Wales national rugby union team

The Welsh rugby union team, as the highest level of Welsh rugby union, represent Wales at the national sport of rugby union. They are sometimes known as The Dragons (not to be confused with the Newport Gwent Dragons, a regional Welsh rugby union team).

Strip

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Wales play in scarlet jerseys carrying the Prince of Wales's feathers, white shorts, and red socks. The change strip is currently white.

Related Topics:
Scarlet - Prince of Wales's feathers - White - Shorts - Red - Socks

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As of 2005 the strip is made by Reebok and the shirt sponsor is the Cardiff brewery S A Brain.

Related Topics:
As of 2005 - Reebok - Shirt sponsor - Cardiff - Brewery - S A Brain

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The Early Years (1881 - 1919)

The Welsh Rugby Union was formed in 1881 in Glamorganshire, to organise a match between England and Wales. This match was played on February 19, 1881 and resulted in a win for the English, so much so that a return fixture the following year was refused by the Rugby Football Union of England.

Related Topics:
Welsh Rugby Union - 1881 - Glamorganshire - England - February 19 - Rugby Football Union - England

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However, rugby union in Wales quickly developed and by the turn of the century Wales was one of the most feared teams in international rugby, winning the (then) British Championship six times and finishing runners-up six times in its first twelve years. During that period they lost only seven games and famously became the only side to beat the 'invincible' All Blacks on their tour of the British Isles at Swansea in 1905. Famous players from this period include Gwyn Nicholls and Rhys Gabe.

Related Topics:
Wales - British Championship - All Blacks - Gwyn Nicholls - Rhys Gabe

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In 1911 Wales earned the first official Grand Slam by winning all their matches in the British Championship; they would wait nearly forty years for a second. The Great War came in 1914 and rugby was suspended for four seasons.

Related Topics:
1911 - British Championship

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Post War Years (1920 - 1969)

The post-World War I years saw a big change in Welsh rugby union. Their worst period in international rugby union was during the 20s when the rugby union side seemed to mirror the industrial recession, which was felt particularly hard in South Wales. Of the 42 matches played, only 17 were won and three drawn. The depression resulted in around half-a-million people leaving Wales to find work elsewhere, along with them went a host of Welsh rugby union internationals to rugby league. Between 1923 and 1925, Wales were whitewashed by the other rugby union nations and only managed to beat France during that time.

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A resurgence of both economy and rugby union followed as in 1931 Wales won their first championship for nine years and in 1933, captained by Watcyn Thomas, beat England at Twickenham for the first time. In 1935 Wales beat the touring All Blacks by 13 points to 12, with Haydn Tanner making his first appearance.

Related Topics:
1931 - 1933 - Watcyn Thomas - England - Twickenham - 1935 - Haydn Tanner

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After a seven-year gap during the Second World War, Wales again suffered several uninspiring years before winning Grand Slams in 1950 and 1952, followed by a 13-8 win over the touring All Blacks in 1953. It was during these years that the Cardiff Arms Park was officially adopted as the home of Welsh Rugby Union. Notable players in the 1950s included Cliff Morgan and R.H. Williams.

Related Topics:
Second World War - Grand Slam - 1950 - 1952 - All Blacks - 1953 - Cardiff Arms Park - Cliff Morgan - R.H. Williams

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As the demise of heavy industry continued in the sixties, the Welsh team began to rely less on coal miners and steel workers and more on teachers. After Wales' record defeat in Durban at the hands of the Springboks in 1964, the coaching revolution began. The WRU Coaching Committee, set up in the late fifties, was given the task of improving the quality of coaching and in January 1967, Ray Williams was appointed Coaching Organiser. The first National Coach, former Ebbw Vale and Wales back row man David Nash, was appointed in 1968. A further moment in the 1960s was the debut of the promising Gareth Edwards against France in Paris on April 1, 1967; he would become Wales' youngest captain, at only 20 years old. He was captain when Wales won the Triple Crown in 1969.

Related Topics:
Gareth Edwards - France - Paris - April 1 - 1967 - Wales

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The Golden Age (1970 - 1987)

The Welsh team of the 1970s has gone down in history as quite possibly the best of all time. Great in the Northern Hemisphere and victors against touring Southern Hemisphere sides, the team's record speaks for itself. Nine of the ten matches against England were won, eight of the ten against the Scots and the Irish claimed only one win and a draw in nine outings. France were the only side to rival the Welsh, winning three and drawing one of their ten games. By the time England had been put to the sword on 17 March 1979, Wales had won the Five Nations title five times, done the Grand Slam three times, picked up five Triple Crowns and beaten Australia twice. That great Welsh team included legends such as Barry John, Gareth Edwards, JPR Williams and Mervyn Davies.

Related Topics:
Northern Hemisphere - Southern Hemisphere - Barry John - Gareth Edwards - JPR Williams - Mervyn Davies

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In 1982, Scotland finally ended Wales' record 27-match unbeaten run in the Five Nations Championship and over the next five years other countries began to catch up with Wales. Japan came close to an upset, losing by 24-29 at Cardiff in 1983.

Related Topics:
Scotland - Five Nations Championship - Japan

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Wales were still respected by the time of the first official Rugby World Cup which was held in 1987. A good win against rivals England in the quarterfinals saw Wales taking on tournament favourites, the All Blacks of New Zealand. Wales lost a close match but managed to beat the Australia side to claim third place.

Related Topics:
Rugby World Cup - 1987 - England - All Blacks - New Zealand - Australia

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The Modern Era (1990 - 2005)

The 1987 World Cup saw the end to a number of Welsh Rugby union careers and also to the dominating era of the 1970s and 80s. A resurgence and refinancing of Rugby League in the North of England saw a record number of top players move into the professional game. Calls for rugby union to become professional had been ignored for a number of years previously and they would only get stronger as the 1990s grew on and the defections continued.

Related Topics:
1987 World Cup - Rugby League - North of England - 1990

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Indeed, the 90s were Wales' darkest period so far in rugby union terms as defections to Rugby League and internecine struggles decimated the national side. Wales suffered Five Nations championship whitewashes in 1990 and 1991, and in the 1991 Rugby World Cup were knocked out in the group phase by Western Samoa.

Related Topics:
Whitewash - 1990 - 1991 - 1991 Rugby World Cup - Western Samoa

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The late 90s saw a small resurgence in the Welsh game as rugby union finally relented and turned professional. However, things seemed to have improved with the appointment of coach Graham Henry. A 10-match unbeaten run saw Wales enter as host nation into the 1999 Rugby World Cup with renewed confidence. However, in the quarter final Wales lost a competitive match to the eventual champions Australia. A runner-up spot by Cardiff in the inaugural European Rugby Cup offered something in the way of progress on a club level; however, that was not followed up by further success.

Related Topics:
Graham Henry - 1999 Rugby World Cup - Quarter final - Australia - Cardiff - European Rugby Cup

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Defeats to the likes of Argentina and Ireland in 2001/02 led to Henry's resignation in February 2002. Further defeats led to perhaps the biggest ever shake-up of Welsh rugby union in 2003. Wales managed to distinguish themselves in the 2003 World Cup by running New Zealand, and the eventual winners of the tournament, England, close in two of the best matches of the tournament.

Related Topics:
2003 - 2003 World Cup

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In 2005, Wales reemerged in the Six Nations. Wales, coached by Mike Ruddock, opened with a nail-biting 11-9 win at Millennium Stadium over England, and followed it up with a comfortable win over Italy. The third round, away to France, was close. The French shook off their bad performances in the first two rounds of the Six Nations and took a 15-6 halftime lead. Wales fought back in the second half to score a 24-18 win. The fourth round, away to Scotland, saw Wales score five tries in the first half and cruise to a 46-22 win. Wales then defeated Ireland 32-20 at Millennium Stadium to give them their first title in the competition since 1994 (when it was still the Five Nations) and their first Grand Slam since 1978.

Related Topics:
2005 - Six Nations - Mike Ruddock

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