Wales at the Commonwealth Games
Encyclopedia
Wales is one of six countries to have competed in every Commonwealth Games
since 1930, the others being Australia
, Canada
, England, New Zealand
and Scotland. The Commonwealth Games is the only major sporting event that Wales takes part in, apart from the Rugby World Cup
, as in other events, such as the Olympic Games
, they compete under the banner of the United Kingdom
.
The Commonwealth Games Council for Wales manages the team's entry to the games and supports Welsh athletes in their participation.
Wales has hosted one Commonwealth Games to date, the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
in Cardiff
.
After the 2010 Commonwealth Games
, Wales was ninth in the All-time tally of medals
, with an overall total of 236 medals (51 gold, 78 silver and 107 bronze).
The most gold medals that Wales won in a Commonwealth Games was 10, at the 1990 Commonwealth Games
in Auckland
. The largest medal haul was at the 2002 Commonwealth Games
in Manchester
, at which Wales won 31 medals including six gold.
Figures represented in bold are the highest scoring medal tally for each individual medal.
Team Wales uses the Welsh national flag, Y Ddraig Goch
, at the Commonwealth Games. This flag is common for all sporting teams that represent Wales as an entity distinct from the United Kingdom
.
The traditional Welsh national anthem Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
is used as the Welsh victory anthem at the Commonwealth games.
The team goes by the abbreviation WAL.
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
since 1930, the others being Australia
Australia at the Commonwealth Games
Australia became independent of the United Kingdom in 1901 and officially became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations in 1931 under the Statute of Westminster....
, Canada
Canada at the Commonwealth Games
Canada has participated in every Commonwealth Games since the first ever British Empire Games held in Hamilton, Ontario in 1930, one of only six countries to have done so...
, England, New Zealand
New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games
Since the first in 1930, New Zealand has competed in all 19 editions of the Commonwealth Games and has won a total of 564 medals including 130 gold....
and Scotland. The Commonwealth Games is the only major sporting event that Wales takes part in, apart from the Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
, as in other events, such as the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, they compete under the banner of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
The Commonwealth Games Council for Wales manages the team's entry to the games and supports Welsh athletes in their participation.
Wales has hosted one Commonwealth Games to date, the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
The 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Cardiff, capital of Wales from 18–26 July 1958.Thirty-five nations sent a total of 1,130 athletes and 228 officials to the Cardiff Games and 23 countries and dependencies won medals, including, for the first time, Singapore, Ghana, Kenya...
in 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...
.
Overall medals tally
 |
 |
 |
Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 WalesWales 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... |
51 | 78 | 107 | 235 |
After the 2010 Commonwealth Games
2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
, Wales was ninth in the All-time tally of medals
All-time medal tally of Commonwealth Games
This page shows the all-time medal table for the Commonwealth Games. The table is updated as of 14 October 2010, the day the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi ended....
, with an overall total of 236 medals (51 gold, 78 silver and 107 bronze).
The most gold medals that Wales won in a Commonwealth Games was 10, at the 1990 Commonwealth Games
1990 Commonwealth Games
The 1990 Commonwealth Games were held in Auckland, New Zealand from 24 January-3 February 1990. It was the 14th Commonwealth Games, and part of New Zealand's 1990 sesquicentennial celebrations. Participants competed in ten sports: athletics, aquatics, badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, judo,...
in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
. The largest medal haul was at the 2002 Commonwealth Games
2002 Commonwealth Games
The 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The XVII Commonwealth Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, eclipsing London's 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and athletes participating.After the 1996 Manchester...
in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, at which Wales won 31 medals including six gold.
Figures represented in bold are the highest scoring medal tally for each individual medal.
| Year | |
|
|
Total | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 19 | 15th |
| 2006 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 19 | 13th |
| 2002 | 6 | 13 | 12 | 31 | 9th |
| 1998 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 10th |
| 1994 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 19 | 9th |
| 1990 | 10 | 3 | 12 | 25 | 6th |
| 1986 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 22 | 5th |
| 1982 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 8th |
| 1978 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 9th |
| 1974 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 12th |
| 1970 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 12th |
| 1966 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 11th |
| 1962 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 13th |
| 1958 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 11th |
| 1954 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 13th |
| 1950 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10th |
| 1938 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6th |
| 1934 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 8th |
| 1930 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7th |
Flag and victory anthem
Flag of Wales
The Flag of Wales consists of a red dragon passant on a green and white field. As with many heraldic charges, the exact representation of the dragon is not standardised and many renderings exist....
, at the Commonwealth Games. This flag is common for all sporting teams that represent Wales as an entity distinct from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
The traditional Welsh national anthem Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau is the national anthem of Wales. The title – taken from the first words of the song – means "Old Land of My Fathers", usually rendered in English as simply "Land of My Fathers". The words were written by Evan James and the tune composed by his son, James James, both residents...
is used as the Welsh victory anthem at the Commonwealth games.
The team goes by the abbreviation WAL.