Robin McBryde
Encyclopedia
Robin Currie McBryde is a former rugby union
player who gained 37 rugby union
caps for Wales
as a hooker between 1994 and 2005.
McBryde was born in Bangor
, and first played club rugby for Porthaethwy (Menai Bridge
), then for Yr Wyddgrug (Mold) and for the North Wales team. He then moved to South Wales in search of a higher standard of rugby. He joined Swansea
then moved to Llanelli
, making his first appearance for the club on 1 October 1994 against Cardiff
. He captained Llanelli when they won the Welsh Cup in 1998 and the Welsh Championship in 1999 and later played for the Llanelli Scarlets
regional side when they were formed in 2003. He played 250 games for Llanelli and the Scarlets between 1994 and 2005.
He won his first cap for Wales against Fiji
in 1994. His last international appearance was as a replacement in the match against Ireland
in March 2005 which saw Wales clinch the Grand Slam
.
He was selected for the British and Irish Lions
2001 tour to Australia
, but was forced out of the tour by injury. Injury also meant that he missed the 2003 Six Nations Championship
.
In August 2005 he announced his retirement from rugby following surgery to remove a disc from the top of his spine. He was appointed coach of the Scarlets Regional Under 18 team, subsequently appointed forwards coach for the Welsh national team. In June 2009 he was caretaker head coach of the Wales national team for the two match North American tour during Warren Gatland
's absence as assistant coach to the British and Irish Lions
. Wales won both matches against Canada and USA.
McBryde worked as an overhead linesman before becoming a professional player, and won the "Wales' strongest man" competition in 1992. In 2007, he took over the role of Grand Sword Bearer at the National Eisteddfod of Wales
from Ray Gravell
.
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...
player who gained 37 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...
caps for Wales
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...
as a hooker between 1994 and 2005.
McBryde was born in Bangor
Bangor, Wales
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
, and first played club rugby for Porthaethwy (Menai Bridge
Menai Bridge
Menai Bridge is a small town and community on the Isle of Anglesey in north Wales. It overlooks the Menai Strait and lies by the Menai Suspension Bridge, built in 1826 by Thomas Telford...
), then for Yr Wyddgrug (Mold) and for the North Wales team. He then moved to South Wales in search of a higher standard of rugby. He joined 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...
then moved to Llanelli
Llanelli RFC
Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
, making his first appearance for the club on 1 October 1994 against Cardiff
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...
. He captained Llanelli when they won the Welsh Cup in 1998 and the Welsh Championship in 1999 and later played for the Llanelli Scarlets
Llanelli Scarlets
The Scarlets are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Llanelli, south-west Wales the team play at the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, as well as competing in the LV= Cup and the Heineken Cup...
regional side when they were formed in 2003. He played 250 games for Llanelli and the Scarlets between 1994 and 2005.
He won his first cap for Wales against Fiji
Fiji national rugby union team
The Fiji national rugby union team is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance formerly along with Samoa and Tonga. In 2009, Samoa announced their departure from the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, leaving just Fiji and Tonga. Fiji are ranked sixteenth in the world by the IRB as of 26...
in 1994. His last international appearance was as a replacement in the match against Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
in March 2005 which saw Wales clinch the Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
.
He was selected for the British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
2001 tour to Australia
2001 British Lions tour to Australia
The 2001 British and Irish Lions tour to Australia was a series of matches played by the British Lions rugby union team in Australia.This tour followed the Lions' 1997 tour to South Africa and preceded the 2005 tour to New Zealand....
, but was forced out of the tour by injury. Injury also meant that he missed the 2003 Six Nations Championship
2003 Six Nations Championship
The 2003 Six Nations Championship was the fourth series of the Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-ninth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship...
.
In August 2005 he announced his retirement from rugby following surgery to remove a disc from the top of his spine. He was appointed coach of the Scarlets Regional Under 18 team, subsequently appointed forwards coach for the Welsh national team. In June 2009 he was caretaker head coach of the Wales national team for the two match North American tour during Warren Gatland
Warren Gatland
Warren David Gatland is a former New Zealand rugby footballer and the current head coach of the Wales national team.Gatland was born in Hamilton, New Zealand and educated at Hamilton Boys' High School and Waikato University...
's absence as assistant coach to the British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
. Wales won both matches against Canada and USA.
McBryde worked as an overhead linesman before becoming a professional player, and won the "Wales' strongest man" competition in 1992. In 2007, he took over the role of Grand Sword Bearer at the National Eisteddfod of Wales
National Eisteddfod of Wales
The National Eisteddfod of Wales is the most important of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales.- Organisation :...
from Ray Gravell
Ray Gravell
Raymond William Robert "Ray" Gravell was a Welsh rugby union centre who played club rugby for Llanelli RFC. At international level Gravell earned 23 caps for Wales and was selected for the 1980 British Lions tour to South Africa.In his later career he would become a respected broadcaster and...
.