Welsh
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 ...
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the Comparison of rugby league and rugby union, two codes of ru ...
team based in Pembroke Dock. The club is a member of 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, ove ...
(WRU) and is a
feeder club
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...
for the Llanelli Scarlets. They are known locally as simply the 'Quins'. The team was founded in 1880, a year before the creation of the WRU and the formation of the Wales national team.
The club joined the Welsh Rugby Union in 1896, making the club one of the earliest teams from the region to gain membership. The clubs records from 1923 to 1999 are presently held by the historical society, Archive Wales.
Homeground
Pembroke Dock play all their home games at the Bierspool Ground located on London Road where they have been located since 1956. There is a stand with seating on the east side of the pitch built onto the side of the clubhouse, changing rooms and function hall. There is also a training pitch located behind the changing rooms. Prior to this they played their home games at the Barrack Hill ground.
Pembroke Dock traditionally play in Black and White colours. The current strip is black and white horizontal bands. The team wear black shorts and black socks. The away strip (and 'seconds' strip) is the same as the home but with red bands in place of the black.
League
Pembroke Dock were promoted from Division Four West at the end of the 2003/04 season after finishing as runners-up in the division. They produced some very good results in the 2004/05 season in order to finish fifth of fourteen in the league and stay in Division 3 West for the 2005/06 season. The 2006/07 season saw the Quins finish ninth, but a poor season in 2007/08 resulted in the club finish eleventh out of twelve teams. The club has managed to remain in Division Four West since, finishing in tenth position in the 2009/10 season.
Notable players
Although no players have won an international cap directly from the club, the Harlequins have produced notable rugby talents that have gone on to represent their country. The most notable was
W. J. A. Davies
William John Abbott "Dave" Davies OBE (21 June 1890 – 26 April 1967) was a Welsh rugby union footballer who played international rugby for England normally positioned at fly-half. He also captained his country.
Career
Davies was born ...
, who was educated at the Naval school in Pembroke Dock, and would eventually go on to captain
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
. One of the most notable Wales players to play for Pembroke Dock was
Ernie Finch
Ernie Finch (16 July 1899 - 1 October 1983) ESPN Scrum.com was a
Llanelli
Llanelli ("St Elli's llan (placename element), Parish"; ) is a market town and the largest community in Carmarthenshire and the Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county of Dyfed, Wales. It is located on the Loughor estuary north-west of ...
. He is best remembered for scoring a try for Llanelli against the 'Invincible' 1924 touring New Zealand team.
Pembroke Dock Harlequins now operate a Senior XV and Development XV and competition is encouraged. Both teams train together on a Tuesday & Thursday at 7 o'clock.
Current Senior Squad 2013/2014
Props
Chad Monk
Dai Moseley
Brendan O'Driscoll
Jack Davies
Hookers
Carl Williams
Jacob Newman
Second Row
Mike Davis
Neil Harries
Phil Kay
Back Row
Barry Parsons (Captain)
Joe Powell
Alex Pearce
Nathan George
Hywel Baker
Scrum Half
Dai Rees
Fly Half
Adam Cawley
Centre
Rhys Marchant
Chad Mayer
Adrian John
Wing
Ryan Nielson
Sam Richards
Harley watts
Chris Harries
Fullback
Paul Jonker
luke Barrett
Coaching/management Staff
Head Coach Jeff Newman
Assistant coach Phil Hughes
Management committee
Gavin Lloyd, Tony Manning, Keith Harris