Welsh League
The Welsh League was the first club rugby league competition in Wales.Lush (1998), pg. 19 Its inaugural season was in 1908/09 when four additional teams were formed to join Ebbw Vale RLFC and Merthyr Tydfil RLFC, which allowed a league tournament to take place. The Welsh League ran for just two seasons, after three of the teams, Aberdare, Barry and Mid-Rhondda left the Northern Union and ceased playing rugby in the first season; followed by the collapse of Treherbert in 1910. Both seasons were won by Ebbw Vale. History The first rugby league clubs South Wales in the late 19th and early 20th century was a staunch rugby union area, with little interest in association football, which was seen as a north Wales sport, or the emerging professional Northern Union game, which would eventually be known as rugby league. The problem facing the Welsh Rugby Union, the governing body of rugby union in Wales, was the problem keeping union an amateur sport during a period which saw fluctu ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ebbw Vale RLFC
Ebbw Vale Rugby League Football Club was a professional rugby league club based in Ebbw Vale, Wales playing in the Welsh League and Northern Union. Based at Eugene Cross Park, Bridge End Field, Ebbw Vale were one of the first professional Welsh teams, and the last to disband in 1912 after the failure of the Welsh League. Ebbw Vale produced seven players who would go on to represent the Wales national rugby league team, and were seen as the only Welsh team of the time who could challenge the Northern League. Formation The Ebbw Vale rugby league team was the first club in Wales to 'turn professional' being founded on 15 July 1907,Lush (1998) pg. 24 the same month that Merthyr Tydfil RLFC formed. The team formed out of Ebbw Vale RFC, an amateur rugby union team, whose members were enraged at the "...bogus amateurism in the Monmouthshire League". Rugby union, led by the Welsh Rugby Union in Wales, had strict laws, barring all players to accept any wages or expenses to play the union ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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David Jones (rugby)
David "Tarw" Jones (1881– 21 January 1933) (also known as Dai Jones) was a Welsh dual-code international rugby union and rugby league footballer. He was a member of the winning Welsh team who beat the 1905 touring All Blacks in a game considered one of the greatest in the history of rugby union. Jones is the only Welsh player to have been part of a team to have beaten the All Blacks in the union and league game and is the second dual-code international rugby player from the Northern Hemisphere. David Jones gained his nickname Tarw (Welsh for bull) from his imposing stature; standing at 6’1'’ and weighing almost 16 stone. A collier from Aberaman who later became a policeman before becoming a collier once more, he played club rugby as a forward for Treherbert RFCSmith (1980), pg 136. and then later Aberdare, before switching back to Treherbert. In his later life he was caught in a scandal which saw him banned from rugby union and forced his switch to rugby league. Pe ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Aberdare Athletic Ground
The Athletic Ground, also known as Aberdare Stadium and the Ynys Stadium, was a mixed sports venue in Aberdare, Wales, which was predominantly used for football. It was the home of Aberdare Athletic, who were members of the English Football League between 1921 and 1927. For a single season (1908–1909) it was the home of short-lived pioneer rugby league team, Aberdare. History The ground was opened in 1893 as the home of Aberdare Town, who later became Aberdare Athletic.Paul Smith & Shirley Smith (2005) ''The Ultimate Directory of English & Scottish Football League Grounds Second Edition 1888–2005'', Yore Publications, p17, On 1 January 1908 the Athletic Ground the venue of the first rugby league international involving a team from outside the British Isles when Wales played New Zealand as part of the 1907–08 tour, with Wales winning 9–8. The match attracted approximately 15,000 fans By 1920 the ground was still quite basic, with a narrow grandstand on the southern t ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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David Davies (rugby League)
David B. Davies (birth unknown – death unknown) was a Welsh professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s and 1910s. He played at representative level for Wales and Welsh League XIII, and at club level for Merthyr Tydfil, Swinton and Oldham ( Heritage No. 145), as a forward (prior to the specialist positions of; ), during the era of contested scrums. International honours David Davies won 8 caps for Wales in 1908–1913 while at Merthyr Tydfil, Swinton, and Oldham, and represented Welsh League XIII while at Merthyr Tydfil in the 14-13 victory over Australia at Penydarren Park, Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil (; cy, Merthyr Tudful ) is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydf ... on Tuesday 19 January 1909. Note David Davies played at Swinton in the same era as, but was not related to, the broth ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Oliver Burgham
Oliver Ruck Burgham (21 May 1885 – 6 May 1967) was an English professional rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s and 1910s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Gloucester RFC, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain and Wales, and at club level for Ebbw Vale and Halifax, as a forward. He played at Halifax until the outbreak of the First World War. Background Oliver Burgham was born in Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England (birth registered in Westbury-on-Severn district), his marriage to Mary J. Kershaw was registered during fourth ¼ 1919 in Lancaster district, and he died aged-81 in Penwortham, Lancashire, England (death registered in Amounderness district). International honours Oliver Burgham won caps for Wales while at Ebbw Vale in 1908 against New Zealand, and England, and won a cap for Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental E ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Chick Jenkins
Thomas Henry Jenkins ( – 1932), also known by the nicknames of "Chic", and "Chick", was a Welsh rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s and 1910s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Pontypool RFC, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain (non-Test) and Wales ( Heritage № 1), and at club level for Hull F.C. and Ebbw Vale, as a or , i.e. number 1, or, 3 or 4.Tom Mather (2010). "Best in the Northern Union". Pages 128-142. Background Chick Jenkins was born in Cwm, Wales. International honours Chick Jenkins won caps for Wales (RL) while at Ebbw Vale 1908–1912 7-caps, and was part of the 1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand The 1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand was the first international tour of the Great Britain national rugby league team, "The Lions". They played the second ever Ashes series against Australia, and their first as the visiti .... References ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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New Zealand National Rugby League Team
The New Zealand national rugby league team (Māori: Tīma rīki motu Aotearoa) has represented New Zealand in rugby league since 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name. The team's colours are black and white, with the dominant colour being black, and the players perform a haka before every match they play as a challenge to their opponents. The New Zealand Kiwis are currently second in the IRL World Rankings. Since the 1980s, most New Zealand representatives have been based overseas, in the professional National Rugby League and Super League competitions. Before that, players were selected entirely from clubs in domestic New Zealand leagues. A New Zealand side first played in a 1907 professional rugby tour which pre-dated the birth of rugby league football in the Southern Hemisphere, making it the second oldest national side after England. Since then the Kiwis have regularly competed in intern ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Wales National Rugby League Team
The Wales national rugby league team represents Wales in international rugby league football matches. Currently the team is ranked 17th in the IRL World Rankings. The team was run under the auspices of the Rugby Football League, but an independent body, Wales Rugby League, now runs the team from Cardiff. Six Welsh players have been entered into the Rugby League Hall Of Fame. As with other Welsh national sporting teams, Wales strip has been primarily red. However, in the World Cup campaign in 2000 they wore a shirt featuring the Welsh flag, adding a touch of green and white. The team is known as "The Dragons" and so the team's 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 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ebbw Vale RFC
Ebbw Vale Rugby Football Club ( cy, Clwb Rygbi Glyn Ebwy) is a Welsh Rugby Union Club based in the town of Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent, South Wales. The club play in the Welsh Premiership and act as a feeder club for the Dragons regional team. History Evidence of rugby union being played in Ebbw Vale is noted around 1879. Ebbw Vale RFC applied for and achieved Welsh Rugby Union (then known as the Welsh Football Union) membership between 1893 and 1894. In 1907, the committee of Ebbw Vale rugby club voted 63–20 to switch from amateur rugby union to professional rugby league. Deals were made with the Northern Union, and on 26 July 1907 Ebbw Vale RFC became Ebbw Vale RLFC. The club, its players and members were all suspended from rugby union activities by the Welsh Rugby Union, though after Ebbw Vale RLFC collapsed in 1912, Ebbw Vale were readmitted as a union team after World War I. In 1927 due to falling gate receipts, caused by the increasing attraction of rival sports such a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Fred Scrine
Fred Scrine (25 March 1877 – 8 August 1962) was a Welsh international rugby union flanker who played club rugby for Swansea. Scrine's style of play was as a fast spoiling playerSmith (1980), pg 115. and was first capped for Wales in 1899 against England. Rugby career Swansea born, Scrine played most of his rugby for first class team Swansea Rugby Football Club. He was selected to play for Wales in the 1899 Home Nations Championship, and was selected alongside fellow Swansea players Billy Bancroft, Tom Parker and the 'Curly haired marmosets', David and Evan James. In the first international at Swansea's ground, St Helens, for four years Wales beat England with some ease. Scrine had a solid game and set upSmith (1980), pg 118. Willie Llewellyn for his third try during the game. Scrine was back two months later in the same tournament, but this time against Scotland. The Scottish won 21–10, and Scrine was not recalled for the final match against Ireland. He would get his day aga ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Swansea RFC
Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premiership. The club play at St Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea and are also known as ''The Whites,'' in reference to their home kit colours. History The club was founded in 1872 as an association football team, switching to the rugby code in 1874, and in 1881 it became one of the eleven founder clubs of the Welsh Rugby Union.Smith (1980), pg 41. In the early twentieth century Swansea RFC was an extremely successful club. For four consecutive seasons Swansea were the unofficial Welsh champions from the 1898–99 season through to 1901/02, coinciding with the heyday of Swansea's first star player Billy Bancroft. Under the captaincy of Frank Gordon the team would later go on a 22-month unbeaten run, from December 1903 through to October 1905. During this period Swansea appeared to be under-represented at international level. Gordon himself went uncapped throughout his entire career, and ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Treherbert RFC
Treherbert Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in Tynewydd in the Rhondda Valley. Treherbert RFC play home games in red shirts with black shorts and black socks. Today, Treherbert RFC plays in the Welsh Rugby Union Division Four South East league and are a feeder club for Cardiff Blues. Early history In 1875, the newly established coal mines of Treherbert brought workers from Aberdare and Merthyr and with them the game of rugby; and that year saw their first recorded rugby game between a team of players from Treherbert and a team from Merthyr who already had a well established "town" side. On 18 January 1879 a team from Treherbert travelled to Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ... to play the city team. By 1884 Treherbert had established reg ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |