Glamorgan County RFC
Encyclopedia
Glamorgan County RFC is a Welsh
rugby union
club that manages an invitational team, known as Glamorgan that originally played rugby at county level. The team is made up of amateur players from sports clubs in the Glamorgan
region and historically played matches against other county teams from Wales and England, and during the 20th century was a key fixture for touring international teams. Today the club manages Glamorgan's premier rugby union tournament, the Glamorgan County Silver Ball Trophy
, and arranges invitational Glamorgan teams to face Welsh rugby clubs during celebrations, such as anniversaries.
, and played regular fixtures with other teams in South Wales. Newport RFC's first acknowledged game was against this team, which ended in a draw. During the 1875/76 season Glamorgan RFC merged with Tredegarville and Wanderers Football Clubs to become Cardiff RFC
. This team was purely a club team, and did not represent the county of Glamorgan.
In 1875 the South Wales Football Club was formed and began arranging matches with players from varying clubs in South Wales, its main intention was to play rugby matches with teams in the west of England. In 1878 the South Wales team played a fixture with Monmouthshire at Sophia Gardens
, one of the earliest games in Wales played with teams made up of invited players, rather than club sides. By 1881 the South Wales Football Club disbanded and was superseded by the Wales national rugby union team
.
In 1888 the New Zealand Natives toured Britain, and played several matches against representative counties, but all of them in England. By 1894 a Glamorgan County team was in existence, playing matches against English county teams. The county team took in players from southern Welsh teams such as Aberavon
, Cardiff, Cardiff Harlequins
, Morriston
, Neath
, Penarth
and Swansea
. New Zealand had just been beaten by the Welsh national team, in a game labeled by the press as the "Game of the Century", and much of the Welsh team were expected to play for the Glamorgan side. For varying reason's much of the team pulled out, leaving only Dai Jones, Jack Williams
and Will Joseph
from the victorious Wales team. The rest of the team was made up from players from Cardiff, Swansea, Penarth, Mountain Ash
and Neath, most of the team had little experience of playing together and contained little international exposure. Unsuprisngly Glamorgan lost, but the 9-0 score line was the result of a close game.
The next year Glamorgan was invited to form another team, this time against the first touring South African team.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club that manages an invitational team, known as Glamorgan that originally played rugby at county level. The team is made up of amateur players from sports clubs in the Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
region and historically played matches against other county teams from Wales and England, and during the 20th century was a key fixture for touring international teams. Today the club manages Glamorgan's premier rugby union tournament, the Glamorgan County Silver Ball Trophy
Glamorgan County Silver Ball Trophy
The Glamorgan County Silver Ball Trophy , is a Welsh rugby union competition open to all non-premier Welsh Rugby Union clubs playing in the Glamorganshire area....
, and arranges invitational Glamorgan teams to face Welsh rugby clubs during celebrations, such as anniversaries.
Genesis of a Glamorgan team
The first rugby team to call itself Glamorgan RFC was based in CardiffCardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, and played regular fixtures with other teams in South Wales. Newport RFC's first acknowledged game was against this team, which ended in a draw. During the 1875/76 season Glamorgan RFC merged with Tredegarville and Wanderers Football Clubs to become Cardiff RFC
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
. This team was purely a club team, and did not represent the county of Glamorgan.
In 1875 the South Wales Football Club was formed and began arranging matches with players from varying clubs in South Wales, its main intention was to play rugby matches with teams in the west of England. In 1878 the South Wales team played a fixture with Monmouthshire at Sophia Gardens
Sophia Gardens
Sophia Gardens , currently known as SWALEC Stadium under a naming rights deal, is a cricket stadium on the west bank of the River Taff in Cardiff, 1.6 kilometres north of Cardiff Arms Park. It was named after Lady Sophia Rawdon-Hastings...
, one of the earliest games in Wales played with teams made up of invited players, rather than club sides. By 1881 the South Wales Football Club disbanded and was superseded by the Wales national rugby union team
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
.
In 1888 the New Zealand Natives toured Britain, and played several matches against representative counties, but all of them in England. By 1894 a Glamorgan County team was in existence, playing matches against English county teams. The county team took in players from southern Welsh teams such as Aberavon
Aberavon RFC
Aberavon RFC is a rugby union club located in the Welsh town of Port Talbot, although the club's name refers to the older settlement of Aberavon which lies on the western side of the town...
, Cardiff, Cardiff Harlequins
Cardiff Harlequins RFC
Cardiff Harlequins RFC was a rugby union club located in the Welsh capital city of Cardiff. The team provided several international players during the late 19th century, most notably Gwyn Nicholls, who after leaving the club not only represented Wales but also played for the British Isles on their...
, Morriston
Morriston RFC
Morriston Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the village of Morriston, Swansea in West Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Ospreys....
, Neath
Neath RFC
Neath Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. The club's home ground is The Gnoll, Neath. The first team is known as the Welsh All Blacks because of the team colours: black with only a white cross pattée as an emblem...
, Penarth
Penarth RFC
Penarth Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club based since 1924 at The Athletic Field, Lavernock Road, in Penarth, in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales.-Origins and early history:...
and Swansea
Swansea RFC
Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
First international games
After the New Zealand Maori team of 1888, the next international touring team to visit Britain was the Original All Blacks in 1905. Glamorgan County were chosen as one of four Welsh clubs, along with the Wales national team to host New Zealand. The match was played on the 21 December 1905 at St. Helen's at SwanseaSwansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
. New Zealand had just been beaten by the Welsh national team, in a game labeled by the press as the "Game of the Century", and much of the Welsh team were expected to play for the Glamorgan side. For varying reason's much of the team pulled out, leaving only Dai Jones, Jack Williams
Jack Williams (rugby player)
John Frederick 'Jack' Williams was a Welsh international rugby union lock who played club rugby for London Welsh...
and Will Joseph
Will Joseph
Will Joseph was a Welsh international rugby union player. He was a member of the winning Welsh team who beat the 1905 touring All Blacks. He played club rugby for Swansea and county rugby for Glamorgan....
from the victorious Wales team. The rest of the team was made up from players from Cardiff, Swansea, Penarth, Mountain Ash
Mountain Ash RFC
Mountain Ash RFC is a Welsh rugby union team from the town of Mountain Ash, in the Cynon Valley, South Wales. Mountain Ash RFC is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Cardiff Blues.-Early history:...
and Neath, most of the team had little experience of playing together and contained little international exposure. Unsuprisngly Glamorgan lost, but the 9-0 score line was the result of a close game.
The next year Glamorgan was invited to form another team, this time against the first touring South African team.
Games played against international opposition
| Year | Date | Opponent | Result | Score | Tour | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1905 | 21 December | Loss | 0-9 | 1905 Original All Blacks tour | St. Helen's, Swansea Swansea Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands... |
|
| 1906 | 31 October | South Africa South Africa national rugby union team The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental... |
Loss | 3-6 | 1906 South Africa rugby union tour 1906 South Africa rugby union tour The 1906-07 South Africa tour of Britain, Ireland and France was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the South Africa national rugby union team against the four British Home Nation teams... |
Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World... , Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... |
| 1908 | 7 October | Loss | 3-16 | 1908-09 Australia rugby union tour of the British Isles and France | Taff Vale Park, Pontypridd Pontypridd Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff... |
|
| 1912 | 17 October | Loss | 3-35 | 1912-13 South Africa rugby union tour 1912-13 South Africa rugby union tour The 1912–13 South Africa rugby union tour was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the South Africa national rugby union team against England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and France. The tour also took in several matches against British and Irish club, county and invitational teams... |
Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World... , Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... |
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