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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 arguably the greatest national team of all time, prompting many experts in the game to suggest that had the Rugby World Cup existed during this period, Wales would be amongst the list of World Cup winners. As of November 2021, they are ranked 8th in the world.
Toyota Verblitz is a Japanese rugby union team in the Japan Rugby League One. Verblitz is a portmanteau of verde and blitz. The team is owned by Toyota Motor Corporation and is not to be confused with the Toyota Industries Shuttles rugby team, owned by Toyota Industries. It shares Toyota Stadium in the city of Toyota, Aichi with the football club Nagoya Grampus which also used to be owned by Toyota Motors.
Mark Taylor is a former Wales national rugby union team player who played at centre. He is a former captain of Wales and was the first person to score a try at the newly built Millennium Stadium against South Africa in 1999. He signed for Sale Sharks from Llanelli Scarlets in April 2005 and in 2007 he returned to Wales to play rugby for the Ospreys. In the 2005–2006 season, Taylor started the final as Sale Sharks won their first Premiership title. He retired at the end of the 2007–2008 season.
Bridgend Athletic RFC are a Welsh rugby union club based in Bridgend in South Wales. They are members of the Welsh Rugby Union playing in the National League Division 1 West and are a feeder club for the Ospreys.
Daniel Evans is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a full-back.
Rhys Webb is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for Ospreys. Born in Bridgend, he is a product of the Ospreys academy and played club rugby for Bridgend RFC and Aberavon RFC before breaking into the regional side in 2008. He played for the Ospreys for 10 years before moving to French club Toulon in 2018, but terminated his contract with them in 2020 and agreed a return to the Ospreys; however, he was unable to join the Ospreys immediately and signed for Bath for the remainder of the 2019–20 season before returning to the Ospreys.
Joshua Lewis Matavesi is a rugby union player, who currently plays for National 2 (West) side Camborne RFC, and formerly played for the Fiji national team at international level. Matavesi was born in Cornwall, England, to a Cornish mother and Fijian father.
Jamie Murphy is a Welsh rugby league player currently for the West Wales Raiders in the RFL League 1. His position is at centre. He previously played rugby union for Bridgend Ravens & Newport RFC Aberavon Wizards, and Ospreys.
Scott Williams is a Welsh international rugby union player who currently plays for the Scarlets in the United Rugby Championship.
Ashley Beck is a Wales international rugby union player. Beck currently played for Merthyr RFC, and has previously played for Worcester Warriors and the Ospreys. He has represented Wales and Wales U20. He is the current attack coach of Premiership Women's Rugby side Worcester Warriors Women.
Johannes Jacobus Engelbrecht is a former South African professional rugby union player who played as a wing or outside centre.
Ross Moriarty is an international rugby union player, who currently plays for Brive. Moriarty has represented Wales and England U20.
Ian Nicholas Thomas is a Welsh professional rugby union footballer, currently playing for Wasps in Premiership Rugby on loan from Ospreys in the Pro14.
Alex Jeffries is a Welsh former professional rugby union player who played as a prop. He retired from rugby due to a neck injury in April 2023.
Joe Hawkins is a Welsh international rugby union player who currently plays his club rugby at centre for Exeter Chiefs in the Premiership. Hawkins began his professional career with the Ospreys in the URC, before signing for Exeter in 2023. He represents Wales at international level, having made his test debut against Australia during the 2022 Autumn Internationals. He has 5 caps.
Tiaan Falcon is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a fly-half or fullback for Toyota Verblitz in the Japan Rugby League One competition. He formerly played for the Chiefs in Super Rugby and for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition.
Keiran Williams is a Welsh rugby union player who plays for Ospreys regional team as a centre. Williams has represented Wales, making his debut on 12 August 2023 against England.
Max Llewellyn is a Welsh rugby union player who plays for Gloucester as a centre. He is a Wales under-20 international. Llewellyn came through the Cardiff academy, and made his professional debut with the club in 2017, before signing with Gloucester in 2023. Llewellyn has represented Wales, making his debut on 5 August 2023.
Lui Naeata is a Japanese rugby union player, who most recently played as a flanker for Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi in the Japan Rugby League One competition.
Joe Roberts is a Welsh professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for United Rugby Championship club Scarlets and the Wales national team.
References
2. https://www.wru.wales/article/tiaan-aiming-to-be-front-and-centre-for-the-ospreys/
- ↑ "Zebre 37-14 Ospreys". Ospreys. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
