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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.
The Scarlets are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams and are based in Llanelli, Wales. Their home ground is the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the United Rugby Championship and in European Professional Club Rugby competitions. The club was originally named the Llanelli Scarlets but was renamed at the start of the 2008–09 rugby 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.
Rugby union in Wales is considered a large part of Welsh national culture. Rugby union is thought to have reached Wales in the 1850s, with the national body, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) being formed in 1881. Wales are considered to be one of the most successful national sides in Rugby Union, having won the most Six Nations Championships after England, as well as having reached 3 World Cup semi finals in 1987, 2011 and 2019, having finished 3rd in the inaugural competition and having finished 4th in 2011 in a repeat of the first third place play-off. The Welsh team of the 1970s is considered to be one of the greatest national teams of all time. As of November 2021, they are ranked 8th in the world.
Gethin Jenkins is a Welsh former professional rugby union player who played as a prop for Pontypridd, Celtic Warriors, Cardiff Blues and Toulon. At international level, he won 129 caps for Wales. On his 105th appearance in 2014, he became Wales' most-capped player, overtaking the record held by Stephen Jones; having earned his final cap in November 2016, his record was surpassed by Alun Wyn Jones in September 2019. He is one of a small group of Welsh players to have won three Grand Slams. He also won five caps for the British & Irish Lions on three tours in 2005, 2009 and 2013. He is the sixth most-capped player in rugby union history and the second most-capped front-row forward.
Kenneth James Owens is a former Welsh rugby union player who played as a hooker for the Scarlets and Wales. He made his debut for the Scarlets in 2006, taking over from Matthew Rees as their first-choice hooker upon Rees' departure for the Cardiff Blues in 2013. He also served as backup to Rees, among others, for Wales following his debut against Namibia at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. In 2016, he took over as Wales' first-choice hooker, and in January 2023, following almost a year out with a back injury, he was named as captain for the 2023 Six Nations Championship.
Tavis Knoyle is a Wales international rugby union footballer who plays at scrum-half.
Lloyd Williams is a Wales international rugby union player. A scrum-half, he plays club rugby for the Cardiff Rugby. He attended Cowbridge Comprehensive School and Ysgol Gyfun Bro Morgannwg and he is a fluent Welsh speaker.
Kirby Myhill is a Welsh rugby union rugby player, who plays at hooker for the Miami Sharks in the MLR. Myhill begin his career with the Scarlets academy, and represented the team for six seasons before joining Cardiff Rugby. He is also a Wales and Wales Under-20 international.
Hallam Benjamen Amos is a former Welsh rugby union player who played for Cardiff Rugby and Newport Gwent Dragons. He mostly played as a wing, but he was also capable of playing at fullback and as a centre. In October 2021, Amos announced his retirement from professional rugby union to focus on his medical career.
Cory Allen is a retired Welsh international rugby union player. A centre or wing, he played for Cardiff Blues and the Ospreys. Allen joined the Dragons in 2021, but did not feature for the side.
The Wales national rugby union team toured Australia in May and June 2007, playing two tests against the Australia national team as part of their preparation for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. They lost the first test in Sydney 29–23 before being shut out in the second, losing 31–0 in Brisbane, and Australia claimed the newly inaugurated James Bevan Trophy with a 2–0 series win.
Ellis Jenkins is a Welsh rugby union flanker who currently plays for the Cardiff Rugby and for the Wales national team.
Danny Wilson is a professional rugby union coach and former player. He is Head coach at Harlequins. He was previously a head coach at Glasgow Warriors.
Andrew Leighton Paul Lewis is a former Welsh international rugby union player who went to school at Christ College, Brecon. Lewis made 29 appearances for the national team, and spent his entire club playing career at Cardiff, firstly at Cardiff RFC and then at Cardiff Blues following the introduction of regional rugby in Wales.
Darran Harris is a Welsh rugby union player. He plays for RFU Championship side, Rotherham Titans as a hooker.
Dane Blacker is a Welsh rugby union player who plays for Dragons regional team as a scrum-half. He is a former Wales Under-20 international. Blacker has previously played for Cardiff Rugby and the Scarlets.
Rio Dyer is a Welsh professional rugby union player who plays as a wing for United Rugby Championship club Dragons and the Wales national team.
Mason Grady is a Welsh professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for United Rugby Championship club Cardiff and the Wales national team.
Alex Mann is a Welsh professional rugby union player who plays as a flanker for United Rugby Championship club Cardiff and the Wales national team.
References
- ↑ Thomas, Simon (27 May 2022). "Wales wing Owen follows famous dad to become a hooker after being cut by region". WalesOnline. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
- ↑ "Two rising stars wing in for Cardiff Blues". Wales online. 24 January 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
- ↑ Gillespie, Graeme (7 September 2022). "Pugh names Wales Sevens World Cup squad - Welsh Rugby Union". Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
- ↑ "Jenkins enjoying life with Dragons - Welsh Rugby Union". Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions. 14 August 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
- ↑ "Jenkins signs long-term Dragons deal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
- ↑ Thomas, Simon (20 May 2022). "20 players definitely leaving Dragons as mass clearout announced". WalesOnline. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
