 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations .(December 2012) |
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | David Joseph Bishop | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 31 October 1960 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Scrum-half | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby league | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Scrum-half | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coaching information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
David Joseph Bishop (born 31 October 1960) is a Welsh former dual-code international rugby union and then rugby league footballer.
Bishop started his career as a youth player at Cardiff, however left the club due to disciplinary issues. From here he went Ebbw Vale, where as a scrum-half, he played for a season, He made his first-class début for Ebbw Vale where he was outstanding. After a season, he then joined Pontypool in 1981, but not long after broke his neck. Despite being told he would never play again, he was back playing for Pontypool within a year. He only gained one cap for Wales – against Australia during the 1984 Australia rugby union tour of Britain and Ireland which Wales lost 28–9. Despite the loss Bishop was the only player to score a try against them. [2] [3]
Bishop had played understudy to fellow scrum-half Terry Holmes, and when Holmes switched codes to rugby league in 1985, many expected Bishop to finally be given his chance to play for Wales permanently. However, during a match versus Newbridge, Chris Jarman received a broken jaw in an off-the ball incident. Jarman brought a private prosecution resulting in Bishop being given a suspended jail sentence and an eleven-month ban by the WRU. [4] The Welsh selectors instead picked Robert Jones of Swansea RFC. Bishop however gained his revenge in 1987-88 when Pontypool defeated Swansea at Pontypool Park in the cup, the highlight of the game being Bishop's penalty in the mud to seal the win, following which Bishop wiggled his rear end to the stand—where the Welsh selectors were sitting.
Despite repeatedly putting in outstanding performances for Pontypool, Bishop was never picked for Wales again, though his case was not helped by several of Bishop's antics off the field. The 1987–1988 season was the most successful in the club's history when they lost only two games all season and Bishop formed a potent partnership with Mark Ring.
When rugby union became openly professional in 1995, Bishop returned to Pontypool as player-coach. Although Pontypool had been relegated from the top flight of rugby in Wales in 1995. Two highlights during this period were saving Pontypool from relegation from Division 1 with a victory over UWIC and the 16–15 win over Neath RFC in the Welsh Cup in 1999. Pontypool then played Cardiff in the next round of the cup, where they were heavily defeated, but Bishop faced his old adversary Robert Jones for the last time.
In 1988, Bishop was lured to rugby league and he signed for Hull Kingston Rovers. He subsequently played for London Crusaders. He was then part of the Wales rugby league team that won a European Nations Cup and reached the 1995 Rugby League World Cup's semi-finals. [1]
David Watkins was a Welsh dual-code rugby international, having played both rugby union and rugby league football for both codes' national teams between 1963 and 1979. He captained the British and Irish Lions rugby union side, and made six appearances for the Great Britain rugby league team. With the Wales national rugby league team he played in every match of the 1975 World Cup, and with English club Salford he played more than 400 games over 12 seasons.
Cardiff Rugby are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the team play at Cardiff Arms Park. Originally formed in 1876, from 2003 to 2021 the first team was known as the Cardiff Blues before rebranding back to Cardiff Rugby prior to the start of the 2021–22 season.
Dragons RFC are one of the four professional rugby union regional teams in Wales. They have been owned by Dragons RFC Ltd since 2023, having been solely owned by the Welsh Rugby Union from 2017 to 2023 and jointly owned by the WRU and Newport RFC between 2004 and 2017. Dragons play their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport, which was the home of Newport RFC from 1877 to 2017, and is shared with Newport County AFC, the city's English Football League team. They play in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup/European Rugby Challenge Cup. The region they represent covers an area of southeast Wales including Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen with a total population approaching 600,000 and they are affiliated with a number of semi-professional and amateur clubs throughout the area, including Pontypool RFC, Caerphilly RFC, Cross Keys RFC, Ebbw Vale RFC and Newport RFC.
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, shortly after which relocating to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since.
The Welsh Premier Division, known for sponsorship reasons as the Indigo Group Premiership, is a rugby union league in Wales first implemented by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) for the 1990–91 season.
Pontypool Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in the town of Pontypool, which plays in the WRU SUPER RYGBI CYMRU league. Since the regionalisation of Welsh rugby in 2003, Pontypool RFC is now a feeder club to the Dragons regional team. Pontypool play their home matches at Pontypool Park. Their traditional home kit is a red, white and black-hooped shirt and socks with white shorts, although they did gradually shift to wearing black shorts post-2003.
William Raymond "Ray" Cale was a Welsh dual-code international rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Wales, and at club level for Ebbw Vale RFC, Newbridge RFC and Pontypool RFC, as a flanker, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales, and at club level for St. Helens, as a second-row, or loose forward.
Iestyn Thomas is a former Wales international rugby union player. In April 2012, he retired from rugby due to injury.
Ebbw Vale Rugby Football Club is a Welsh Rugby Union Club based in the town of Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent, South Wales.
Newbridge RFC is a Welsh Rugby Union club based in Newbridge, Caerphilly in South Wales. Newbridge RFC was formed in 1888 and joined the WRU in 1911. They play in the WRU Welsh Championship East
Mark Alun Jones is a Welsh dual-code international professional rugby union and rugby league rugby player who played in the 1980s and 1990s. He played representative level rugby union for Wales, and at club level for Tredegar RFC, Tredegar Ironsides RFC, Neath RFC, Ebbw Vale RFC, Pontypool RFC (2001–03), Aberavon RFC, as a flanker, or number eight, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain and Wales, and at club level for Hull FC and Warrington, as a prop or second-row.
Byron Idris Hayward is a former international rugby union full back who played for Wales and Wales A. He had an impressive debut for Wales scoring three tries in his first international match against Zimbabwe. Hayward caused controversy in 2000 by refusing to play against Scotland A in Bridgend because of the inclusion of foreign players Shane Howarth and Brett Sinkinson. This was in the heat of the Grannygate scandal, both players claimed to have Welsh grandparents that would later be found to be false.
Kevin Stewart Ellis is a Welsh former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer who played in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. A Great Britain and Wales national representative. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Bridgend RFC, Maesteg RFC, Treorchy RFC, Sale Sharks, London Irish, Cardiff RFC, Pontypool RFC and Ebbw Vale RFC, at representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales, and at club level for Warrington Wolves, Workington Town, Gold Coast Chargers, Bridgend Blue Bulls and Celtic Crusaders, as a stand-off, scrum-half, or loose forward.
Blaenavon Rugby Football Club are a Welsh rugby union club based in the town of Blaenavon, South Wales. Blaenavon RFC is one of the older members of the Welsh Rugby Union founded in 1877 in the Iron and coal town of Blaenavon and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.
Robert "Bobby" Lloyd was born on 1888 in Crickhowell, Wales. He was also known by the nickname of "The Hafodyrynys Wonder", was a Welsh rugby footballer who represented Wales in both rugby union and rugby league. He played union for Welsh clubs Pontypool and Monmouthshire County as a scrum half back, gaining selection for Wales, before moving to England to play league for Halifax, also in the halves, and gaining selection for Great Britain and Wales. He died on 18 January 1930 while in Halifax, England.
Glyndwr Turner is a Welsh former rugby union footballer who played scrum-half position for Welsh club side Ebbw Vale RFC between 1966 and 1974 before turning professional to play rugby league in England. On turning professional, Turner signed for Hull Kingston Rovers in 1974 playing for them until 1978, before moving to rivals Hull FC in 1978 where he played until he was forced to retire in 1980 due to injury, as a centre or stand-off.
Welsh regional rugby is the top tier of professional Welsh club rugby and is composed of the Scarlets, Ospreys, Cardiff Rugby and the Dragons which compete in the United Rugby Championship.
George Oliver was a Welsh dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1910s and 1920s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Wales, and at club level for Talywain RFC, Pill Harriers RFC and Pontypool RFC, as a lock, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales and Monmouthshire, and at club level for Hull FC and Pontypridd, as a prop or hooker.
Colin Evans was a Welsh dual-code international rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Wales, and at club level for Blaenavon RFC, Tredegar RFC, Newport RFC and Pontypool RFC, as a scrum-half, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales and Rest of the World, and at club level for Leeds, York and Keighley (captain), as a scrum-half. and at club level was assistant coach at Keighley.
The 1998–99 rebel season in rugby union occurred when two clubs affiliated to the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), Cardiff RFC and Swansea RFC, refused to play in the WRU-sanctioned Welsh Premier Division that season and instead opted to play friendly matches against clubs from the English Premiership. The two clubs' position came about after the WRU rejected requests by the club to pursue changes to the league structure in Welsh club rugby and in particular to set up a cross-border league involving other clubs in Britain, and the two clubs refused to sign up to a loyalty agreement with the WRU committing them to the current league setup.
