Cardiff Harlequins RFC was a rugby union club located in the
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
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People
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* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
capital city of Cardiff. The team provided several international players during the late 19th century, most notably
, who after leaving the club not only represented Wales but also played for the British Isles on their 1899 tour of Australia. The club disbanded in the 1890s.
History
Cardiff Harlequins was formed around 1879 in Cardiff, as Roath Star, and after a year or two, they changed their name to Roath Mohawks for the 1881/1882 season. The Roath Mohawks played in Roath Court field. Their main rivals were a team called Windsor, who played in Cathays. The two clubs decided to merge for the 1882/1883 season, and rename themselves as the Cardiff Harlequins. The Harlequins played in the Sophia Gardens. In 1886, the Harlequins moved into their own ground, a field off Penarth Road. They called this ground the Harlequins' Ground. Although in the shadow of first class team
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club ( cy, Clwb Rygbi Caerdydd) is a rugby union club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876Parry-Jones (1989), pg 59 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, shortly after ...
, the Harlequins began to attract matches from some of the lesser but well established clubs in the Glamorgan area. The team is recorded as playing matches against Pontypridd,
Mountain Ash Mountain ash may refer to:
* ''Eucalyptus regnans'', the tallest of all flowering plants, native to Australia
* Mountain-ashes or rowans, varieties of trees and shrubs in the genus ''Sorbus''
See also
* Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf
Mountai ...
, Cardiff and Llanelli and later became a popular opponent for touring teams from the West of England, such as Bristol.Parry-Jones (1999), pg 27. The Harlequins first recorded match against Cardiff is recorded as 17 February 1883, a 0-0 draw.Davies (1975), pg 284.
The club's most prominent period came in the early 1890s, which began in 1891 when their first player was selected for an international match, while still representing the club. Percy Bennett, a forward with the club, was chosen for the
1891 Home Nations Championship
The 1891 Home Nations Championship was the ninth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 3 January and 7 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The 1891 Championship was won ...
to face England at Newport.Godwin (1984), pg 27. Bennett won four caps in total between 1891 and 1892. In
1892
Events
January–March
* January 1 – Ellis Island begins accommodating immigrants to the United States.
* February 1 - The historic Enterprise Bar and Grill was established in Rico, Colorado.
* February 27 – Rudolf Diesel applies for ...
,
Frederick Nicholls
Frederick Ernest Nicholls (2 September 1868 – 16 October 1950) Scrum.com was an
was also selected, playing in the same game against Ireland as Bennett.Godwin (1984), pg 33. In 1892,
, who would become one of the most notable Welsh players in the country's history, switched from the little-known Cardiff Star to join the Harlequins on the advice of his brother Sid. Unfortunately for the Harlequins they only held onto Gwynn for one season, as a disastrous 1891-1892 season for Cardiff RFC, saw the team scour the lower clubs for new talent. This saw Nicholls switch to Cardiff for the 1892-93 season.
In 1891, the Harlequins were told to leave their ground in Grangetown, as the site of the Harlequins' Ground was going to be constructed for a new road leading to the Clarence Bridge. They moved to a temporary home called St. Andrew's Cricket Field, which was located on North Road, on a field behind Nazareth House. After spending a season here, the club reached out for a new ground, and a replacement pitch was made available for the team by
Lord Tredegar
Baron Tredegar, of Tredegar in the County of Monmouth, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 16 April 1859 for the Welsh politician Sir Charles Morgan, 3rd Baronet, who had earlier represented Brecon in Parliament ...
at Newport Road. Originally called the Cardiff Athletic Ground, the pitch became known as the Cardiff Harlequin Athletic Ground, a name it keeps to the present day.St. Peter's RFC - History stpetersrfc.co.uk During the beginning of the 1894 season, Cardiff Harlequins merged with Cardiff AFC to form Cardiff Association Football and Harlequins' Athletic Club, often just referred to as Cardiff Association Football Club, leaving rugby behind and playing only association football at the Harlequins' Ground in Cardiff. They did continue to play rugby, but only on Wednesdays. However, they returned to playing rugby on a Saturday in late 1895 until dissolving in April 1897.
Dai Fitzgerald
David "Dai" Fitzgerald (1872 – 30 November 1951) was a Welsh rugby centre who played club rugby under the union code for Cardiff, and later switched to professional rugby league team Batley (captain). He played international rugby union for ...
*
Frederick Nicholls
Frederick Ernest Nicholls (2 September 1868 – 16 October 1950) Scrum.com was an