Birth name | Ronald Gwyn Waldron | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 14 December 1933 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Neath, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ronald Gwyn Waldron (born 14 December 1933) [1] is a Welsh former rugby union international player. He later took up coaching and is best known as the former head coach of Neath RFC during the late 1980s when Neath dominated British rugby for a number of seasons. Waldron built a team of senior international players including Jonathan Davies and Allan Bateman. In 1990 he was appointed coach to the Wales national rugby union team but after certain players from the Cardiff club found his training methods too physically demanding he resigned in 1991.
Neath is a market town and community situated in the Neath Port Talbot County Borough, Wales. The town had a population of 50,658 in 2011. The community of the parish of Neath had a population of 19,258 in 2011. Historically in Glamorgan, the town is located on the River Neath, seven miles east-northeast of Swansea.
Darren Morris is a former Wales international rugby union player who also represented the British & Irish Lions. He moved to Texas in 2015 as Director of Rugby for Griffins Rugby in Dallas, Texas, USA.
The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in the country of Wales, recognised by the sport's international governing body, World Rugby.
Neath Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club which plays in the Indigo Premiership for Season 2023/24. The club's home ground is The Gnoll, Neath. The team is known as the All Blacks because of the team colours: black with only a white cross pattée as an emblem. Neath RFC is the oldest rugby club in Wales, having been formed in 1871. They are feeder club to the Ospreys regional team.
Kevin Andrew Morgan is a Welsh former rugby union player. He won 48 caps for Wales, mainly at full back but also on the wing.
Jonathan Thomas is a Welsh rugby union coach and former player, he played mainly at flanker having also played at number eight and lock. He was previously head coach of Worcester Warriors. On 17 January 2023 he was appointed as an Assistant Coach of the Welsh rugby union team.
James William Hook is a retired Welsh rugby union player. Hook has won 81 caps for Wales and is Wales' fifth highest all-time points scorer. Most often playing as a fly-half, Hook is known as a utility player, and has also played as a centre, wing and fullback.
Brian Richard Williams was a Welsh international rugby union player.
Jason Alistaire Forster is a former international Wales rugby union player. A flanker, he played his club rugby for Pontypridd RFC, Newport RFC and Newport Gwent Dragons. He moved on to be player – coach at Doncaster R.F.C. before returning to Wales to coach at Neath RFC.
Lyn Jones is a former Wales international rugby union player. Originally playing as a flanker, Jones subsequently became a coach. He played most of his playing career for Neath RFC and started his coaching career at the same club. Jones has coached professional clubs in Wales and England and, in 2018, became head coach of the Russian national rugby union team. He subsequently beame a coach with national rugby team of the Netherlands.
David Francis Pickering is a rugby union administrator, coach and former player who played as a flanker for Llanelli RFC and Neath RFC. He won 23 caps for the Wales national team between 1983 and 1987, and captained the national team on eight occasions.
Steve Williams is a Welsh former professional rugby union player. A back row forward, he played his club rugby for Swansea, Neath, Cardiff, London Irish and Northampton and has 28 international caps.
Rowland David Phillips is a Welsh former rugby union and rugby league footballer.
Kevin Bowring is a Welsh former rugby union player and coach. Bowring attended Neath Grammar School for Boys. A flanker, he played for London Welsh and captained the team. He also represented the Barbarians and Middlesex County.
Shaun Connor is a former Wales 7s international rugby union player and the current backs coach of the Welsh National Team. He was a crucial part of the Ospreys team that defeated Australia, earning him the title of Man of the Match. He has previously played for the Ospreys, being the first back to make 100 appearances for the club, and the Dragons. After retiring he went on to coach the Ospreys Under 20s and also worked with the Dragons as backs coach.
Don Devereux was a Welsh international prop who played rugby union for Neath and rugby league for Huddersfield. He won three caps for the Wales rugby union team and also represented Wales at schools and youth level.
Tavis Knoyle is a Wales international rugby union footballer who plays at scrum-half.
Ernest Raymond "Roy" John was a Wales and British Lions international rugby union lock. He played club rugby for Crynant and Neath. John was capped 19 times for Wales and was a member of two Grand Slam winning teams. In 1950 he was selected for the 1950 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia. John was an agile runner for a lock, but was most notable for his excellent ability in line-outs.
Brian Thomas was a Welsh rugby union lock, most notable for his time playing for and later managing Neath RFC. He was capped for Wales 21 times between 1964 and 1969 and was part of three Five Nations winning teams.
Kevin Hopkins is a retired Welsh International rugby union player. He made seven appearances for his country, as well as representing Cardiff RFC, Swansea RFC and Neath RFC in the top division of Welsh club rugby, and played twice for the Barbarians invitational side. Following his retirement from playing, Hopkins has held numerous coaching positions.