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Welsh Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU; ) 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, overseeing 320 member clubs, the Welsh national team and National Leagues and Cups. The WRU is headed by the President ( Terry Cobner), chairman (Richard Collier-Keywood) and CEO ( Abi Tierney). History The roots of the Welsh Rugby Union lay in the creation of the South Wales Football Union (SWFU) in September 1875; formed, "...with the intention of playing matches with the principal clubs in the West of England and the neighbourhood. The rugby rules will be the code adopted. The South Wales Football Club was superseded in 1878 by the South Wales Football Union in an attempt to bring greater regulation to the sport and to select representatives from club sides to represent the international game. The SWFU though were poorly organised, and although they arranged ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rugby Europe
Rugby Europe is the administrative body for rugby union in Europe. It was formed in 1999 to promote, develop, organise, and administer the game of rugby in Europe under the authority of World Rugby (the sport's global governing body). However, it is not responsible for the organisation of the Six Nations Championship or the competitions run by European Professional Club Rugby (the European Rugby Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup, Challenge Cup). The predecessor to Rugby Europe was the Fédération Internationale de Rugby Amateur (FIRA), which was established in 1934 to administer rugby union in Europe outside the authority of the International Rugby Football Board (as World Rugby was then called), and came to spread outside the continent. FIRA agreed to come under the auspices of World Rugby in the 1990s, and appended 'Association Européenne de Rugby' to its name in a return to being a European body. In 2014 the organisation was renamed Rugby Europe as part of a re-branding. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club () is a rugby union club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876Parry-Jones (1989), pg 59 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, shortly after which relocating to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since. They built a reputation as one of the great clubs in world rugby, largely through a series of wins against international touring sides. Cardiff have beaten both South AfricaParry-Jones (1989), pg 63 and New Zealand,Parry-Jones (1989), pg 64 and Australia have failed to beat the club in six attempts. Through its history Cardiff RFC have provided more players to the Welsh national side and British and Irish Lions than any other Welsh club. Following the 2003 regionalisation of Welsh rugby, Cardiff Rugby became the professional arm of the organisation with the team branded Cardiff RFC playing in the semi pro Welsh Premier League. The Rugby section of the Cardiff Athletic Club, run an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brecon RFC
Brecon Rugby Football Club () is a rugby union club from the town of Brecon, Mid Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for Cardiff Rugby. Since 2024, the club has played in the Welsh Premier Division. Origins The club was one of the eleven founding members of the Welsh Rugby Union in 1881. Brecon, along with Pontypool RFC, Pontypool, Llandovery College, Lampeter College, Llandeilo RFC, Llandeilo and Merthyr RFC, Merthyr inaugurated the South Wales Cup competition in the 1877-78 season. The first recorded match with a Brecon rugby team first appeared on 9 November 1867 in "The Brecon County Times" where a Town team from Brecon lost 2-0 to Christ's College, Brecon on 6 November 1867. An ad appeared on 24 October 1868, in The Brecon County Times, stating the formation of a new club in the town, playing their inaugural match on 21 October 1868 on the cricket field, with the captain's side beating the secretaries side. Their kit for the match was "w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bangor RFC
Bangor Rugby Football Club (Welsh: Clwb Rygbi Bangor) is a Welsh rugby union team based in Bangor, North Wales. Bangor RFC is a founding member of the Welsh Rugby Union. The club fields a Seniors, Youth, Juniors and Ladies teams. History Bangor RFC was formed in 1876, with three players in the team who would eventually represent their country, Hugh Vincent, Charles Allen and Godfrey Darbishire. In 1881 Bangor RFC sent representatives to the Castle Hotel in Neath where they were one of the clubs that formed the Welsh Rugby Union. That same year Bangor RFC player Godfrey Darbishire played in the first Welsh international against England. All competitive rugby ceased in Wales after the outbreak of World War I, and Bangor RFC disbanded. Although rugby was played after the War it wasn't until 1929 that Bangor RFC reformed and played in the North Wales Rugby Union league.''Fields of Praise, The Official History of the Welsh Rugby Union 1881-1981'' pp271, David Smith, Gareth William ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Merthyr RFC
Merthyr RFC is a Wales, Welsh rugby union club based in Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales. Merthyr RFC are members of the Welsh Rugby Union, playing in the Principality Premiership, and are a feeder club for Cardiff Rugby. Early history Merthyr's first reported match was an association football match played on 14/09/1876, when Merthyr lost 3-0 to Mr. Lloyd's School (Merthyr). The first public rugby game involving Merthyr was on 23 November 1876 against a side from Brecon. The result is believed to have been a draw. Merthyr RFC are recognised as one of the eleven clubs present on 12 April 1881 for the formation of the Welsh Rugby Union. The club, along with Brecon RFC, Brecon, Pontypool RFC, Pontypool, Llandovery College, Lampeter College and Llandeilo RFC, Llandeilo then inaugurated the South Wales Cup competition in the 1877-78 season. During these early years Merthyr RFC played at the Plymouth Ground at Pentrebach and were known as Merthyr Alexandra. Around 1889 it seems Merthyr di ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pontypool RFC
Pontypool Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in the town of Pontypool, which plays in the Super Rygbi Cymru league. Since the regionalisation of Welsh rugby in 2003, Pontypool RFC is now a feeder club to the Dragons regional team. Pontypool play their home matches at Pontypool Park. Their traditional home kit is a red, white and black-hooped shirt and socks with white shorts, although they did gradually shift to wearing black shorts post-2003. Pontypool has a long history within Welsh rugby and is one of the country's most notable clubs, being present at the formation of the Welsh Rugby Union in 1881, but disbanding before the turn of the 19th century. The club reformed in 1901 and produced many notable Wales and British Lions international players, including the Jones brothers in the early 20th century and the famed 'Pontypool Front Row' of Charlie Faulkner, Graham Price and Bobby Windsor in the 1970s. The club's 'Golden Era' is generally accepted as the 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neath
Neath (; ) is a market town and Community (Wales), community situated in the Neath Port Talbot, 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. Historic counties of Wales, Historically in Glamorgan, the town is located on the River Neath, east-northeast of Swansea. Etymology The town's English name ultimately derives from "" the original Welsh name for the River Neath and is known to be Proto-Celtic language, Celtic or Pre-Celtic. A meaning of 'shining' or 'brilliant' has been suggested, as has a link to the older Indo-European root (simply meaning 'river'). As such, the town may share its etymology with the town of Stratton, Cornwall and the River Nidd in Northern England. History Roman fort The town is located at a ford (crossing), ford of the River Neath and its strategic situation is evident by a number of Celts, Celtic hill forts, surrounding the town. The Ro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Swansea RFC
Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Super Rygbi Cymru. The club play at St Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea and are also known as ''The Whites,'' in reference to their home kit colours. History The club was founded in 1872 as an association football team, switching to the rugby code in 1874, and in 1881 it became one of the eleven founder clubs of the Welsh Rugby Union.Smith (1980), pg 41. In the early twentieth century Swansea RFC was an extremely successful club. For four consecutive seasons Swansea were the unofficial Welsh champions from the 1898–99 season through to 1901/02, coinciding with the heyday of Swansea's first star player Billy Bancroft. Under the captaincy of Frank Gordon the team would later go on a 22-month unbeaten run, from December 1903 through to October 1905. During this period Swansea appeared to be under-represented at international level. Gordon himself went uncapped throughout his entire career, an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pontypridd RFC
Pontypridd Rugby Football Club () is a rugby union team from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It competes in the Admiral Premiership and the WRU Premiership Cup, a trophy which they won for the 7th time in 2025. Their last league title winning campaign came in 2015. Established in 1876, Pontypridd RFC play their home games on the banks of the River Rhondda at Sardis Road, Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf in Wales, with their age-grade section playing at Taff Vale Park in Pontypridd, and Pontypridd High School Fields in nearby Cilfynydd. Pontypridd RFC experienced a successful period during the 1990s—referred to as the club's "Golden Age"—under head coach Dennis John, and they enjoyed further success between 2001 and 2003 with the appointment of head coach Lynn Howells. The transition to Regional Rugby in Wales in 2003 saw the downgrading of Pontypridd to a semi-professional team, followed by financial difficulties for the club and the eventual demise of Pontypr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Newport RFC
Newport Rugby Football Club () is a Welsh rugby union club based in the city of Newport, Wales. They presently play in the Super Rygbi Cymru. Until 2021 Newport RFC were based at Rodney Parade situated on the east bank of the River Usk. Every major rugby union touring team to visit Wales has played at Rodney Parade, and all of them were beaten at least once in the twentieth century by a side who, in 1951, played in the match at Cardiff RFC that attracted what was, a world-record crowd of 48,500 for a rugby union match between two clubs. In addition to matches against all the major national sides a highlight of the Newport season was the annual match against the Barbarians, ensuring that the Newport fans enjoyed watching world-class players to supplement the Welsh internationals who were a common feature of the 'Black and Ambers'. Newport supplied over 150 players to the Wales national team and international players to England, Scotland, Ireland, South Africa, Czech Republi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neath RFC
Neath Rugby Football Club () is a Welsh rugby union club which plays in the Indigo Premiership for Season 2024/25. The club's home ground is The Gnoll, Neath. The team is known as the All Blacks because of the team colours: black with only a white cross pattée as an emblem. They were formed in 1871. They are feeder club to the Ospreys regional team. History Early history Neath Rugby Football club was established in 1871 by a consortium of ten enthusiasts, their captain at the time, T. P. Whittington would later play international rugby for Scotland in 1873. The club's nickname, 'The Welsh All Blacks', comes from their iconic strip of black jersey, shorts and socks with a white cross pattée. The origin of the team colours is not known for sure. Originally the club's players represented the team in various dark kits and the Cross pattée was introduced by one of their players, thought to have been E.C. Moxham, "to break the monotony". Neath's cross pattée is often incorrec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Llanelli RFC
Llanelli Rugby Football Club () is a Welsh rugby union club founded on 30 March 1872. The club's historic home ground was Stradey Park in Llanelli, but they moved in 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent Pemberton. The club song is " Sosban Fach", a Welsh song meaning "Little Saucepan", which is sometimes sung by the club's fans during matches as the club anthem. The team colours are scarlet and white. Following the 2003 regionalisation of Welsh rugby, Llanelli is now a feeder club to the Scarlets regional team. Club history In the beginning After attending a Good Friday service in chapel, a group of young athletes from Llanelli met to discuss the formation of a new rugby club in the area. One of those men was John D. Rogers, a young industrialist who had learned to play rugby union football at Rugby School, the game's birthplace. He was assisted by C. Hilton, who became the club's inaugural honorary secretary. On Easter Saturday, 30 March 1872, the group rec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
