; sco, Scots Fitba Association; Scottish Gaelic: ''Comann Ball-coise na h-Alba'') is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility f ...

and the

Irish Football Association The Irish Football Association (IFA) is the governing body for association football in Northern Ireland. It organised the Ireland national football team from 1880 to 1950, which after 1954, became the Northern Ireland national football team. ...

plus

FIFA FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' (French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...

, the world governing body. The IFAB maintain the laws that govern football, known officially as the "Laws of the Game". Football is the most popular team sport in Wales, with more than twice as many participants as

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

The FAW has six affiliated Area Football Associations: Central Wales; Gwent County; North East Wales; North Wales Coast; South Wales; and West Wales. The FAW is based at

Cardiff Bay Cardiff Bay ( cy, Bae Caerdydd; historically Tiger Bay; colloquially "The Bay") is an area and freshwater lake in Cardiff, Wales. The site of a former tidal bay and estuary, it serves as the river mouth of the River Taff and Ely. The body of ...

. The

Welsh Football Trust The FAW Trust ( cy, Ymddiriedolaeth Bêl-droed Cymru) (formerly known as the Welsh Football Trust) (founded 1996) is recognised as a governing body of sport in Wales by Sport Wales. It was established by the Football Association of Wales (FAW) t ...

() (WFT) (founded 1996) was established by the FAW to encourage more children in Wales to play football, to develop player and coaching talent and to support the future success of Welsh national teams. In addition to the FAW, the WFT is supported by the Welsh Assembly Government, the Sports Council of Wales and the

Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...

. The Welsh Football Trust is based in Parc Nantgarw, Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Golf

The

Wales Golf Wales Golf is the Governing bodies of sports in Wales, national governing body of amateur golf in Wales. It is responsible for administration and enforcement of the handicapping and course rating systems for ladies and men in Wales. Wales Golf or ...

() is the governing body of amateur

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

in Wales. It is responsible for administration and enforcement of the handicapping and course rating systems for ladies and men in Wales. Wales Golf organise competitions, including the National Championships in Wales, and select and manage all Welsh amateur golf teams. It also makes, maintains and publishes any necessary rules and regulations. The Golf Union of Wales is based in Catsash, Newport.

Gymnastics

Welsh Gymnastics Welsh Gymnastics (WG) (founded 1902 as the Welsh Amateur Gymnastics Association) is the national governing body for gymnastics in Wales. It has overall responsibility for the administration of all eight gymnastics disciplines in Wales – ...

(founded 1902 as the Welsh Amateur Gymnastics Association) is the national governing body for gymnastics in Wales. It has overall responsibility for the administration of all eight gymnastics disciplines in Wales— women's artistic, men's artistic and

rhythmic gymnastics Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform on a floor with an apparatus: hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon. The sport combines elements of gymnastics, dance and calisthenics; gymnasts must be strong, flexible, agile, dexterous and coord ...

, general gymnastics, sports acrobatics,

sports aerobics Aerobic gymnastics or sport aerobics is a competitive sport originating from traditional aerobics in which complex, high-intensity movement patterns and elements of varying difficulty are performed to music. Nature of the game The performance ...

trampolining Trampolining or trampoline gymnastics is a competitive Olympic sport in which athletes perform acrobatics while bouncing on a trampoline. In competition, these can include simple jumps in the straight, pike, tuck, or straddle position to more co ...

and tumbling—through its four geographical areas (north, south, east and west), which are responsible for their own area competition and squad training sessions. Welsh Gymnastics organises the Welsh national and international teams and competitions. Welsh Gymnastics is based at the WSport Wales National Centre, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.

Hockey

Hockey Wales Hockey Wales ( cy, Hoci Cymru) is the Governing bodies of sports in Wales, national governing body for Field hockey, hockey in Wales. Established as the Welsh Hockey Union in 1996, by the merger of the Welsh Hockey Association (founded 1896) and ...

() (HW) is the national governing body for

hockey Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...

in Wales. It was established in 1996 by the merger of the Welsh Hockey Association (founded 1896) and the Welsh Women's Hockey Association (founded 1897). In 2011, the operating name was changed to Hockey Wales. HW is responsible for the administration of all aspects of the game including clubs, competitions, development, internationals, schools, umpiring and universities. HW organises national competitions include Men's and Women's Welsh Cups. Internationally, Welsh players compete at the

Olympic games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a multi ...

as part of the

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...

team. In all other competitions, including the

Hockey World Cup The Men's FIH Hockey World Cup is an international field hockey competition organised by the International Hockey Federation (FIH). The tournament was started in 1971. It is held every four years, bridging the four years between the Summer O ...

and the

, Wales competes in its own right. The Wales hockey team also compete at the EuroHockey Nations Trophy (ENT). Other

that compete at the ENT are

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

and

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. Hockey Wales is based in Sport Wales National Centre, Cardiff

Ice Skating

The Welsh Ice Skating Association (WISA) is the governing body of

ice skating Ice skating is the self-propulsion and gliding of a person across an ice surface, using metal-bladed ice skates. People skate for various reasons, including recreation (fun), exercise, competitive sports, and commuting. Ice skating may be per ...

for Wales. WISA organises the Welsh Championship. The Welsh Ice Skating Association is managed from, and is based in, England.

Judo

The

Welsh Judo Association The Welsh Judo Association ( cy, Cymdeithas Judo Cymru) (WJA) is the governing body for the sport of judo in Wales. The WJA has 80 affiliated clubs and over 2,400 members. It is responsible for managing the Welsh Performance Squads the National ...

( cy, Cymdeithas Judo Cymru) (WJA) is the governing body for

judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo") ...

in Wales. The WJA has 80 affiliated clubs and over 2,400 members. It is responsible for managing the Welsh High Class Performance Squads, from which the National Coach—double judo Olympic silver medallist Neil Adams—selects the Welsh national team to compete at international events. The Welsh Judo Association and the Welsh Judo Association Academy are based at the Sport Wales National Centre, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.

Karate

The Welsh Karate Governing Body is the governing body of

karate (; ; Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts, particularly Fuj ...

in Wales.

Korfball

The Welsh Korfball Association (Cymdeithas Bêl-Corff Cymru) (founded 2002) (WKA) is the governing body for korfball in Wales. The WKA is responsible for the Welsh Korfball League, Wales squad selection, international matches, the training and development of players, and coaches and referees. Wales compete in the European Bowl, European Championships, and have qualified for the World Championship in the past. Wales' current IKF world ranking is 23rd (updated Nov. 2014).

Lacrosse

The

Welsh Lacrosse Association The Welsh Lacrosse Association (WLA) is the governing body for lacrosse in Wales. It was recognized by the International Federation of Women's Lacrosse Associations in 1972, the first year of the IFWLA. It is one of 34 full members of the Federa ...

(WLA) is the governing body for

lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensiv ...

in Wales. The WLA is responsible for international competitions, including the International Festival of Lacrosse at Ebbw Vale in 1992—the first Welsh men's international Game for 85 years and the first to be played in Wales—and manages the Wales teams that play in the European and World Championships. It also manages 'Centres of Development and Excellence' for the juniors' field game. The Welsh Lacrosse Association is based at

Penarth Penarth (, ) is a town and Community (Wales), community in the Vale of Glamorgan ( cy, Bro Morgannwg), Wales, exactly south of Cardiff city centre on the west shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay. Penarth is a weal ...

Motor Sports

The Welsh Association of Motor Clubs is the governing body of Motor Sports in Wales. It is a "Regional Association" of the Motor Sports Association.

Netball

The

Welsh Netball Association Wales Netball ( cy, Pêl-rwyd Cymru), formally registered as the Wales Netball Association ( cy, Cymdeithas Pêl-rwyd Cymru), is the national governing body for netball in Wales and was founded in 1945. Wales Netball is responsible for national ...

() (founded 1945) (WNA) is the governing body for

netball Netball is a ball sport played on a court by two teams of seven players. It is among a rare number of sports which have been created exclusively for female competitors. The sport is played on indoor and outdoor netball courts and is specifical ...

in Wales. The WNA is responsible for national championships, Welsh squad selection, international matches, the training and development of players, coaches and umpires and for the Sport Wales National Centre Netball Academy. International competitions in which Wales compete include the European Championships, the

and the

Netball World Championships The Netball World Cup is a quadrennial international netball world championship organised by the World Netball, inaugurated in 1963. Since its inception the competition has been dominated primarily by the Australia national netball team and th ...

. Wales were European Champions in 2001. The World Youth Netball Championship was held in Cardiff in July 2000. The Welsh Netball Association was a founder member of the

International Federation of Netball Associations World Netball, previously known as the International Netball Federation and the International Federation of Netball Associations, is the worldwide governing body for Netball. The INF was created in 1960 and is responsible for world rankings, m ...

(IFNA)—which governs world netball—in 1960. Netball is played in over fifty countries. Wales' current IFNA world ranking is 16th (last updated 28 May 2009). The Welsh Netball Association is based in

Pontcanna Pontcanna () is a district and community in the city of Cardiff, Wales. It is located a short distance to the west of the city centre, and its borders are approximately indicated by Western Avenue, the River Taff, Cowbridge Road East, Llandaff R ...

, Cardiff.

Orienteering

The

Welsh Orienteering Association The Welsh Orienteering Association ( cy, Cymdeithas Cyfeiriannu Cymru) (WOA) is the national governing body for the sport of orienteering in Wales, and is a constituent association of the British Orienteering Federation. The WOA is responsible for ...

() (WOA) is the national governing body for the sport of

orienteering Orienteering is a group of sports that require navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain whilst moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a ...

in Wales, and is a constituent association of the

British Orienteering Federation The British Orienteering Federation Limited, generally known and branded as British Orienteering, is the national sports governing body for the sport of orienteering in the United Kingdom. The federation was founded in June 1967, and is a member ...

. The WOA is responsible for encouraging, developing and controlling the sport of orienteering throughout Wales, for running the Welsh League and events, including the Welsh Championships, the Welsh Short Championships and the Welsh Orienteering festival—Croeso ( en, Welcome)—held every four years. The Welsh Orienteering Association has nine affiliated clubs.

Pétanque (Boule)

The Welsh Pétanque Association () (WPA) (established 2004) is the governing body for the sport of ''

pétanque Pétanque (, ; oc, petanca, , also or ) is a sport that falls into the category of boules sports, along with raffa, bocce, boule lyonnaise, lawn bowls, and crown green bowling. In all of these sports, players or teams play their boules/balls ...

'' in Wales. The WPA is affiliated to the ''Confédération Européenne de Pétanque'' (CEP) and the'' Fédération Internationale de Pétanque et Jeu Provençal'' (FIPJP). It aims to promote the sport's development for all people in Wales. The Welsh Pétanque Association organises competition at national and international level, including League and National Competitions and the Welsh Cup for Clubs—the winning club qualifying for the EuroCup (European Cup for Clubs)—and is responsible for the selection of the Wales national squads, who compete in international events including the Celtic Challenge, European Championships and World Championships. The Welsh Pétanque Association has 13 registered clubs and is based at Pontyclun, Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Pool

The Welsh Pool Association is the governing body of

pool Pool may refer to: Water pool * Swimming pool, usually an artificial structure containing a large body of water intended for swimming * Reflecting pool, a shallow pool designed to reflect a structure and its surroundings * Tide pool, a rocky po ...

in Wales. The WPA play under blackball rules and have in excess of 10,000 registered players from more than 80 interleague teams throughout Wales. The WPA also spans to international level pool with representation from Men's, Ladies, Youths, Seniors and Specials teams. Running alongside the interleague programme are the Men's, Youths and Seniors Welsh Open Tour events.

Rowing

Welsh Rowing Welsh Rowing (formally known as the Welsh Amateur Rowing Association) ( cy, Rhwyfo Cymru) is the governing body for the sport of rowing in Wales. It is responsible for promoting the sport in Wales, choosing crews to send to the Home Countries In ...

() (WARA) is the national governing body for

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically ...

in Wales. It is responsible for the organisation of all national rowing competitions held in Wales, including the 'Head of the Taff' and the Welsh Open Rowing Championships, and for the selection and management of the Welsh national rowing teams and the organisation of all international rowing competitions held in Wales. It has 13 affiliated clubs, including schools and universities. Welsh Rowing is based at

. The Welsh Sea Rowing Association () (WSRA) is the national governing body for coastal and ocean rowing in Wales. It is responsible for coastal rowing competitions in Wales, including the WSRA League, which has two racing categories: Celtic Longboats; and Yoles. It is a member of the Welsh Amateur Rowing Association-Rhwyfo Cymru (WARA) and is represented at WARA at board level and on the Performance, the Development, Coaching and Education, and the Events Sub-Committees. The Welsh Sea Rowing Association is based at Aberystwyth, Ceredigion.

Rugby League

Wales Rugby League Wales Rugby League is the national governing body for rugby league football in Wales. In 1907 The Welsh Northern Rugby Football Union was formed in Wrexham, but the English Northern Rugby Football Union refused it affiliation as they wanted th ...

() (WRL) is the sole controller and national governing body for

Rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

in Wales. Its objective is to promote, encourage and develop the sport of rugby league in Wales. Having been granted "stand alone status" in Wales from the

Rugby Football League The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league in England, and until 1995 for the whole British Isles. The name Rugby Football League previously also referred to the main league competition run by the organisat ...

, WRL is responsible for the successful running of the game in Wales, for organising games and competitions and for selecting the squad for the national teams. In addition to managing professional and amateur national representative senior teams, WRL runs several age grade international sides from under 13s to a student team. The senior teams each play in annual European competitions, and the professional side compete in the

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...

every 4 years. WRL has 14 affiliated clubs, including four university clubs. Wales Rugby League is based at the

Brewery Field Dunraven Brewery Field ( cy, Cae'r Bragdy Dunraven) is an 8,000 (1,100 seated) capacity sports stadium in Bridgend, Wales. It is the home ground of the rugby union team Bridgend Ravens. Bridgend Athletic RFC often use the ground for thei ...

Bridgend Bridgend (; cy, Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr or just , meaning "the end of the bridge on the Ogmore") is a town in Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of Cardiff and east of Swansea. The town is named after the medieval bridge over the River Og ...

Rugby Union

The

Welsh Rugby Union The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU; cy, Undeb Rygbi Cymru) is the governing body of rugby union in the country of Wales, recognised by the sport's international governing body, World Rugby. The WRU is responsible for the running of rugby in Wales, o ...

() (WRU) was founded as the Welsh Rugby Football Union at the Castle Hotel,

Neath Neath (; cy, Castell-nedd) is a market town and community situated in the Neath Port Talbot County Borough, Wales. The town had a population of 50,658 in 2011. The community of the parish of Neath had a population of 19,258 in 2011. Historica ...

on 12 March 1881, by a group of 11 clubs: Bangor;

Brecon Brecon (; cy, Aberhonddu; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the c ...

;

Lampeter Lampeter (; cy, Llanbedr Pont Steffan (formal); ''Llambed'' (colloquial)) is a town, community and electoral ward in Ceredigion, Wales, at the confluence of the Afon Dulas with the River Teifi. It is the third largest urban area in Ceredigio ...

;

Llandeilo Llandeilo () is a town and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales, situated at the crossing of the River Towy by the A483 on a 19th-century stone bridge. Its population was 1,795 at the 2011 Census. It is adjacent to the westernmost point of the ...

;

Llandovery Llandovery (; cy, Llanymddyfri ) is a market town and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It lies on the River Tywi and at the junction of the A40 and A483 roads, about north-east of Carmarthen, north of Swansea and west of Brecon. Hi ...

;

Llanelli Llanelli ("St Elli's Parish"; ) is a market town and the largest community in Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed, Wales. It is located on the Loughor estuary north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carma ...

;

Merthyr Merthyr Tydfil (; cy, Merthyr Tudful ) is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Ty ...

; Newport;

Pontypool Pontypool ( cy, Pont-y-pŵl ) is a town and the administrative centre of the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales. It has a population of 28,970. Location It is situated on the Afon Lwyd r ...

; and

. The WRU is the governing body of

in Wales, with overall responsibility for organising and running the national game of Wales—rugby union—in Wales including: the rules and regulations that the domestic game of rugby is played under in Wales; player registration and transfer between clubs; player and club disciplinary sanctions; codes of conduct for players, coaches, team managers, club officials, match officials and referee advisors; and the protocol for games in Wales. The 74,500 capacity

Millennium Stadium The Millennium Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm y Mileniwm), known since 2016 as the Principality Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm Principality) for sponsorship reasons, is the national stadium of Wales. Located in Cardiff, it is the home of the Wales national r ...

, Cardiff, "an icon of the modern Wales", is wholly owned by the WRU. In addition to rugby union—the Millennium Stadium has staged the 1999

Rugby World Cup The Rugby World Cup is a men's rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams. The tournament is administered by World Rugby, the sport's international governing body. The winners are awarded the Webb ...

and pool stages of the

2007 Rugby World Cup The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 2 ...

, the

IRB Sevens World Series The World Rugby Men's Sevens Series is an annual series of international rugby sevens tournaments run by World Rugby featuring national sevens teams. Organised for the first time in the 1999–2000 season as the IRB World Sevens Series, the co ...

in 2001, two Wales Rugby Grand Slams (

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; " Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discover ...

and

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

), the

British and Irish Lions The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The Lions are a test side and most often select players who have already played for their national ...

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...

in 2005, and the 2002, 2006, 2008 and 2009

Heineken Cup The European Rugby Champions Cup (known as the Heineken Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a pre ...

finals—the stadium has hosted a range of events, including a variety of music—starting with the

Manic Street Preachers Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Welsh Rock music, rock band formed in Blackwood, Caerphilly, Blackwood in 1986. The band consists of cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, lead guitar) and Sean Moore (musician ...

' ''Manic Millennium'' concert held on

Millennium A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannus, kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...

Eve, through the BBC's

Songs of Praise ''Songs of Praise'' is a BBC Television religious programme that presents Christian hymns sung in churches of varying denominations from around the UK. The series was first broadcast in October 1961. On that occasion, the venue was the Ta ...

, a tsunami relief concert with

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list o ...

in 2005,

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

in 2006 and in 2008,

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...

in 2006 to U2 in 2009— and other sports events—the

Wales national football team ) , Association = Football Association of Wales (FAW) , Confederation = UEFA (Europe) , Coach = Rob Page , Captain = Gareth Bale , Most caps = Gareth Bale (111) , Top scorer = Garet ...

usually play their international

home matches at the stadium; English football's League Cup Final,

Football League Trophy The English Football League Trophy, known for sponsorship purposes as the Papa Johns Trophy after restaurant chain Papa John's Pizza, is an annual English association football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL ...

FA Cup Final The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. It has regularly been one of the most attended domestic football events in the world, with an official atten ...

and the

FA Community Shield The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is Football in England, English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA C ...

were played at the Stadium (from the 2000–01 to 2005–06 seasons) while

Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...

was being rebuilt; the British Speedway Grand Prix has been held at the Stadium since 2001; three

Challenge Cup The Challenge Cup is a knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, with the exception of 1915–1919 and 1939–1940, due to World War I and World War II respectively. It involve ...

finals were held at the Millennium Stadium (from the 2002–03 to 2004–05 seasons); the

World Rally Championship The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is the highest level of global competition in the motorsport discipline of rallying, owned and governed by the FIA. There are separate championships for drivers, co-drivers, manufacturers and t ...

, as part of

Wales Rally GB Wales Rally GB was the most recent iteration of the United Kingdom's premier international motor rally, which ran under various names since the first event held in 1932. It was consistently a round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) calen ...

, have been staged at the stadium since 2005; Express Eventing was held at the stadium in 2008: and Joe Calzaghe's victory over

Mikkel Kessler Mikkel Kessler (born 1 March 1979) is a Danish former professional boxer who competed from 1998 to 2013. He held multiple super-middleweight world championships, including the WBA title three times between 2004 and 2013, and the WBC title twic ...

in the

super middleweight Super middleweight, or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing In professional boxing, super middleweight is contested between the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions, in which boxers can weigh between 160 pound ...

reunification bout was held at the Stadium, Calzaghe retaining his

WBO The World Boxing Organization (WBO) is an organization which sanctions professional boxing bouts. It is recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) as one of the four major world championship groups, alongside the World Boxing ...

title and winning the WBA and WBC world titles. The

Wales rugby union team The Wales national rugby union team ( cy, Tîm rygbi'r undeb cenedlaethol Cymru) represents Wales in men's international rugby union. Its governing body, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), was established in 1881, the same year that Wales played thei ...

has had considerable success. Wales were 3rd in the 1987

, have been

International Championship The International Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. The reigning champion is Judd Trump. History The event was introduced in the 2012/2013 season. It was named as the "first overseas 'major'", because the tournament h ...

winners 24 times outright (in

1893 Events January–March * January 2 – Webb C. Ball introduces railroad chronometers, which become the general railroad timepiece standards in North America. * Mark Twain started writing Puddn'head Wilson. * January 6 – Th ...

1900 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15), 2 ...

1902 Events January * January 1 ** The Nurses Registration Act 1901 comes into effect in New Zealand, making it the first country in the world to require state registration of nurses. On January 10, Ellen Dougherty becomes the world' ...

1905 As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War begins, more than 100,000 die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos leads to the 1905 Russian Revolution against Nicholas II of Russia ( Shostakovich's 11th Symphony ...

, 1908,

1909 Events January–February * January 4 – Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escaped death by fleeing across ice floes. * January 7 – Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama. * Jan ...

1911 A notable ongoing event was the race for the South Pole. Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are added to the Commonwealth of Australia. * ...

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 crashes in a snowstorm. All 19 ...

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim Elliot and Pete Fleming, are kille ...

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn in for a full term ...

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo ...

1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses ( February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events J ...

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 ...

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd government). * January 6 ...

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the '' International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the '' Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the so ...

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nels ...

and

) and joint winners 11 times (

1906 Events January–February * January 12 – Persian Constitutional Revolution: A nationalistic coalition of merchants, religious leaders and intellectuals in Persia forces the shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar to grant a constitution, ...

1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort to assassinate Emperor Hir ...

1939 This year also marks the start of the Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Third Reich *** Jews are forbidden to ...

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...

1954 Events January * January 1 – The Soviet Union ceases to demand war reparations from West Germany. * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The fir ...

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijiangs ...

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...

1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (''Extreme''). Between 10,000 and ...

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: ...

and

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...

), of which ten have been Welsh Grand Slams and 19 Triple Crowns. The Wales team has had some success against southern hemisphere opposition too: Wales have beaten

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

ten times ( 1908,

1958 Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the third ...

, 1973, 1976, 1981, 1987, 2005, and

);

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...

three times (

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...

and

1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito is chosen President of Yugosl ...

); and

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...

once, in

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...

Sailing

RYA Cymru-Wales is the governing body for the sports of powerboating,

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' ( land yacht) over a chose ...

and

windsurfing Windsurfing is a wind propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the aerospace and surf culture of California. Windsurfing ga ...

in Wales. The organisation is divided into

north North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north ...

south South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

and

west West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...

regions. Sailing clubs in Wales are members of the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and, as individuals must join the RYA to race, RYA Cymru-Wales has no personal members. Its purpose is "... to feed the RYA GBR performance pathway, and ultimately Team GBR 2012 and beyond.". Wales contributed 10-15% to the Great Britain Olympic Sailing Squads in 2008. RYA Cymru-Wales is based at the National Watersports Centre for Wales,

Plas Menai Plas Menai is the National Outdoor Centre for Wales. It is situated on the mainland side of the Menai Strait, and is approximately 3 miles East of Caernarfon, North Wales. History Opened in 1978 the facility was initially called "Plas y Deri" (P ...

Gwynedd Gwynedd (; ) is a county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Anglesey over the Menai Strait, an ...

Shooting

The Welsh Target Shooting Federation () (WTSF) is the governing body for

shooting sports Shooting sports is a group of competitive and recreational sporting activities involving proficiency tests of accuracy, precision and speed in shooting — the art of using ranged weapons, mainly small arms (firearms and airguns, in forms such ...

in Wales. It represents the member bodies of the WTSF—the Welsh Airgun Association (WAA), the

Welsh Clay Target Shooting Association Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

(WCTSA), the Welsh Rifle Association (WRA) and the Welsh Small-bore Rifle Association (WSRA)—by promoting and developing shooting sports in Wales. The Welsh Target Shooting Federation is based in Cardiff. The

(WCTSA) is the governing body for

clay target shooting Clay pigeon shooting, also known as clay target shooting, is a shooting sport involving shooting a firearm at special flying targets known as clay pigeons, or clay targets. The terminology commonly used by clay shooters often relates to tim ...

(also known as clay pigeon shooting) in Wales. It represents its members' interests at a national and international level. The WCTSA has 65 affiliated clubs. It is responsible for score registration and classification, organising national competitions and the selection and running of the national representative teams. The Welsh Clay Target Shooting Association is based in

Caersws Caersws ( cy, Caersŵs; ) is a village and community on the River Severn, in the Welsh county of Powys (Montgomeryshire) west of Newtown, and halfway between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury. It has a station on the Cambrian Line from Aberystwyth t ...

Skiing

Snowsport Cymru/Wales is the governing body of

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee ( ...

and

snowboarding Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympic ...

in Wales. Snowsport Cymru/Wales' membership comprises individuals, schools, corporate sponsors and six affiliated clubs. Snowsport Cymru/Wales selects, organises and trains the Welsh National Ski Squad. Snowsport Cymru/Wales manages the Cardiff Ski & Snowboard Centre,

Fairwater, Cardiff Fairwater ( cy, Y Tyllgoed) is a district and community in the west of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It is located a few miles from Culverhouse Cross which connects Cardiff to the M4 motorway. The population taken at the 2011 census was 12,981. ...

, where it is based.

Snooker

The Welsh Billiards & Snooker Association is the governing body of the

cue sports Cue sports are a wide variety of games of skill played with a cue, which is used to strike billiard balls and thereby cause them to move around a cloth-covered table bounded by elastic bumpers known as . There are three major subdivisions ...

billiards and snooker Pool is a classification of cue sports played on a table with six pockets along the , into which balls are deposited. "Pool billiards" is sometimes hyphenated and/or spelled with a singular "billiard". The WPA itself uses "pool-billiard" in ...

in Wales. The Welsh Billiards & Snooker Association is based in Winch Wen,

Squash

Squash Wales is the governing body of

squash Squash may refer to: Sports * Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets * Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-sided match in professional wrestling * Squash tennis, a game similar to squash but pla ...

in Wales. It has 121 affiliated clubs and is a member of the World Squash Federation and the European Squash Federation. Squash Wales is responsible for the administration of all aspects of the game including clubs, regional and national leagues, player development and the selection and management of the international squad for competitions, including the European Team Championships and the World Championships. Recent success for the Wales team includes the Bronze medal won in the European Team Championships in

Malmö Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal popul ...

(May 2009), which was the 14th European Team medal won by Wales in all ages since 1997. The Wales team won a world Silver medal in 1999. National competitions organised by Squash Wales include the Welsh Inter-County Challenge Shield and the Welsh Open. Squash Wales is based at the

, Cardiff.

Sub Aqua

The

British Sub Aqua Club The British Sub-Aqua Club or BSAC has been recognised since 1954 by UK Sport as the national governing body of recreational diving in the United Kingdom. The club was founded in 1953 and at its peak in the mid-1990s had over 50,000 members de ...

(BSAC) is the National Governing Body of sub aquatic sports in Wales, including

scuba diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for " Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chr ...

and

snorkelling Snorkeling ( British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped breathing tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters, ...

. An affiliate of BSAC, the

British Octopush Association British Octopush Association (BOA) is the governing body for underwater hockey (also known as Octopush) in the United Kingdom (UK). Organisation The BOA is an organisation based on individual members rather than on clubs. It is managed by a comm ...

(BOA), is responsible for underwater hockey (also a form of sub aqua) in Wales. However, training and management of Welsh national squads is controlled by Underwater Hockey Wales (Hoci Tanddwr Cymreig).

Surfing

The

Welsh Surfing Federation The Welsh Surfing Federation (WSF) is the national governing body of surfing in Wales, affiliated to the European Surfing Federation. It is responsible for promoting the sport by organising National Championships, participating in events to raise ...

(WSF) is the national governing body of

surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitable ...

in Wales, affiliated to the

European Surfing Federation European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe a ...

. It is responsible for promoting the sport by organising National Championships, participating in other events to raise public awareness and for selecting teams to represent Wales at an international level. The Welsh Surfing Federation is based at the Welsh Surfing Federation Surf School in

Llangennith Llangennith ( cy, Llangenydd/Llangynydd) is a village in the City and County of Swansea, South Wales. It is located in the Gower. Moor Lane leads westwards to a caravan park near Rhossili Bay and Burrows Lane leads northwards to a caravan park ...

Gower Gower ( cy, Gŵyr) or the Gower Peninsula () in southwest Wales, projects towards the Bristol Channel. It is the most westerly part of the historic county of Glamorgan. In 1956, the majority of Gower became the first area in the United Kingdom ...

, which it owns.

Surf lifesaving

The

Surf Life Saving Association of Wales The Surf Life Saving Association of Wales (SLSAW) (formed 1969) is the Governing bodies of sports in Wales, national governing body of surf lifesaving in Wales. It is a voluntary, not-for-profit, Charitable organization, registered charity organisa ...

(SLSAW) (formed 1969) is the governing body of

surf lifesaving Surf lifesaving is a multifaceted social movement that comprises key aspects of voluntary lifeguard services and competitive surf sport. Originating in early 20th century Australia, the movement has expanded globally to other countries, inc ...

in Wales. Its goal is "to prevent the loss of life through drowning". The SLSAW organise regional and national competitions—such as the SLSA Wales Stillwater Leagues and the SLSA Wales Ocean Masters Championships—and select and manage the Wales squad for international events, including the Celtic Challenge Cup. It has 26 affiliated voluntary lifeguard clubs and over 1500 members (adult and junior). The Surf Life Saving Association of Wales is based in

Llantwit Major Llantwit Major ( cy, Llanilltud Fawr) is a town and community (Wales), community in Wales on the Bristol Channel coast. It is one of four towns in the Vale of Glamorgan, with the third largest population (13,366 in 2001) after Barry, Vale of Gl ...

Swimming

Swim Wales Swim Wales ( cy, Nofio Cymru) (WASA) (founded 1897 as the Welsh Amateur Swimming Association) is the national governing body of diving, swimming (including open water and synchronised swimming) and water polo, in Wales. It is responsible for es ...

() (WASA) (founded 1897 as the Welsh Amateur Swimming Association) is the governing body of diving,

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

(including open water and

synchronised swimming Synchronized swimming (in British English, synchronised swimming) or artistic swimming is a sport where swimmers perform a synchronized choreographed routine, accompanied by music. The sport is governed internationally by FINA (the ''Fédératio ...

) and

water polo Water polo is a competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the ball into the opposing team's goal. The team with th ...

, in Wales. It is responsible for establishing the laws of the sport, for organising certification and education programmes for coaches, officials and teachers and for recreational swimming, aiming to ensure that everybody in Wales has the opportunity to learn to swim. Swim Wales is structured regionally—with over 90 member clubs and a combined membership of over 9,800 members in the South East Wales, West Wales and North Wales regions—supporting their affiliated swimming, diving, water polo, masters and disabled clubs. It manages the development of competitive swimming sports from starter to international level, and organises competitions, including closed, national and open championships. Swim Wales is based at the

Wales National Pool The Wales National Pool ( cy, Pwll Cenedlaethol Cymru) is a 50-metre swimming pool in the Sketty area of Swansea, Wales. The main pool is 50 m long and 21 m wide, so it does not meet the FINA definition of an Olympic size pool. History The ...

, Sketty, Swansea.

Table Tennis

The

Table Tennis Association of Wales The Table Tennis Association of Wales ( cy, Cymdeithas Tenis Bwrdd Cymru) (TTAW) (founded 1921) is the national governing body of table tennis in Wales. It is affiliated to the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and the European Table T ...

() (TTAW) (founded 1921) is the governing body of

table tennis Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table div ...

in Wales. It is affiliated to the

International Table Tennis Federation The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) is the governing body for all national table tennis associations. The role of the ITTF includes overseeing rules and regulations and seeking technological improvement for the sport of table ten ...

(ITTF) and the

European Table Tennis Union The European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) is the governing body of the sport of table tennis in Europe, and is the only authority recognised for this purpose by the International Table Tennis Federation. The ETTU deals with all matters relating to t ...

, and was a founding member of both organisations, in 1926 and 1956 respectively. The TTAW has over 1000 members, regulates and manages competitions—including ten leagues, the Welsh Open Championships, the Welsh Closed Championships and the Team Championship of Wales— and is responsible for the selection, organisation and management of the Welsh national representative teams. The Wales men's team was ranked 43 in the world (of 132 ranked country associations) by the ITTF, as at 2 July 2009. The Table Tennis Association of Wales is based in

Wrexham Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...

Tennis

Tennis Wales () is the national governing body for

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball cov ...

in Wales. It is part of the British tennis governing body, the Lawn Tennis Association. Tennis Wales has 98 affiliated clubs, who have just under 12,000 members between them. Tennis Wales organises junior, open and veterans' tournaments, including local and regional leagues—

North Wales North Wales ( cy, Gogledd Cymru) is a regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders Mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, ...

and

South Wales South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...

—and county teams. Tennis Wales is based at The Welsh National Tennis Centre, East Moors, Cardiff, and has a regional office in

Tenpin Bowling

The

Tenpin Bowling Association of Wales The Tenpin Bowling Association of Wales ( cy, Cymdeithas Bowlio Deg Cymru) (TBAW) is the national Governing bodies of sports in Wales, governing body for tenpin bowling in Wales. It is a member of the Fédération Internationale des Quilleurs ( en, ...

() (TBAW) is the national governing body for

tenpin bowling Ten-pin bowling is a type of bowling in which a bowler rolls a bowling ball down a wood or synthetic lane toward ten pins positioned evenly in four rows in an equilateral triangle. The objective is to knock down all ten pins on the first roll ...

in Wales. It is a member of the

Fédération Internationale des Quilleurs International Bowling Federation (IBF), known as the Fédération Internationale des Quilleurs (FIQ) from 1952 to April 2014) and as World Bowling (WB) from April 2014 to November 2020, is the world governing body of nine-pin and ten-pin bowling ...

( en, International Bowling Federation) and the

European Tenpin Bowling Federation The European Tenpin Bowling Federation (ETBF) is a ten-pin bowling organisation that hosts the worldwide European Bowling Tour (EBT), similar to that of the tour held by the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA). The EBT is one of three tours (E ...

—the "European Zone" of the

World Tenpin Bowling Association The World Tenpin Bowling Association is the world governing body of ten-pin bowling, and one of the two sections of the International Bowling Federation International Bowling Federation (IBF), known as the Fédération Internationale des Quille ...

. The TBAW organises leagues and tournaments, including qualifying competitions from which the top male and female players are invited to represent Wales in international competitions. The Tenpin Bowling Association of Wales is based in

Triathlon

Welsh Triathlon () is the governing body for

triathlon A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the time transitioning between the ...

in Wales. It aims to promote and develop the sports of triathlon and

duathlon Duathlon is an athletic event that consists of a running leg, followed by a cycling leg and then another running leg in a format similar to triathlons. The International Triathlon Union governs the sport internationally. Distance and format ...

in Wales, and to encourage participation in them. Welsh Triathlon is developing a club structure for triathlon and duathlon and is responsible for the Wales representative squad in international competition. It has 24 affiliated clubs.

Volleyball

Sport Wales recognise the Welsh Volleyball Association as the governing body for

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...

in Wales. However, "With there being no current active Welsh Volleyball Association, all volleyball within Welsh boundaries comes under Volleyball England's jurisdiction." Volleyball England aim to have Welsh representation at the 2009

UK School Games The School Games (formerly known as UK School Games) is an annual sporting competition for elite school-age athletes in the United Kingdom that began in 2006. The event was based on an Olympic Games model, with multiple sports events held across a ...

, due to be held in Wales the first time – in Cardiff, Newport and Swansea.

References

{{Governing bodies of sports in Wales

Sports governing bodies A sports governing body is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function. Sports governing bodies come in various forms and have a variety of regulatory functions. Examples of this can include disciplinary action for rule ...