David Watkins is a Welsh former dual-code rugby international, having played both rugby union and rugby league football for both codes' national teams between 1963 and 1974. 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.
Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough of Wales, 20 miles (32 km) west of Cardiff and 20 miles (32 km) east of Swansea. The town is named after the medieval bridge over the River Ogmore. The River Ewenny also flows through the town. The population was 49,597 in 2021. Bridgend is within the Cardiff Capital Region which in 2019 had a population of approximately 1.54 million.
Maesteg is a town and community in Bridgend County Borough, Wales. Maesteg lies at the northernmost end of the Llynfi Valley, close to the border with Neath Port Talbot. In 2011, Maesteg had a population of 20,612. The English translation of Maesteg is 'fair field'.
Dragons RFC are one of the four professional rugby union regional teams in Wales. They are owned by the Welsh Rugby Union and play their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport and at other grounds around the region. 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.
Iestyn Rhys Harris, also known by the nickname of "Welsh Wizard", is a former dual-code international professional rugby league and rugby union footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s, and coach in rugby league in the 2000s and 2010s. He played representative rugby league for Great Britain and Wales, and at club level for the Warrington Wolves, the Leeds Rhinos (captain) where he won the 1998 Man of Steel Award, the Bradford Bulls (captain), and Featherstone Rovers, and representative rugby union for Wales, and at club level for Cardiff RFC and Cardiff Blues, and has coached representative rugby league for Wales, and at club level for Featherstone Rovers, the Crusaders Rugby League, the Wigan Warriors, and Salford Red Devils.
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.
Gavin Lloyd Henson is a Welsh former professional rugby union player, who played as a fly-half, fullback and inside centre.
Deiniol Jones is a Welsh former professional rugby union player who played as a lock. Born in Carmarthen, he played for the Carmarthen Quins youth team before moving to study chemistry at the University of Bath in 1997. There, he was picked up by English Premiership side Bath RFC, where he played for three years before a loan move back to Wales with Ebbw Vale. In 2001, he made a permanent move to Bridgend, and two years later he was signed by the newly formed, Bridgend-based regional side Celtic Warriors. The Warriors only lasted one year before folding, after which Jones moved to Cardiff Blues.
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, i.e. number 6 or 7, or number eight, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain and Wales, and at club level for Hull F.C. and Warrington, as a prop, or second-row, i.e. number 8 or 10, or, 11 or 12.
David Brynmor Williams is a Welsh dual-code international rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for British Lions and Wales, at invitational level for Barbarian F.C., and at club level for Cardiff RFC, Newport RFC and Swansea RFC, as a Scrum-half, i.e. number 9, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales, and at club level for Cardiff City (Bridgend) Blue Dragons, as a scrum-half, i.e. number 7.
The Blue Bulls are a rugby league side based in Pyle, Wales. They play in the Welsh Premier of the Rugby League Conference. They are the most successful amateur rugby league team in Wales, having won the Welsh Premier a record seven times in their two incarnations, as well as winning the Harry Jepson Trophy twice against teams from England, Wales and Scotland.
Paul Ringer is an English-born former Welsh dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer. He played representative level rugby union for Wales and at club level for Ebbw Vale RFC, Llanelli RFC and Leicester, as a flanker. Having turned professional, he played representative level rugby league for Wales and at club level for Cardiff City (Bridgend) Blue Dragons, as a loose forward.
Gareth Owen is a Welsh rugby union player who plays at Centre, Fullback and Flyhalf. He currently plays for Newcastle Falcons in England's second division, the RFU Championship.
Robert Lewis is a Welsh rugby union player. Lewis primarily played for Newport Gwent Dragons, London Welsh RFC, and Birmingham Moseley. Lewis represented Wales at grade age levels, as well as in rugby sevens.
Glyndwr Turner is a Welsh former rugby union footballer who played scrum-half i.e. number 9 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 F.C. in 1978 where he played until he was forced to retire in 1980 due to injury, as a centre or stand-off, i.e. number 3 or 4, or 6.
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.
Paul Morgan was a Welsh professional rugby union and rugby league footballer, rugby union coach and cricketer, born in Pencoed. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Pencoed RFC, London Welsh RFC, Whitland RFC, Aberavon RFC, Llanharan RFC, Bridgend Ravens, Maesteg RFC, as a Centre, i.e. number 12 or 13, representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales, and at club level for Aberavon Fighting Irish, Bridgend Blue Bulls, Celtic Crusaders, as a wing, or centre, i.e. number 2 or 5, or, 3 or 4, coached club level rugby union (RU) for Neath Athletic RFC, and Aberavon Quins RFC. and played cricket for Pencoed Cricket Club (captain).
Christopher O'Brien is a Welsh former rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Fairwater RFC, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales, and at club level for Oldham and Cardiff City Blue Dragons, as a fullback, or wing, i.e. number 1, or, 2 or 5, and later as a second-row, i.e. number 11 or 12, during the era of contested scrums.
Matthew Silva is a Welsh rugby union coach, who is the current coach of RGC 1404. He is a former rugby union and professional rugby league footballer, who played from the 1980s to the 2000s. In rugby union (RU), he played as a number eight, fly-half, centre, wing and fullback. In rugby league (RL), he played as a fullback, i.e. number 1.
