Wales national rugby league team
Encyclopedia
The Wales national rugby league team represent Wales
in international rugby league football matches. Currently the team is seventh in the RLIF World Rankings
. The team were run under the auspices of the Rugby Football League
, but an independent body, Wales Rugby League, now runs the team from Cardiff
. A total of three Welsh players have been entered into the Rugby League Hall Of Fame
.
Similar to many other Welsh national sporting teams, Wales strip has been primarily red for many years, including now. However in their last World Cup campaign in 2000 they did wear a shirt featuring the Welsh flag, adding a touch of green and white. The team is known as "The Dragons" and so the teams logo on the shirt is a red dragon.
The team date back to 1907, making them the third oldest national side after England
and New Zealand
. And it was a touring New Zealand side that Wales first played against in 1908, winning 9-8 at Aberdare
. Since then Wales have regularly played England, since 1935 France
, as well as welcomed the touring Australia and New Zealand teams, although they rarely toured themselves, not playing a match in the Southern Hemisphere
until 1975. For twenty-six years Wales competed against their two biggest rivals, England and France, in the European Nations Cup
, winning the trophy four times.
Wales have also competed in the World Cup
on three occasions, the first time being in 1975
. In 1995
and 2000
they had their most successful tournaments to date, surprisingly making the Semi-Finals on both occasions before being beaten by England and Australia respectively. Wales failed to qualify for the 2008 World Cup
, being the second highest ranked side not to do so, having lost to Scotland
on points difference over two matches.
In 2008 Australian John Dixon
became the new head coach and appointed Lee Briers
as captain, having played for Wales since 1998. In recent seasons Wales have taken massive strides under former player Iestyn Harris
who has coached Wales to back to back European Cup successes which will culminated in a Four Nations
appearance in 2011.
played an international match against the "Other Nationalities
", a team of Welshmen and Scotsmen, in Wigan
. Of the twelve players who played for the Other Nationalities team, as it was a 12-a-side game, ten of them were Welshmen coming from Northern English clubs. At the turn of the century many Welshmen made the switch from rugby union
, wanting to be paid for playing, and although the numbers switching were constantly increasing, the Northern Union
did not think that a Welsh side would be strong enough for England. After 80 minutes however, the Other Nationalities had beaten England 9-3. Nevertheless this team carried on for another two years, playing England annually in 1905 and 1906, losing 26-11 and drawing 3-3 respectively.
's NZ All Golds with their guest Australian star Dally Messenger
arrived in Britain for the inaugural tour by a southern hemisphere side, the first full international was against Wales on New Year's Day 1908. The Welsh rugby league team were contesting their first national fixture, and managed to beat the touring Kiwis 9-8 in Aberdare
in front of 20,000 spectators. This was the first international match played under new "Northern Union" rules, which would later be rapidly changed again, but these rules were a small departure from traditional rugby union rules which had been used in previous international matches (minus the amount of players, which were experimentally changed by the NU several times). The New Zealand team, or the "All Golds" as they were being called by the New Zealand newspapers, had never played rugby by these rules before but did have a week of preparation and training sessions leading up to the match. With this Welsh victory and large crowd, Wales played their second fixture in Tonypandy
, and managed to win that match too recording a 35-18 win against what would soon become their main rival, the England Lions. At the end of 1908 Wales played their third and final fixture of the decade, playing England again, but this time in Broughton
in Greater Manchester
. This time they lost 31-7. However in 1909 another victory was to occur for Welsh Rugby League, with a Welsh League XIII made up of players still playing in Wales beating a touring Australian side.
, touring Australia and New Zealand teams where the only chances to play someone different. Although the two matches against the English played in Wales where played in Ebbw Vale
in Monmouthshire
, the Welsh travelled around England for away matches, playing in Coventry
, Oldham
, Plymouth
and St Helens. Collectively those seven matches in Wales and England produced six defeats for the Welsh team, although there were signs of improvement, in the last match in St Helens the Dragons narrowly lost by just four points, the match ending 16-12. On the 7 October 1911 Wales played Australia for the first time. The match, held at Ebbw Vale again, drew 7,000 people to watch Wales go down 20-28. The match was significant though because throughout the next few decades Australia would play the Dragons in Wales whenever they toured Great Britain
. During and after the First World War many sports suffered, and rugby league in Wales was no exception, the team didn't play a match again until 1921.
After a seven year hiatus Wales once again played England and continued to do so annually throughout the 1920s, apart from in 1924. Because of the long hiatus a large proportion of players competing in the 1921 match were earning their first cap for the team. The first game at Leeds saw Wales lose 35-9 in front of 13,000. A further 13,000 saw the 1921-22 Kangaroo touring side
play Wales in December 1921, this time in Pontypridd
. Like the first time these nations played each other, Australia narrowly defeated the Welsh, the final score being 16-21. In 1922 Wales took part in the first international rugby league match to be played in London
. England beat Wales 12-7 in Herne Hill
but just 3,000 people turned up to watch, one of the lowest attendances to ever watch a Wales match. After four more matches against England in various Rugby League strongholds in Northern England, the Dragons once again played in Wales. Two matches were played in 1926 in Pontypridd, the same year that a Pontypridd domestic side joined the English leagues, although they disbanded a year later. The first match saw finished Wales 22-30 England with a record 23,000 in attendance. The second match saw Wales comfortably beat the touring New Zealand 34-8. Three more matches against England were played including one in November 1928 played in Cardiff
. It was in the twenties that Jim Sullivan, one of three Welsh players to be enrolled into the Rugby League Hall Of Fame, started rising through the ranks at Wigan. A career spanning 25 years saw him play many times for Wales picking up 26 caps, a record that was only beaten in 2010 by Ian Watson. He also represented Great Britain
25 times and Glamorgan & Monmouthshire 12 times.
. On both occasions they failed to win, losing 26-10 and being thrashed 51-19. However at the time Australia were arguably considered the world's second best nation (behind England) and so particularly in the first game, Wales had done very well against the touring Kangaroos. Wales luck against England didn't change either suffering three losses to the Lions in three games, in Huddersfield, Salford and Leeds. They were very unlucky in the latter however, with England winning 14 points to 13. Exactly 27 years after Wales played their first match, they played France for the first time in a new competition called the European Nations Cup, in which Wales, France and England would play two matches each. Wales and France kicked off the tournament on New Year's Day in front of 15,000 in Bordeaux. But the Dragons lost 18-11, and their match against England was just as bad losing 24-11 in Liverpool. The France versus England match finished a 15-15 draw so England won the inaugural competition on points difference. Wales finished bottom. The next European Nations Cup brought better fortunes to the Welsh and they kicked off the competition, which was staged across Winter 1935 and 1936, with a 41-7 thrashing against France. The team were cheered on by 25,000 people at Llanelli, a town considered a rugby union stronghold. And three months later Wales did the unexpected and squeezed past England, winning 14-17 away at Hull. This was a huge result for Wales, having not beaten England since 1923, and they had won the cup for the first time. For the next two competitions Wales successfully defended the cup. A 3-2 win against the English in Pontypridd, coupled with a 9-3 victory in Paris saw Wales clinch the cup for the second time, and then in 1938 the Dragons beat England again by one point in Bradford before beating the French 18-2. In the 1938/1939 tournament, the last to be held for six years because of the Second World War, Wales beat their main rivals England before dramatically losing 16-10 in Bordeaux against Les Tricolores. Because of the French's victory against England, Wales finished second and the cup was taken across the channel.
.
and the international Rugby League Hall of Fame
:
:
that Wales competed in was the 1975 tournament
. All tournaments prior to this one, Wales were represented by Great Britain
. Later on in 1995
and 2000
, Wales represented themselves again, losing in the Semi-Finals in both competitions. Wales could have played in the 2008 World Cup
but didn't qualify.
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...
in international rugby league football matches. Currently the team is seventh in the RLIF World Rankings
RLIF World Rankings
The RLIF World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in the sport of rugby league football. The teams of the member nations of the Rugby League International Federation, rugby league football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful...
. The team were run under the auspices of the Rugby Football League
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
, but an independent body, Wales Rugby League, now runs the team from 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...
. A total of three Welsh players have been entered into the Rugby League Hall Of Fame
Rugby League Hall of Fame
The Rugby League Hall of Fame is an International Hall of Fame that was combined and continually has additions from the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame, British Rugby League Hall of Fame, Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII and the...
.
Similar to many other Welsh national sporting teams, Wales strip has been primarily red for many years, including now. However in their last World Cup campaign in 2000 they did wear a shirt featuring the Welsh flag, adding a touch of green and white. The team is known as "The Dragons" and so the teams logo on the shirt is a red dragon.
The team date back to 1907, making them the third oldest national side after England
England national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
and New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
. And it was a touring New Zealand side that Wales first played against in 1908, winning 9-8 at Aberdare
Aberdare
Aberdare is an industrial town in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Dare and Cynon. The population at the census was 31,705...
. Since then Wales have regularly played England, since 1935 France
France national rugby league team
The France national rugby league team represent France in international rugby league tournaments. They are also sometimes referred to as "Les Tricolores" or more commonly "Les Chanticleers"...
, as well as welcomed the touring Australia and New Zealand teams, although they rarely toured themselves, not playing a match in the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
until 1975. For twenty-six years Wales competed against their two biggest rivals, England and France, in the European Nations Cup
Rugby League European Nations Cup
The European Cup is a rugby league football tournament for European nations that was first held in 1935. The tournament was first started in 1935, with England, Wales and France each playing each other once...
, winning the trophy four times.
Wales have also competed in the World Cup
Rugby League World Cup
The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation . It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954...
on three occasions, the first time being in 1975
1975 Rugby League World Cup
The 1975 Rugby League World Cup was the seventh staging of rugby league football's World Cup tournament...
. In 1995
1995 Rugby League World Cup
The 1995 Rugby League World Cup was held during October in the United Kingdom. It was the eleventh staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was marketed as the Halifax Centenary World Cup, reflecting the tournament's sponsorship and the fact that 1995 marked the 100th birthday of the sport...
and 2000
2000 Rugby League World Cup
The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
they had their most successful tournaments to date, surprisingly making the Semi-Finals on both occasions before being beaten by England and Australia respectively. Wales failed to qualify for the 2008 World Cup
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
, being the second highest ranked side not to do so, having lost to Scotland
Scotland national rugby league team
The Scotland national rugby league team represent Scotland in international rugby league football tournaments. The team is run under the auspices of the Scotland Rugby League, and are nicknamed The Bravehearts. Scotland are not regarded as a test nation...
on points difference over two matches.
In 2008 Australian John Dixon
John Dixon (rugby league)
John Dixon is an Australian former rugby league football coach and player. He played during the 1970s and coached the Welsh Crusaders club of Super League and was also head coach of Wales RL until mid 2009...
became the new head coach and appointed Lee Briers
Lee Briers
Lee Briers is a professional rugby league player who currently plays for Warrington Wolves in the Super League. He previously played for St Helens, and at international level he won 23 caps for Wales, many of those as captain...
as captain, having played for Wales since 1998. In recent seasons Wales have taken massive strides under former player Iestyn Harris
Iestyn Harris
Iestyn Rhys Harris is a Welsh former rugby league footballer, who is currently the assistant coach at Wigan Warriors. Harris is a former Man of Steel winner and has also represented Wales on numerous occasions at both codes of rugby...
who has coached Wales to back to back European Cup successes which will culminated in a Four Nations
Four Nations
Four Nations may refer to:*Rugby League Four Nations - an international rugby league tournament.**2011 Rugby League Four Nations - The next scheduled series....
appearance in 2011.
Foundations
It could be argued that the foundations for the Welsh team began in 1904. On the 5 April 1904 EnglandEngland national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
played an international match against the "Other Nationalities
Other Nationalities rugby league team
The Other Nationalities rugby league team regularly played international, and also county, rugby league football teams in Europe from 1904 to 1975. The team, created in 1904 to play England in the first ever rugby league international match, was at first made up of Welsh and Scottish players...
", a team of Welshmen and Scotsmen, in Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
. Of the twelve players who played for the Other Nationalities team, as it was a 12-a-side game, ten of them were Welshmen coming from Northern English clubs. At the turn of the century many Welshmen made the switch from 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...
, wanting to be paid for playing, and although the numbers switching were constantly increasing, the Northern Union
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
did not think that a Welsh side would be strong enough for England. After 80 minutes however, the Other Nationalities had beaten England 9-3. Nevertheless this team carried on for another two years, playing England annually in 1905 and 1906, losing 26-11 and drawing 3-3 respectively.
The Kiwis In Aberdare
From 1905 to 1910 Rugby League as a sport enjoyed growth, not just in Wales and England, but also on the east coast of Australia and in northern New Zealand. When Albert Henry BaskervilleAlbert Henry Baskerville
Albert Henry Baskerville was a Wellington postal clerk, a rugby union forward, author of the book "Modern Rugby Football: New Zealand Methods; Points for the Beginner, the Player, the Spectator" and a pioneer of rugby league.-Rugby football:Prior to becoming the administrator of the 1908 tour...
's NZ All Golds with their guest Australian star Dally Messenger
Dally Messenger
Herbert Henry "Dally" Messenger was an Australian rugby union and rugby league footballer, recognised as one of the greatest ever players in either code. Messenger, or 'The Master' as he was dubbed, represented his country in both rugby football codes, playing two rugby union tests and seven...
arrived in Britain for the inaugural tour by a southern hemisphere side, the first full international was against Wales on New Year's Day 1908. The Welsh rugby league team were contesting their first national fixture, and managed to beat the touring Kiwis 9-8 in Aberdare
Aberdare
Aberdare is an industrial town in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Dare and Cynon. The population at the census was 31,705...
in front of 20,000 spectators. This was the first international match played under new "Northern Union" rules, which would later be rapidly changed again, but these rules were a small departure from traditional rugby union rules which had been used in previous international matches (minus the amount of players, which were experimentally changed by the NU several times). The New Zealand team, or the "All Golds" as they were being called by the New Zealand newspapers, had never played rugby by these rules before but did have a week of preparation and training sessions leading up to the match. With this Welsh victory and large crowd, Wales played their second fixture in Tonypandy
Tonypandy
Tonypandy is a town in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales, lying in the Rhondda Fawr Valley. A former industrial coal mining town, today Tonypandy is best known as the site of the Tonypandy Riots....
, and managed to win that match too recording a 35-18 win against what would soon become their main rival, the England Lions. At the end of 1908 Wales played their third and final fixture of the decade, playing England again, but this time in Broughton
Broughton, Greater Manchester
Broughton is an inner city area of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the east bank of the River Irwell and A56 road, in the northeastern part of the City of Salford, north-northwest of Manchester city centre and south of Prestwich. Broughton consists of Broughton Park, Higher...
in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
. This time they lost 31-7. However in 1909 another victory was to occur for Welsh Rugby League, with a Welsh League XIII made up of players still playing in Wales beating a touring Australian side.
Defeats against England
In the years before the outbreak of the war, Wales regularly played England. The two national teams played each other every single year including 1914. Due to Rugby League only extensively being played in the two countries in the whole of the Northern HemisphereNorthern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
, touring Australia and New Zealand teams where the only chances to play someone different. Although the two matches against the English played in Wales where played in Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale is a town at the head of the valley formed by the Ebbw Fawr tributary of the Ebbw River, south Wales. It is the largest town and the administrative centre of Blaenau Gwent county borough...
in Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
, the Welsh travelled around England for away matches, playing in Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
, Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
and St Helens. Collectively those seven matches in Wales and England produced six defeats for the Welsh team, although there were signs of improvement, in the last match in St Helens the Dragons narrowly lost by just four points, the match ending 16-12. On the 7 October 1911 Wales played Australia for the first time. The match, held at Ebbw Vale again, drew 7,000 people to watch Wales go down 20-28. The match was significant though because throughout the next few decades Australia would play the Dragons in Wales whenever they toured Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. During and after the First World War many sports suffered, and rugby league in Wales was no exception, the team didn't play a match again until 1921.
The Twenties
1921–22 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain
The 1921–22 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain was the third ever Kangaroo tour. Again an Australasian side rather than an Australian team alone travelled to Great Britain to contest The Ashes...
play Wales in December 1921, this time in 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...
. Like the first time these nations played each other, Australia narrowly defeated the Welsh, the final score being 16-21. In 1922 Wales took part in the first international rugby league match to be played in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. England beat Wales 12-7 in Herne Hill
Herne Hill
Herne Hill is located in the London Borough of Lambeth and the London Borough of Southwark in Greater London. There is a road of the same name which continues the A215 north of Norwood Road and was called Herne Hill Road.-History:...
but just 3,000 people turned up to watch, one of the lowest attendances to ever watch a Wales match. After four more matches against England in various Rugby League strongholds in Northern England, the Dragons once again played in Wales. Two matches were played in 1926 in Pontypridd, the same year that a Pontypridd domestic side joined the English leagues, although they disbanded a year later. The first match saw finished Wales 22-30 England with a record 23,000 in attendance. The second match saw Wales comfortably beat the touring New Zealand 34-8. Three more matches against England were played including one in November 1928 played 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...
. It was in the twenties that Jim Sullivan, one of three Welsh players to be enrolled into the Rugby League Hall Of Fame, started rising through the ranks at Wigan. A career spanning 25 years saw him play many times for Wales picking up 26 caps, a record that was only beaten in 2010 by Ian Watson. He also represented Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
25 times and Glamorgan & Monmouthshire 12 times.
The European Nations Cup
The 1930s were to herald a new era for the team. In 1930 and 1933 Wales played Australia at Wembley Stadium in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. On both occasions they failed to win, losing 26-10 and being thrashed 51-19. However at the time Australia were arguably considered the world's second best nation (behind England) and so particularly in the first game, Wales had done very well against the touring Kangaroos. Wales luck against England didn't change either suffering three losses to the Lions in three games, in Huddersfield, Salford and Leeds. They were very unlucky in the latter however, with England winning 14 points to 13. Exactly 27 years after Wales played their first match, they played France for the first time in a new competition called the European Nations Cup, in which Wales, France and England would play two matches each. Wales and France kicked off the tournament on New Year's Day in front of 15,000 in Bordeaux. But the Dragons lost 18-11, and their match against England was just as bad losing 24-11 in Liverpool. The France versus England match finished a 15-15 draw so England won the inaugural competition on points difference. Wales finished bottom. The next European Nations Cup brought better fortunes to the Welsh and they kicked off the competition, which was staged across Winter 1935 and 1936, with a 41-7 thrashing against France. The team were cheered on by 25,000 people at Llanelli, a town considered a rugby union stronghold. And three months later Wales did the unexpected and squeezed past England, winning 14-17 away at Hull. This was a huge result for Wales, having not beaten England since 1923, and they had won the cup for the first time. For the next two competitions Wales successfully defended the cup. A 3-2 win against the English in Pontypridd, coupled with a 9-3 victory in Paris saw Wales clinch the cup for the second time, and then in 1938 the Dragons beat England again by one point in Bradford before beating the French 18-2. In the 1938/1939 tournament, the last to be held for six years because of the Second World War, Wales beat their main rivals England before dramatically losing 16-10 in Bordeaux against Les Tricolores. Because of the French's victory against England, Wales finished second and the cup was taken across the channel.
Timeline
- 1907 Wales play their first international match – won against New Zealand in Aberdare (17,000). Win the first Anglo-Welsh match 35-18.
- 1909 The Welsh League XIII defeat the touring Australians.
- 1926 Wales defeat New Zealand 34-8 – the New Zealanders award full caps for the match.
- 1936 Wales win the second European Championship with a 17-14 Victory over England in Hull.
- 1938 Wales win the European championship for the third consecutive season.
- 1945 30,000 people attend a match against England in Swansea.
- 1947 Wales defeat England 10-8 in Wigan.
- In 1975 Clive Sullivan's try effectively won the World title for Australia, as Wales beat England 12-7 at Brisbane, thanks to Sullivan's match-clinching try after chasing a ball over the English line. The final three games in the tournament, however, all ended in losses and Wales finish third.
- On Sunday 27 October 1991, Papua New Guinea met Wales at Vetch FieldVetch FieldThe Vetch Field was a multi-purpose stadium in Swansea, Wales. It was used mostly for football matches and was the home ground of Swansea City until the Liberty Stadium opened in 2005. Opened in 1912, the ground held around 12,000 at the time of its closure, but upwards of 30,000 at its peak...
, Swansea. Roared on by a fervent crowd of 11,422; Wales won by a record 68-0 margin, scoring thirteen tries. In that match Jonathan Davies scored 24 points.
- In December 1992 Wales defeated France in Perpignan, their first win on French soil for thirty years.
- 1995 Wales win the European Championship1995 European Rugby League Championship-Final standings:...
, with a win over England (the first since 1968 and the biggest on Welsh soil). Mike GregoryMike GregoryMichael Keith "Mike" Gregory , was a rugby league player and later coach; the former head coach of Wigan and player for Warrington and Great Britain.-Playing career:...
is head coach for the 1995 World Cup1995 World Cup1995 World Cup may refer to:*1995 Rugby World Cup, held in South Africa for rugby union*1995 Rugby League World Cup, held in England and Wales for rugby league*1995 FIFA Women's World Cup, held in Sweden for women's football...
. Wales make the semi-finals of the World Cup, only to lose to England. The 1995 World Cup between Wales and Western Samoa in front of a capacity crowd of over 15,000 at Swansea was a pinnacle for Welsh Rugby League in the modern era. Following rugby union's decision to go professional, the flow of talent going north from the valleys dried up and Jonathan Davies returned to rugby union. - In 1996, Wales beat France in CarcassonneCarcassonneCarcassonne is a fortified French town in the Aude department, of which it is the prefecture, in the former province of Languedoc.It is divided into the fortified Cité de Carcassonne and the more expansive lower city, the ville basse. Carcassone was founded by the Visigoths in the fifth century,...
to bring home the European Championship for the first time in 57 years. - 1997 Anger as the RFL announce that at the proposed 1998 World Cup (never played), Wales would not be included at the expense of the NZ Maoris. Wales were once again to form part of Britain.
- 1998 Emerging England defeat a full Welsh side in Widnes.
- In November 2000 Wales again made the World Cup semi finals, losing to Australia in a hard-fought battle at Huddersfield.
- In November 2005 Wales took second in the European Nations Cup, losing to France in the final at Carcassonne.
- In 2007 Wales failed to qualify for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup2008 Rugby League World CupThe 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
- Wales win the 2009 European cup; deafeating Scotland in the final.
- Wales win the 2010 European cup to qualify for the 2011 Four Nations against Australia, England and New Zealand.
2011 Squad
Wales team for 2011 Four NationsFour Nations
Four Nations may refer to:*Rugby League Four Nations - an international rugby league tournament.**2011 Rugby League Four Nations - The next scheduled series....
.
- Gareth ThomasGareth Thomas (rugby player)Gareth Thomas , known as Alfie, is a retired Welsh professional rugby footballer who played rugby league for the Crusaders RL in the Super League. He also previously played rugby union for the Cardiff Blues and as a fullback, wing or centre.On 26 May 2007, Thomas surpassed Gareth Llewellyn as the...
was originally picked in the squad but officially retired from all forms of rugby on 25 October. - Geraint DaviesGeraint DaviesGeraint Richard Davies is a British politician who is the Labour Co-operative Member of Parliament for Swansea West. Previously, Davies was the Labour Party MP for Croydon Central from 1997-2005...
was called up as a late replacement.
Rugby League Hall Of Fame
The following Welsh players have been inducted into both the British Rugby League Hall of FameBritish Rugby League Hall of Fame
The British Rugby League Hall of Fame was established by the Rugby Football League in 1988 to commemorate the greatest ever players in British rugby league...
and the international Rugby League Hall of Fame
Rugby League Hall of Fame
The Rugby League Hall of Fame is an International Hall of Fame that was combined and continually has additions from the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame, British Rugby League Hall of Fame, Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII and the...
:
- Billy BostonBilly BostonWilliam John "Billy" Boston MBE is a former Wales and Great Britain professional Rugby League World Cup winning footballer. Boston is a member of the Rugby League Hall of Fame, Welsh Sports Hall of Fame and was, along with Shaun Edwards the first to be voted into the Wigan Hall Of Fame...
- Gus RismanGus RismanAugustus "Gus" John F. Risman was a Welsh rugby league footballer of the 1920s through to the 1950s.A devastating three-quarter who also played at , and /, Risman was born in Cardiff, brought up in Barry where he went to Barry County School, and played rugby union in South Wales as a schoolboy...
- Jim Sullivan
Welsh Sports Hall Of Fame
The following Welsh players have been inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of FameWelsh Sports Hall of Fame
The Welsh Sports Hall of Fame is a charitable organization created to commemorate the sporting achievements and preserve the artifacts of Welsh athletes. It was established in 1980 from the memorabilia collection of Welsh radio announcer G. V. Wynne-Jones...
:
- 1990 Billy BostonBilly BostonWilliam John "Billy" Boston MBE is a former Wales and Great Britain professional Rugby League World Cup winning footballer. Boston is a member of the Rugby League Hall of Fame, Welsh Sports Hall of Fame and was, along with Shaun Edwards the first to be voted into the Wigan Hall Of Fame...
- 1992 Jim Sullivan
- 1998 Lewis Jones
- 2000 Gus RismanGus RismanAugustus "Gus" John F. Risman was a Welsh rugby league footballer of the 1920s through to the 1950s.A devastating three-quarter who also played at , and /, Risman was born in Cardiff, brought up in Barry where he went to Barry County School, and played rugby union in South Wales as a schoolboy...
, David Watkins - 2003 Jonathan Davies, Willie DaviesWillie DaviesWillie Davies was a Welsh international dual-code rugby fly half who played rugby union for Swansea and rugby league for Bradford Northern. He won six caps for the Wales rugby union team and nine caps for the Wales rugby league side...
- 2004 Trevor FosterTrevor FosterTrevor J. F. Foster MBE , was a Welsh rugby footballer and coach. He played rugby union for Newport and rugby league for Bradford Northern...
- 2009 Clive SullivanClive SullivanClive A. Sullivan MBE was a Welsh rugby union and professional Rugby League World Cup winning footballer of the 1960s, 70s and 80s. A Great Britain and Wales international winger, he played with both Hull and Hull Kingston Rovers in his career, and also played for Oldham, and Doncaster...
World Cup
The first World CupRugby League World Cup
The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation . It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954...
that Wales competed in was the 1975 tournament
1975 Rugby League World Cup
The 1975 Rugby League World Cup was the seventh staging of rugby league football's World Cup tournament...
. All tournaments prior to this one, Wales were represented by Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
. Later on in 1995
1995 Rugby League World Cup
The 1995 Rugby League World Cup was held during October in the United Kingdom. It was the eleventh staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was marketed as the Halifax Centenary World Cup, reflecting the tournament's sponsorship and the fact that 1995 marked the 100th birthday of the sport...
and 2000
2000 Rugby League World Cup
The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
, Wales represented themselves again, losing in the Semi-Finals in both competitions. Wales could have played in the 2008 World Cup
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
but didn't qualify.
| Year | Round | Position | Won | Drawn | Lost | Pts Scored | Pts Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 1975 Rugby League World Cup The 1975 Rugby League World Cup was the seventh staging of rugby league football's World Cup tournament... |
No stages | 3rd | 3 | 0 | 5 | 110 | 130 |
| 1995 1995 Rugby League World Cup The 1995 Rugby League World Cup was held during October in the United Kingdom. It was the eleventh staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was marketed as the Halifax Centenary World Cup, reflecting the tournament's sponsorship and the fact that 1995 marked the 100th birthday of the sport... |
Semi-Final | 3rd/4th | 2 | 0 | 1 | 60 | 41 |
 20002000 Rugby League World Cup The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France... |
Semi-Final | 3rd/4th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 124 | 140 |
Individual
| Most Caps | Top Point Scorer | Top Try Scorer | Top Goal Scorer | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Caps | Player | Points | Player | Tries | Player | Goals |
| Jim Sullivan | 26 | Iestyn Harris | 142 | Iestyn Harris | 12 | Jim Sullivan | 60 |
| Anthony Sullivan Anthony Sullivan Anthony C. Sullivan is an English-born former rugby league and rugby union player who represented Wales at international level... |
21 | Jim Sullivan | 129 | Lee Briers | 9 | Iestyn Harris | 60 |
| Roy Mathias Roy Mathias Roy Mathias is a Welsh former dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league and footballer of the 1960s, '70s and '80s who at representative level has played rugby union for Wales, and at club level for Felinfoel RFC, and Llanelli RFC, playing at Wing, i.e... |
20 | Jonathan Davies | 99 | Adam Hughes Adam Hughes (rugby league) Adam Hughes is a professional rugby league and rugby union footballer who at representative level has played for Wales, and at club level for , Leeds Rhinos, Leeds Tykes , Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, Halifax, Widnes Vikings, Leigh Centurions, Oldham Roughyeds, and Barrow Raiders, playing at , or ,... |
8 | Jonathan Davies | 44 |
| Bill Francis Bill Francis William "Bill" L. Francis is an English born Welsh former professional rugby league footballer of the 1960s, '70s, and '80s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, Wales, and Yorkshire, and at club level for Wigan, St. Helens, Oldham, and Salford, playing at , /, i.e... |
19 | Lee Briers | 79 | Damien Gibson | 8 | David Watkins | 36 |
| Lee Briers Lee Briers Lee Briers is a professional rugby league player who currently plays for Warrington Wolves in the Super League. He previously played for St Helens, and at international level he won 23 caps for Wales, many of those as captain... |
19 | David Watkins | 74 | Frank Evans | 7 | Edward "Ted" Ward Ted Ward Edward "Ted" H. Ward was a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1930s, '40s and 50s, and coach of the 1950s, who at club level played rugby union for Llanelli RFC, and at representative level played rugby league for Great Britain, and Wales, and at club level for... |
25 |
| Iestyn Harris Iestyn Harris Iestyn Rhys Harris is a Welsh former rugby league footballer, who is currently the assistant coach at Wigan Warriors. Harris is a former Man of Steel winner and has also represented Wales on numerous occasions at both codes of rugby... |
19 | ||||||
| Clive Sullivan Clive Sullivan Clive A. Sullivan MBE was a Welsh rugby union and professional Rugby League World Cup winning footballer of the 1960s, 70s and 80s. A Great Britain and Wales international winger, he played with both Hull and Hull Kingston Rovers in his career, and also played for Oldham, and Doncaster... |
7 | ||||||
| Ian Watson Ian Watson (rugby league) Ian Watson is a Welsh former rugby league footballer who played at /, or . He is currently assistant coach for Swinton in the Championship... |
19 | ||||||
| Kris Tassell Kris Tassell Kris Tassell is a professional rugby league footballer who at representative level has played for Wales, and at club level for Canberra Raiders, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, North Queensland Cowboys, Salford City Reds, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, and Swinton Lions, playing at , or , i.e... |
6 | ||||||
See also
- List of Wales national rugby league team players
- Rugby league in WalesRugby league in WalesRugby league is a sport played in Wales. The governing body of the game in Wales is the Wales Rugby League.There is a long but sporadic history of rugby league in Wales. Over the decades many hundreds of players have "gone north" to play for the leading English clubs...
- Wales national rugby league team match resultsWales national rugby league team match resultsThe following list is a complete collection of results for the Wales national rugby league team.PLEASE NOTE THIS LIST IS NOT COMPLETE YET-1900s:-1910s:-1920s:-1930s:-1940s:-1950s:-1960s:-1970s: Winning Team...
- Wales national rugby union teamWales national rugby union teamThe 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...