Swansea RFC

Rugby team
teamname = Swansea Vale RFC
fullname = Swansea Rugby Football Club
nickname = The Whites
location = Swansea, Wales
country

founded = 1874 ["The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales", John Davies, Nigel Jenkins, Menna Baines and Peredur Lynch (2008) pp782 ISBN 9780708319536]
ground = St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground
capacity =
president =
coach = Richard Webster [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/6718711.stm BBC SPORT | Rugby Union | Welsh | Swansea unveil Webster as coach ] ]
league = WRU Premier League
season = 2007/08
position = 4th [ [http://www.wru.co.uk/985_12428.php WRU Official Site - Sourced 18th May 2008] ]
pattern_la1=_blackshoulders| pattern_b1=| pattern_ra1=_blackshoulders| leftarm1=FFFFFF| body1=FFFFFF| rightarm1=FFFFFF| shorts1=FFFFFF| socks1=000000
pattern_la2= _black_stripes
pattern_b2= |pattern_ra2= _black_stripes|leftarm2= FFFFFF|body2= 000000|rightarm2= FFFFFF|shorts2 = 000000|socks2 = FFFFFF
url = www.swansearfc.co.uk

Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as "The Whites" because of the primary colour of the team strip. The club owns 50% of the Ospreys professional rugby side.

History

The club was founded in 1874 and, in 1881 it became one of the eleven founder clubs of the Welsh Rugby Union. ["Swansea Rugby Football Club 1873-1945 Book - Images of Sport", Bleddyn Hopkins. Tempus Publishing] 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 heydays 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 apart from Billy Trew, Dick Jones and Dicky Owen, the only other internationals in the senior team were forward Sid Bevan (1 cap),Smith (1980), pg 463.] wing Jowett (1 cap)Smith (1980), pg 468.] and outside-half Phil Hopkins (4 caps).Smith (1980), pg 134.] Trew (29 caps) was an outstanding centre who was accepted as one of the most important players in the evolutuion of Welsh rugby, ["The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales", John Davies, Nigel Jenkins, Menna Baines and Peredur Lynch (2008) pp782 ISBN 9780708319536] while Dicky Owen (35 caps), although only 5 foot 4 inches tall, was an incredible tactician.Smith (1980), pg 132.]

Under some protest, Swansea RFC and Neath RFC jointly formed the Neath-Swansea Ospreys in 2003, both clubs remain in existence and play in the semi-professional Welsh Premiership.

Achievements

Swansea RFC defeated New Zealand 11-3 on Saturday 28th September 1935, becoming the first ever club side to beat the All Blacks. [ [http://stats.allblacks.com/teamsheet.asp?MT_ID=1288 All Blacks: 288th All Black Game] ]

In November 1992, Swansea RFC defeated world champions Australia 21-6, when Australia played their first match of their Welsh Tour.

Welsh Premier Division champions in:
*1991/1992
*1993/1994
*1997/1998
*2000/2001

Welsh Cup champions in:
*1977/1978
*1994/1995
*1998/1999

Whitbread Merit Table champions in:
* 1980/1981

Snelling Sevens champions in:
* 1982
* 1989
* 1991
* 1995

Notable former players

Games played against international opposition

Bibliography

*

References

External links

* [http://www.swansearfc.co.uk/ Swansea RFC/The Whites]
* [http://www.ospreysrugby.com/ Ospreys Official Website]
* [http://www.wru.co.uk Welsh Rugby Union]