Welsh national rugby union team

Wales

Nickname (s)	Dragons
Association	Welsh Rugby Union
Trainer	Wayne Pivac
captain	Alun Wyn Jones
WR abbreviation	WHALE
WR rank	4. (85.02 points) (as of February 4, 2020)
home Away
Most international matches Alun Wyn Jones (138)
Most Points Scored Neil Jenkins (1049)
Most attempts scored Shane Williams (58)
First international match England 30-0 Wales (19 February 1881)
Biggest win Japan 0:98 Wales (26 November 2004)
Biggest defeat South Africa 96-13 Wales (June 27, 1998)
World Championship participations: 9/9 Best result: 3rd place 1987

The Welsh National Rugby Union Team is the official Welsh national team in rugby union and represents the country in all international matches (" test matches ") of the men. The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) is responsible for the organization . Wales is currently (June 2020) 6th in the world rugby rankings . The team participates in the annual Six Nations , along with England , France , Ireland , Italy and Scotland . Wales is also one of the countries whose players are eligible to play for the British and Irish Lions - players who play for England can therefore also play for the Lions.

The team has its most important international appearances at the world championships that take place every four years . Since the Rugby Union World Cup was launched in 1987, Wales has participated in all nine tournaments. The best result was achieved at the Rugby Union World Cup in 1987 , when the " Wallabies " could be defeated in the game for third place. Wales appeared as the nominal host during the 1999 Rugby Union World Cup , but matches were also played in Wales during the 1991 , 2007 and 2015 World Cups .

Wales played their first Test Match in 1881 when they were defeated by England. Since the beginning of the previous tournament of the Five and Six Nations, the Home Nations Championship in 1883, Wales has won the tournament a total of 27 times and shared the title twelve more times. Since Italy joined the tournament that became the Six Nations in 2000, Wales has won five titles, most recently in 2019. World Rugby Association regards Wales as a "Tier One" rugby nation. Welsh players from the 1970s in particular are considered to be the best players in the history of the sport. Although poor performances in the 1980s and 1990s damaged the team's good reputation, they returned to the top of the world in the 2000s and won the Six Nations and Grand Slams several times ( 2005 , 2008 , 2012 and 2019 ). Wales became the first Six Nations team to win the Grand Slam with more away games than home games.

Wales traditionally plays in red (“scarlet”) jerseys with white shorts and red socks. The home stadium is the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff , which was first played in 1999. 19 former Welsh rugby players have been inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame . Wales is one of the few countries where rugby union is the most popular sport. Only in the Cook Islands , Fiji , New Zealand , Samoa and Tonga can the sport show a similar popularity.

organization

→ Main article : Rugby Union in Wales

Welsh rugby regions

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) is responsible for the organization of rugby union in Wales . The WRU was founded on March 12, 1881. The WRU founded the International Rugby Board (IRB), today World Rugby, together with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) in 1886 . WRU is owned by the four franchises Cardiff Blues , Scarlets , Newport Gwent Dragons and Ospreys participating in Pro14 , along with ten other teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and South Africa. Below this is the Welsh Premier Division , in which twelve teams take part.

In addition to the actual national team, the WRU convenes other selection teams. The Wales A form Wales' second team, but have not played a game since 2000. Like other rugby nations, Wales has a national U-20 team that takes part in the relevant World Cups. Children and young people are introduced to the sport of rugby at school and, depending on their interests and talent, the training then begins. For schoolchildren there is the national schoolboys team , which has developed as a preliminary stage to the national team.

The Pro14 is superordinate to the international championship European Rugby Champions Cup , which is held together with teams from France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales . Since the seasons overlap only a little, numerous players are used in both leagues.

The greatest honor for Welsh players is to go on tour with the British and Irish Lions in the southern hemisphere, where every couple of years they face either the " All Blacks " from New Zealand , the " Springboks " from South Africa or the " Wallabies " from Australia .

history

The first years (1881 to 1919)

Wales versus New Zealand, 1905

The Welsh team in 1881 before their first Test match against England

Rugby Union began in Wales in 1850 when the Reverend Rowland Williams became the new Vice Rector of St David's College in Lampeter and introduced the sport. Wales played their first Test match against England on February 19, 1881; this game was organized by Richard Mullock of Newport and James Bevan was the team captain. Wales lost with seven goals, one drop goal and six attempts to zero (82-0 would be the result by today's standards). The following year’s second leg at St Helen's in Swansea ended in closer defeat when Wales lost 0:10. On March 12, 1881, the Welsh Rugby Union was formed at the Castle Hotel, Neath.

Two years later, the Home Nations Championship - predecessor of today's Six Nations - was played for the first time, but Wales failed to win. The sport spread in Wales, however, and in the 1890s the Welsh invented the "four wingers" formation - with seven back-team players and eight forwards instead of six back-team players and nine forwards - which revolutionized the sport and was later adopted by all national and club teams has been.

First "Golden Age" (1893–1913)

The Welsh team before their game against England during the 1895 Home Nations Championship

The Welsh team of 1905, which the defeat of the Original All Blacks managed

Scrum in the Wales game against the Original All Blacks , 1905

With their "four wingers" formation, the Welsh won their first title during the Home Nations Championship in 1893 , and they also won the Triple Crown after defeating all other British teams. The following tournament was won by Wales in 1900 when they won the Triple Crown again, which heralded the first "Golden Age" for the Welsh, which would last until 1913. During that period, the Welsh lost just seven games and were unbeaten at home. They won further triple crowns in 1902 and 1905 , and came second in the tournaments in 1901 , 1903 and 1904, respectively.

When Wales first played against the All Blacks at Cardiff Arms Park in late 1905 , Cardiff had been undefeated since 1899. The New Zealand team at the time - known as the Original All Blacks - were the first Southern Hemisphere team to visit the British Isles and were undefeated on their tour ahead of the game after the All Blacks had previously defeated England, Ireland and Scotland had. The game against Wales was the 28th overall on the All Blacks tour, and by then the visitors had already scored 801 points and only 22 allowed in. Before the game, the New Zealand team performed a haka (a Māori war dance ); the 47,000 spectators responded with the Welsh national anthem - Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau ("Old Land of My Fathers") - this was the first time a national anthem was sung before an international match. Welsh winger Teddy Morgan tried and put his team 3-0 ahead of New Zealand's Bob Deans said they had tried; he was dragged behind the goal line before the referee reached the action. The referee gave the Welsh a scrum and the score remained unchanged; Wales won 3-0. That defeat was the New Zealanders' only one in their entire tour of 35 games.

Wales shared the title of the Home Nations Championship in 1906 with Ireland, and later they met the " Springboks " from South Africa for the first time . Wales were the favorites before the test match, but South Africa dominated the game with their strikers and eventually won 11-0. Two years later, on December 12, 1908, Wales played against the visiting " Wallabies " from Australia and won 9: 6.

The Home Nations Championship in 1909 was won by Wales and then - when France joined the tournament - the Five Nations. In 1910 they lost to England for the first time when both teams played the first test match at London's Twickenham Stadium and Wales lost 6:11, which gave England their first title since 1895. In 1911 the Welsh succeeded in the first official " Grand Slam " after winning against all other participating teams. Wales also defeated France in 1908 and 1909, but since France did not join the Five Nations until 1910, these successes are not considered Grand Slams. It would be 40 years before Wales could achieve another Grand Slam. England's 1913 win against Wales in Cardiff was Wales' first home loss to any of the Five Nations teams since 1899 and their first home loss to England since 1895. When World War I broke out in 1914 , all rugby matches, both at home and internationally, were canceled.

1920s to 1960s

Wales versus France during the Five Nations in 1922

Illustration of a rugby match between Ireland and Wales at Twickenham, 1920

Illustration of the Wales v England game in 1931

Rugby saw a decline in Wales in the years following World War I. The country was going through an economic recession that hit South Wales in particular. The Welsh results in test matches during the 1920s seemed to reflect this economic decline: Wales won only 17 out of 42 games and drew three times. Half a million people left Wales looking for work during the Great Depression; including many Welsh rugby players who switched to professional rugby league . Between 1923 and 1928 Wales could only achieve seven victories - including five against France. Even France defeated Wales in the decade and scored their first victory over Wales in 1928. The Welsh national team selection reflected the upheavals of the mid-1920s. In 1924, 35 different national players were nominated for four Welsh test matches, each with a different team captain; only Edward Watkins in the back line and striker Charlie Pugh appeared in all four games.

A revival in both business and rugby followed in the 1930s and in 1931 Wales won its first title in nine years. That year, Wales played for the first time since the end of World War I two consecutive games with the same team when they played against England and Scotland. In 1933 Wales, under team captain Watcyn Thomas , defeated England for the first time at London's Twickenham Stadium . In 1935 Wales defeated the touring All Blacks 13:12, and Haydn Tanner played in his first Test match. As the Five Nations were suspended during World War II , Wales played a Red Cross charity game against England in Cardiff in 1940 , but lost 9:18. After France was excluded from the Five Nations in 1931 and returned to the Home Nations Championship format, they were re-admitted in 1939.

After the Second World War Wales played in 1946 against a team of the New Zealand armed forces (the "Kiwis"), but lost 3:11. The Five Nations (suspended during the war) were played again in 1947 , and Wales shared the title with England. Wales suffered its first home defeat against France in 1948 , but won the first Five Nations Grand Slam since 1911 in 1950. The following year Wales lost 6-3 to the touring South Africans despite their dominance in the alleys. Wales scored another Grand Slam in 1952 , followed by a 13-8 victory over New Zealand in 1953. In 1954 Wales played their last Test match at St Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea (a test match stadium since 1882) and Cardiff Arms Park became the official home ground of the Welsh national team. In 1954 the title was shared with England and France. 1955 defeated France in the last game in Colombes with 16:11 and both teams then shared the title after both teams could each win three games. In 1956 Wales won the Five Nations title again, but could not achieve the title again until 1964 , win without defeat in 1965 and defend it again in 1966 .

With the decline of heavy industry in the 1960s, the national team relied less on miners and steel workers and more on students and teachers. Wales made its first overseas tour in 1964, during which it played several games and a test match in South Africa. They lost the test match against the Springboks in Durban with 3:24, the biggest defeat in 40 years. At the WRU AGM that year, outgoing WRU President D. Ewart Davies stated, “The experience of the South Africa tour shows that Wales needs a much more positive attitude towards the game ... Players must be willing to learn even to learn anew, up to the absolute mastery of the basic principles of rugby union football ”. This heralded the training revolution, during which profound reforms were carried out in the field of coach education. The WRU Training Committee - which began its work in the late 1950s - was commissioned to improve the quality of training and, in January 1967, Ray Williams was appointed training organizer. The first national coach, David Nash , was hired to coach Wales for the season in 1967 but resigned after the WRU refused to appoint him as coach for the 1968 Welsh tour to Argentina. However, the WRU withdrew their decision and appointed Clive Rowlands as coach for the Argentina tour. Of the six games played during the tour, Wales won three, drew two and lost one. On April 1, 1967, Gareth Edwards made his debut against France; at the age of just 20, he became the youngest team captain of all time.

Second "golden age" (1969–1979)

The Welsh team during their tour to Argentina, 1968

Wales versus Argentina at the Estadio GEBA, September 1968

During the 1970s, Wales saw a second "golden age" with world-class players like Gareth Edwards , JPR Williams , Gerald Davies , Barry John , and Mervyn Davies in their ranks. Wales dominated rugby in the Northern Hemisphere between 1969 and 1979, and achieved a remarkable win rate by losing just seven games in that period. Wales toured New Zealand for the first time in 1969, but lost both test matches against the All Blacks. In the second test, which you lost at 12:33, the New Zealand goalkeeper Fergie McCormick scored 24 points; a record at the time. The 1970s Welsh national team went down in history as one of the best. Nine of the ten games against England were won, eight of the ten games against Scotland and seven of the nine games against Ireland (plus one draw). Only the French could keep up to some extent, in ten encounters they managed three wins and one draw. In 1982, the Scots ended the Welsh 27-game winning streak.

In the Five Nations in 1970 Wales shared the title with France, and then they drew 6-6 against South Africa in Cardiff. The following year Wales secured the first Grand Slam during the Five Nations since 1952. They played only 16 different players in four games, during the Five Nations in 1971 they won a memorable victory over Scotland after a last-minute attempt by Gerald Davies Scotland's lead reduced to 18:17, and winger John Taylor increased the attempt from the sideline, dubbed "the best raise since Paul the Apostle ", giving Wales the 19:18 win. Wales gave the British and Irish Lions more players than the other British teams for the 1971 Lions tour to New Zealand. This Lions team is the only one that has won a test series in New Zealand so far.

The Five Nations tournament of 1972 had to end prematurely because of the Northern Ireland conflict, so there was no winner. After Bloody Sunday in Derry , the British embassy in Dublin was burned down by an angry mob and numerous players had received threatening letters, presumably from the IRA. Scotland and Wales refused to play for the upcoming away games in Ireland and justified this with the lack of security. After the Five Nations 1973 ended tied between all five participating teams, they defeated Australia 24-0 in Cardiff.

Wales won the Five Nations in 1975 with only one defeat (to Scotland) and the Five Nations in 1976 with the second Grand Slam of the decade. As during the Five Nations in 1971 , Wales only used 16 different players in four games. During the Five Nations in 1978 this success was repeated and they became the first team to win the Triple Crown in three consecutive tournaments. After the last game during the Five Nations in 1978, Phil Bennett and Gareth Edwards retired from rugby careers.

Wales received New Zealand at Cardiff Arms Park in November 1978, but lost the test match 12:13 after a late penalty kick by substitute and goalkeeper Brian McKechnie . The penalty kick was controversial as New Zealand second row striker Andy Haden emerged from an alley for a penalty kick. Haden later admitted that he and Frank Oliver had discussed this tactic before the game in case you got into trouble during the game. The referee Roger Quittenton was criticized by the press after the game for failing to show up; he later said that he gave the penalty kick against Welsh second row striker Geoff Wheel because of his jump against Oliver's shoulder. Quittenton later said, “Haden's perception is that his appearance resulted in the penalty kick. This is nothing but garbage ”. Wales then won the Five Nations in 1979 .

Under bars (1980-2003)

New Zealander Graham Henry was Welsh national coach during their first win in the test match against South Africa in 1999

In 1980, during the WRU centenary, Wales lost 3:23 to New Zealand in Cardiff after the All Blacks had four attempts and the Welsh none. Wales won two games during the Five Nations in 1980 and 1981 , and in 1983 they were almost caught off guard by Japan in Cardiff , but were able to win just 29:24. In 1984 Australia beat Wales 28-9 at Cardiff Arms Park.

During the Five Nations in 1987 , Wales only scored one victory before being invited by the IRB to participate in the first World Cup . Wales beat Ireland in the decisive group game before beating England in the quarter-finals. Then they met New Zealand in the semifinals, but lost well 6:49, then Wales defeated Australia in the third place match, the Welsh's best result at a World Cup to date. During the Five Nations 1988 they shared the title with France and won the first Triple Crown since 1979. After significant defeats during the tour to New Zealand at the end of the year, several Welsh players ended their rugby careers, while others switched to the rugby league.

At the end of the 1980s, rugby union in Wales fell into another serious crisis. The marked increase in the popularity of rugby league in northern England meant that more players than ever before switched to the professional version of rugby. The best players were no longer available for the national team. In 1989 there was only one victory against England, which gave France the title win before England. Wales could not win a single game at the Five Nations in 1990 and 1991 and they even received the " wooden spoon " as bottom of the table . During the Rugby Union World Cup in 1991 , Wales had its low point when they lost their first group game against Western Samoa . After another defeat, 3:38 against Australia, they had to leave the tournament after the group stage.

After winning two games during the Five Nations in 1992 and one in 1993 , Wales won the Five Nations in 1994 because of the better point difference over England. However, after no victory against Australia, New Zealand or South Africa in the period between the World Cups and they lost all games during the Five Nations 1995 , Wales was not considered a serious opponent for the 1995 Rugby Union World Cup . During the 1995 World Cup, a clear victory over Japan succeeded, but then lost to New Zealand; then you were forced to win the last group game against Ireland to reach the quarter-finals. However, Wales lost 23:24 and missed the quarter-finals for the second time in a row.

On August 26, 1995, the International Rugby Board lifted all restrictions on player payment, ushering in the professional era of rugby union. During the transition into the professional era of rugby, the WRU hired a full-time national coach for the first time: Kevin Bowring replaced Alec Evans . The fact that many former national players turned their backs on the rugby league resulted in better performances for the national team.

After record defeats of 0:51 against France and 13:96 against South Africa, the WRU hired New Zealander Graham Henry as national coach in 1998. Henry achieved success with the Welsh team from the start, leading Wales to a streak of ten consecutive wins; including the first Welsh win over South Africa, a 29:19 win at the newly inaugurated Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Henry was then nicknamed "the Great Redeemer" by the Welsh press and fans, a reference to the first line of Cwm Rhondda , a song popular among Welsh fans. During the last Five Nations in 1999 before Italy joined, Scotland won over England only thanks to a better point difference. The Welshman Scott Gibbs scored the decisive attempt in the last minute against England, which was increased by Neil Jenkins , whereby Wales beat England 32:31 and thus gave Scotland the tournament victory. As a result, expectations were high ahead of the 1999 Rugby Union World Cup, organized by the Welsh Federation . The Welsh ended Group D after victories over Argentina, Samoa and Japan in first place, but failed in the quarter-finals at eventual world champions Australia with 9:24. The drop in performance in the following Six Nations tournaments (Italy became part of the tournament in 2000), but above all several clear defeats against Ireland, led to Henry's resignation in February 2002; he was replaced by his assistant coach Steve Hansen .

During Hansen's tenure, the WRU made a significant change in the structure of the game. In 2003, provincial teams were introduced one level above traditional club teams, and the fifth (later four) teams formed the highest level of professional rugby union in Wales from then on. In the Six Nations 2003, they lost to Italy for the first time with 22:30 and even received the "wooden spoon" as bottom of the table. During the Rugby Union World Cup 2003 Wales put four attempts in the 37:53 defeat against New Zealand in the group stage, before losing in the quarter-finals against eventual world champions England, despite three attempts against one, just 17:28.

Resuscitation (since 2004)

Michael Owen catches an alley

The Welsh team during the 2008 Six Nations at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff . Wales won the tournament with a Grand Slam and a Triple Crown

The Fijian Cibi before the game against Wales during the 2015 Rugby Union World Cup

New Zealand versus Wales in the match in 3rd place during the 2019 Rugby Union World Cup in Japan

Under new national coach Mike Ruddock , Wales won the Six Nations in 2005, including their first Grand Slam since 1978. A late, long penalty kick by Gavin Henson secured Wales their first win over England in 12 years at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, and after victories over Italy, France and Scotland faced Ireland in the sold-out Millennium Stadium; Wales beat the Irish with 32:20 and won the first tournament title since 1994. In the same year, the 125th anniversary of the WRU, Wales suffered a record defeat against the All Blacks at home when they lost 3:41. This was followed by another defeat against South Africa (33:16), but these were the only defeats in 2005.

Ruddock resigned as national coach during the 2006 Six Nations , after which Wales finished the tournament in fifth place, and he was eventually replaced by Gareth Jenkins in office. During the Mid-year Internationals 2006 a test series was lost for the first time against the Pumas in Argentina after Wales lost in both test matches. During the Six Nations 2007, Wales lost to Italy for the second time and avoided the “wooden spoon” only with a win over England in the last game.

On May 10, 2007, Wales and Australia agreed to mark the 100th anniversary of the first test match between the two countries with the introduction of the James Bevan Trophy . The trophy was named after the Australian-born and Wales-trained Welsh first team captain; Australia won the first series of tests for the James Bevan Trophy 2-0. Jenkins led Wales through the 2007 Rugby Union World Cup , but the team failed to qualify for the quarter-finals after losing 34:38 ​​in the last group game against Fiji thanks to an attempt by Graham Dewes . Jenkins was then dismissed as national coach, and replaced by the New Zealander Warren Gatland .

Wales played in their first game under Gatland as coach against England at London's Twickenham Stadium, which was also their first game during the 2008 Six Nations . Wales achieved their first win over England at Twickenham since 1988 after winning 26:19. Wales won all games during the tournament and only allowed two attempts, with Wales winning the Grand Slam, the tenth overall. In the same year Wales beat Australia in Cardiff 21:18, but then lost a series of 23 games over six years against the three teams of the southern hemisphere Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Defending the title during the 2009 Six Nations began with a win over Scotland that put Wales fourth in the world rankings, the Welsh highest position since the rankings were launched. In the following game, the team won against England, at the same time the eighth win in a row at the Six Nations. This is also the setting of the all-time record for this tournament. However, the Welsh winning streak was broken in the following game against France. Due to the late defeat in the final against Ireland they were fourth, tied with the second-placed English and third-placed French, but with a worse point ratio.

During the Rugby Union World Cup 2011 Wales managed the first qualification for the semi-finals since 1987, but they lost very close 8: 9 against France after the team captain Sam Warburton had to leave the field; at the end there was a respectable fourth place. Both teams met again in March 2012 when Wales still needed a win during the Six Nations 2012 to win the tournament and the third Grand Slam in eight years, which they succeeded after a 16: 9 win. This was followed by a losing streak of eight games that could not be ended until the Six Nations 2013 , when Wales was able to defend the title for the first time since 1979.

During the 2014 end-of-year Rugby Union Internationals, Wales lost 28:33 at home in Cardiff to Australia, their tenth consecutive loss to the Wallabies. Wales scored four attempts against the three of the Wallabies, but this could be equalized by the Australian goalkeeper Bernard Foley with a drop goal and three penalties. Against the Springboks, however, managed a 12-6 win in Cardiff.

Wales qualified for the quarter-finals during the Rugby Union World Cup 2015 at the expense of hosts England, but lost to South Africa 19:23. During the End-of-year Rugby Union Internationals 2016 they lost to Australia at home with 8:32 and during the End-of-year Internationals 2017 at home with 21:29. During the end-of-year Internationals 2018 , the first victory over Australia (9: 6) was achieved in ten years. The points of the Welsh team and the number of points exactly reflected the first test matches between the two teams 110 years ago.

During the Six Nations 2019 , Wales scored the twelfth Grand Slam; this was the fourth Grand Slam in 14 years and the first in seven years. With a victory over England in preparation for the 2019 World Cup , the Welsh jumped to number 1 in the world rankings for the first time on August 19, 2019 and held this place for two weeks. During the 2019 World Cup, Wales made it to the semi-finals, but lost to eventual world champions South Africa. In the game for 3rd place they lost to the All Blacks.

Jersey and logo

Wales in the away shirt during the 2007 Rugby Union World Cup

Badge of the Prince of Wales

Wales traditionally plays in red shirts with white shorts and red socks. During the 2015/16 season, the shirt contained gold for the first time. On the jersey which is badge of the Prince of Wales embroidered, the ostrich feathers in the badge were from the WRU in the 19th century instead of another Welsh symbol, the leek, selected to the loyalty to the United Kingdom to underline. In 1991 the original generic motif was replaced by a more stylized one in order to be able to protect the logo under trademark law. The original motto under the ostrich feathers was I serve , but has been replaced in the new design with the initials "WRU".

Wales traditionally play their away games in a green shirt with white shorts and green socks, but other shirt colors have been used in the past. Earlier Welsh away kits also used colors like black, navy blue, white, yellow and gray. Wales played in black shirts in 2005 as part of the WRU 125th anniversary celebrations. The jersey was worn during the test matches against Fiji and Australia; the game against the Wallabies was the first against a traditional opponent in which Wales did not play in red shirts. The jersey has been made by Under Armor since the end-of-year Rugby Union Internationals in 2008 when that company replaced Reebok , who made the jersey between late 1996 and late 2008. Brains Brewery , Admiral Group and Isuzu have already appeared as shirt sponsors in the past . At world championships, however, no sponsor may appear on the jerseys - only the logo of the national team, the tournament logo and the logo of the jersey manufacturer are permitted.

Home stadium

→ Main articles : Cardiff Arms Park  and Millennium Stadium

The National Stadium in Cardiff Arms Park, the former home of the Welsh national rugby union team

Cardiff's Millennium Stadium is the home of the Welsh team

Welsh Millennium Stadium ahead of the Wales v Fiji game during the 2015 World Cup

Wales played their first Test Match in 1882 at St Helen's Ground in Swansea. In the 1880s and 1890s Wales played their home games in Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and Llanelli. Home games were played in Swansea until 1954, when Cardiff Arms Park became the new Welsh home stadium. In 1881, the first grandstand was built at Cardiff Arms Park, and capacity increased further over the decade. The number of spectators continued to grow, and in 1902 a record 40,000 spectators attended the game between Wales and Scotland. In 1911 the owners of Arms Park, the Marquess of Bute family, extended the Welsh crew's right to stay and, in the 1920s and 1930s, Wales gained more and more control. A new grandstand was built for the 1933/34 season, increasing the capacity of Cardiff Arms Park to 56,000.

Around 1958, the WRU decided that a new national stadium was needed as the Cardiff Arms Park was frequently affected by flooding. After debates and disputes between the WRU and several other parties, including the Cardiff RFC, it was decided in the 1960s to build a new national stadium on new land next to the Cardiff Club. The National Stadium, as it was officially called, opened in 1970.

Since 1999, Wales has played its home games at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff - with a capacity of 73,931 - which serves as Wales' national stadium and is also the largest football stadium in the country. The Millennium Stadium was designed in 1994 when a redevelopment committee was appointed. It was decided to replace the National Stadium at Cardiff Arms Park after a review found the stadium to be obsolete. New laws also required that all stadiums must be stable. Construction of the new stadium began in September 1997 and was completed by June 1999, just in time for the World Cup. The construction cost was £ 126 million, most of which was paid for by private investors. The national lottery company contributed 46 million, further funds were raised through loans and bonds to fans (in return, they received guaranteed tickets). During the construction of the new stadium, Wales used London's old Wembley Stadium for their home games - an arrangement that was remunerated during the construction of the new Wembley Stadium when FA finals were played at the Millennium Stadium. The stadium is owned by Millennium Stadium plc , a subsidiary of the Welsh Rugby Union. The first game took place on June 26, 1999, when the Welsh for the first time ever beat the South African Springboks.

Venues during rugby union world championships

→ Main articles : Rugby Union World Cup 1991 , Rugby Union World Cup 1999,  and Rugby Union World Cup 2007

Welsh stadiums were used as venues during the 1991, 1999, 2007 and 2015 World Cups. During the 1991 World Cup, games were played in the National Stadium in Cardiff, Stradey Park in Llanelli, Pontypool Park in Pontypool and Sardis Road in Pontypridd, along with other venues in the Five Nations. During the 1999 World Cup, Wales appeared as the nominal host, although games were played in the other Five Nations as well. The main Welsh stadium was the newly built Millennium Stadium Cardiff; other Welsh venues during the tournament were Racecourse Ground in Wrexham and Stradey Park in Llanelli. The Millennium Stadium also hosted four games during the 2007 World Cup, with France as the nominal hosts and the Scottish Murrayfield Stadium. During the 2015 World Cup, Wales co-hosted with England and eight games were played at the Millennium Stadium in Wales.

Test matches

Wales ranked in world rugby since 10 October 2003

See also : List of test matches for the Welsh national rugby union team

Wales has so far won 384 of its 735 test matches (as of the end of July 2020), which corresponds to a win rate of 52.25%.

country	Games	Won	undecided eliminated	Lost	% Victories
Argentina	18th	13	0	5	72.22
Australia	43	12	1	30th	27.91
Barbarians	4th	2	0	2	50.00
England	135	59	12	64	43.70
Fiji	12	10	1	1	83.33
France	99	51	3	45	51.52
Georgia	2	2	0	0	100
Ireland	130	68	7th	55	52.31
Italy	28	25th	1	2	89.29
Japan	10	9	0	1	90.00
Canada	12	11	0	1	91.67
Namibia	4th	4th	0	0	100
New Zealand	35	3	0	32	8.75
Pacific Islanders	1	1	0	0	100
Portugal	1	1	0	0	100
Romania	8th	6th	0	2	75.00
Samoa	10	6th	0	4th	60.00
Scotland	125	73	3	49	58.40
Zimbabwe	3	3	0	0	100
Spain	1	1	0	0	100
South Africa	36	6th	1	29	17.14
Tonga	9	9	0	0	100
Uruguay	2	2	0	0	100
United States	7th	7th	0	0	100
Total	735	384	29	322	52.25

successes

World championships

A large rugby ball, Match XV - the official rugby ball of the 2015 World Cup - on the eve of the World Cup at Cardiff Castle

Wales has played in every Rugby Union World Cup so far, reaching the semi-finals of three tournaments, but losing to New Zealand (1987), France (2011) and South Africa (2019) each. This makes Wales next to the most successful rugby team in the northern hemisphere. At the first World Cup in 1987, which was held in Australia and New Zealand, Wales made it to the semi-finals, but fell significantly short against New Zealand, but narrowly defeated Australia in the game for third place, the best result for Wales so far. At the second World Cup in 1991, which was held in the then Five Nations, Wales did not get beyond the group stage after two defeats. Wales achieved the same result in 1995, also after two defeats in the group stage. At the 1999 World Cup, which was also played in the then Five Nations with Wales as the nominal host, Wales made it out of the group stage into the quarter-finals, but lost to eventual world champions Australia. In 2003 Wales repeated this tournament after losing to eventual world champions England in the quarterfinals. In 2007 Wales failed to qualify for the quarter-finals after two wins and two defeats. In 2011 Wales made it to the semi-finals, but lost to France and lost to Australia in the subsequent game for third place. At the 2015 World Cup, which Wales and England fought together, Wales advanced to the quarter-finals at England's expense, but lost to South Africa. At the 2019 World Cup, Wales won all group matches, narrowly defeating France in the quarter-finals, but losing in the semi-finals to eventual world champions South Africa. Then you lost the game for 3rd place against New Zealand clearly.

• World Championship 1987 : 3rd place
• World Cup 1991 : preliminary round (one win)
• 1995 World Cup : preliminary round (one win)
• 1999 World Cup : quarter-finals
• World Championship 2003 : quarter-finals
• World Championship 2007 : preliminary round (two wins)
• World Championship 2011 : 4th place
• World Championship 2015 : quarter-finals
• World Championship 2019 : 4th place
• World Championship 2023 : qualified

Home Nations Championship Five Nations / Six Nations

Wales' only annual tournament is the Six Nations, where you play against five other European teams: England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. The Six Nations began in 1883 as the Home Nations Championship between the four countries of the United Kingdom. Wales won their first title in 1893 after winning the Triple Crown. Wales have won 27 titles so far, plus twelve shared wins. The longest series without a title spanned eleven years (1994-2005). Wales won its first Grand Slam in 1908 - although France only became part of the Five Nations in 1910 - and the first Six Nations Grand Slam in 2005. The last Six Nations title, including the Grand Slam and Triple Crown, was won by Wales in 2019 after one Victory over Ireland in the final Six Nations game. Since 2018 Wales has played the Doddie Weir Cup against Scotland during the Six Nations .

• 27 sole victories (1893, 1900, 1902, 1905, 1908, 1909, 1911, 1922, 1931, 1936, 1950, 1952, 1956, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1971, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1994, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2019)
• 12 shared victories (1906, 1920, 1932, 1939, 1947, 1954, 1955, 1964, 1970, 1973, 1988)
• 12 Grand Slams (1908, 1909, 1911, 1950, 1952, 1971, 1976, 1978, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2019)
• 21 Triple Crowns (1893, 1900, 1902, 1905, 1908, 1909, 1911, 1950, 1952, 1965, 1969, 1971, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1988, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2019)

More test matches

During the amateur era, Wales toured abroad, sometimes for months, to compete against other national teams as well as against regional selections and club teams. National teams touring were also received in Wales.

The tours according to old tradition came to a standstill around the year 2000. Today there are two time slots available every year for test matches against teams from the southern hemisphere. Wales travels to the southern hemisphere at the Mid-year Internationals in June , and teams from the Southern Hemisphere are welcomed to Wales at the End-of-year Internationals in November. Since 2007 Wales has played against Australia for the James Bevan Trophy and against South Africa for the Prince William Cup .

player

Current squad

The following players make up the roster during the Six Nations 2020 :

Back line (backs) player position team International matches Gareth Davies Half of the crowd Scarlets 51 Rhys Webb Half of the crowd RC Toulon 31 Tomos Williams Half of the crowd Cardiff Blues 16 Dan Biggar Interconnects Northampton Saints 79 Jarrod Evans Interconnects Cardiff Blues 3 Owen Williams Interconnects Gloucester RFC 3 Hadleigh Parkes Inner three quarters Scarlets 25th Nick Tompkins Inner three quarters Saracens 0 Owen Watkin Inner three quarters Ospreys 22nd Josh Adams Outer three-quarters Cardiff Blues 21st Owen Lane Outer three-quarters Cardiff Blues 2 Johnny McNicholl Outer three-quarters Scarlets 0 George North Outer three-quarters Ospreys 91 Louis Rees-Zammit Outer three-quarters Gloucester RFC 0 Leigh Halfpenny Goalkeeper Scarlets 85 Jonah Holmes Goalkeeper Leicester Tigers 3 Liam Williams Goalkeeper Saracens 62

Striker (forwards) player position team International matches Elliot Dee hooker Newport Gwent Dragons 29 Ryan Elias hooker Scarlets 9 Ken Owens hooker Scarlets 73 Leon Brown pier Newport Gwent Dragons 6th Rhys Carre pier Saracens 6th Rob Evans pier Scarlets 36 WillGriff John pier Sale Sharks 0 Wyn Jones pier Scarlets 22nd Dillon Lewis pier Cardiff Blues 22nd Jake Ball Second row striker Scarlets 42 Adam Beard Second row striker Ospreys 20th Cory Hill Second row striker Newport Gwent Dragons 24 Alun Wyn Jones Second row striker Ospreys 134 Will Rowlands Second row striker Wasps 0 Taulupe Faletau Third row striker Bath rugby 72 Ross Moriarty Third row striker Newport Gwent Dragons 41 Josh Navidi Third row striker Cardiff Blues 23 Aaron Shingler Third row striker Scarlets 26th Justin Tipuric Third row striker Ospreys 72 Aaron Wrainwright Third row striker Newport Gwent Dragons 18th

Outstanding players

Ten former Welsh internationals have been inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame for their outstanding performance . These are Gareth Edwards , Barry John , Cliff Morgan , JPR Williams , Gerald Davies , Carwyn James , Mervyn Davies , Phil Bennett , Gwyn Nicholls and Ieuan Evans .

Player statistics

Alun Wyn Jones (2008)

Ieuan Evans (2010)

(As of July 2020)

Most of the games in the national team rank Surname Period Games 1 Alun Wyn Jones 2006-2020 138 2 Gethin Jenkins 2002-2016 129 3 Stephen Jones 1998-2011 104 4th Gareth Thomas 1995-2007 100 5 Martyn Williams 1996-2012 100

Most games as captain rank Surname Period Games 1 Sam Warburton 2011-2016 49 2 Alun Wyn Jones 2009-2020 37 3 Ryan Jones 2008-2013 33 4th Ieuan Evans 1991-1995 28 5 Colin Charvis 2002-2004 22nd

Most points scored rank Surname Period Points 1 Neil Jenkins 1991-2002 1049 2 Stephen Jones 1998-2011 917 3 Leigh Halfpenny 2008-2020 745 4th Dan Biggar 2008-2020 439 5 James Hook 2006-2015 352

Most attempts made rank Surname Period tries 1 Shane Williams 2000-2011 58 2 George North 2010-2020 40 3 Gareth Thomas 1995-2007 40 4th Ieuan Evans 1987-1998 33 5 Colin Charvis 1996-2007 22nd

Trainer

Steve Hansen (2012)

Warren Gatland (2012)

This list includes all trainers since 1967, since full-time trainers have only been hired since then. The trainers marked with * were only hired as so-called caretakers , i.e. representatives. So you were active during the time when the head coaches were unable to exercise the position, be it through duties in clubs, the Lions or illness.

Surname	Years	Games	Victories	Unent.	Ndlg.	Wins in percent
David Nash	1967-1968	5	1	1	3	20th
Clive Rowlands	1968-1974	29	18th	4th	7th	62.1
John Dawes	1974-1979	24	18th	0	6th	75
John Lloyd	1980-1982	14th	6th	0	8th	42.9
John Bevan	1982-1985	15th	7th	1	7th	46.7
Tony Gray	1985-1988	18th	9	0	9	50
John Ryan	1988-1990	9	2	0	7th	22.2
Ron Waldron	1990-1991	10	2	1	7th	20th
Alan Davies	1991-1995	35	18th	0	17th	51.4
Alex Evans *	1995	4th	1	0	3	25th
Kevin Bowring	1995-1998	29	15th	0	14th	51.7
Dennis John *	1998	2	1	0	1	50
Graham Henry	1998-2002	34	20th	1	13	58.8
Lynn Howells *	2001	2	2	0	0	100
Steve Hansen	2002-2004	29	10	0	19th	34.5
Mike Ruddock	2004-2006	20th	13	0	7th	65
Scott Johnson *	2006	3	0	1	2	0
Gareth Jenkins	2006-2007	20th	6th	1	13	30th
Nigel Davies *	2007	1	0	0	1	0
Warren Gatland	2007-2019	151	87	2	62	57
Robin McBryde *	2009	6th	5	0	1	83.3
Rob Howley *	2012, 2016–2017	20th	10	0	10	50
Wayne Pivac	since 2019	5	2	0	3	40

literature

• Andrews, David: Welsh Indigenous! and British Imperial? - Welsh Rugby, Culture, and Society 1890-1914 . In: Journal of Sport History . 3. Edition. tape 18 , 1991, p. 335-349 ( la84.org [PDF]).
• Dine, Philip: French Rugby Football - Cultural History . Ed .: Berg. 2001, ISBN 978-1-85973-327-1 .
• Elliott Matt: Dave Gallaher - The Original All Black Captain . Ed .: Harper Collins. London 2012, ISBN 978-1-86950-968-2 .
• Griffiths, John: The Phoenix Book of International Rugby Records . Ed .: Phoenix House. London 1987, ISBN 978-0-460-07003-4 .
• Harris, John: Cool Cymru, rugby union and an imagined community . In: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy . 3/4 edition. tape 27 , 2007, p. 151-162 , doi : 10.1108 / 01443330710741084 .
• Howell, Max: Born to Lead - Wallaby Test Captains . Ed .: Celebrity Books. Auckland, New Zealand 2005, ISBN 978-1-877252-18-1 .
• Morgan, Leighton; Fleming, Scott: The Development of Coaching in Welsh Rugby Union Football . In: Football Studies . 2nd Edition. tape 6 , 2003, p. 39-51 ( la84foundation.org [PDF]).
• Johnes, Martin: A Prince, a King, and a Referendum: Rugby, Politics, and Nationhood in Wales, 1969–1979 . In: The Journal of British Studies . 1st edition. tape 47 , 2008, p. 129 , doi : 10.1086 / 522347 .
• McCarthy, Winston: Haka! The All Blacks Story . Ed .: Pelham Books. London 1968.
• McLean, Terry: Great Days in New Zealand Rugby . Ed .: AH & AW Reed. Wellington, New Zealand 1959.
• McLean, Terry: Red Dragons of Welsh Rugby . Ed .: AH & AW Reed. Wellington 1969, ISBN 978-0-589-00395-1 .
• Morgan, Gareth: Rugby and Revivalism: Sport and Religion in Edwardian Wales . In: The International Journal of the History of Sport . 3. Edition. tape 22 May 2005, p. 434-456 , doi : 10.1080 / 09523360500064057 .
• Palenski, Ron: Century in Black - 100 Years of All Black Test Rugby . Ed .: Hodder Moa Beckett Publishers Limited. 2003, ISBN 978-1-86958-937-0 .
• Parry-Jones, David: Prince Gwyn, Gwyn Nicholls and the First Golden Era of Welsh Rugby . Ed .: seren. Bridgend 1999, ISBN 978-1-85411-262-0 .
• Peatey, Lance: In Pursuit of Bill: A Complete History of the Rugby World Cup . Ed .: New Holland Publishers. 2011, ISBN 978-1-74257-191-1 .
• Potter, Alex; Duthen, Georges: The Rise of French Rugby . Ed .: AH & AW Reed. Wellington 1961.
• Richards, Huw: A Game for Hooligans . Ed .: Mainstream Publishing. 2006, ISBN 978-1-84596-016-2 .
• Ryan, Greg: The Contest for Rugby Supremacy - Accounting for the 1905 All Blacks . Ed .: Canterbury University Press. 2005, ISBN 978-1-877257-36-0 .
• Sheers, Owen: Calon: A Journey to the Heart of Welsh Rugby . Ed .: Faber & Faber. 2013, ISBN 978-0-571-29731-3 ( google.com ).
• Smith, David; Williams, Gareth: Fields of Praise: The Official History of The Welsh Rugby Union . Ed .: University of Wales Press. Cardiff 1980, ISBN 978-0-7083-0766-3 .
• Vincent, GT: Practical Imperialism: The Anglo ‐ Welsh Rugby Tour of New Zealand, 1908 . In: The International Journal of the History of Sport . 1st edition. tape 15 , 1998, pp. 123-140 , doi : 10.1080 / 09523369808714015 .

Web links

Commons : Welsh National Rugby Union Team  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Welsh Rugby Union
• Rugby News ( January 23, 2007 memento on the Internet Archive )
• Statistics from Wales on rugbydata.com

Individual evidence

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19. ↑ Elliott (2012), pp. 177-178.
20. ↑ Vincent (1998), p. 124.
21. ↑ Statistics of the tour of the Original All Blacks 1905/06. All Blacks, accessed July 23, 2015 . 
22. ↑ ^{a b} McCarthy (1968), p. 46.
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24. ↑ McCarthy (1968), pp. 48-49.
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26. ↑ Parry-Jones (1999), p. 180.
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30. ^ Smith (1980), p. 198.
31. ↑ ^{a b} Smith (1980), p. 204.
32. ↑ Richards (2006), p. 123.
33. ↑ Richards (2006), p. 124.
34. ↑ Richards (2006), p. 126.
35. ^ Smith (1980), p. 262.
36. ↑ Richards (2006), p. 135
37. ↑ Richards (2006), p. 46.
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39. ^ McLean (1969), p. 147.
40. ↑ Potter (1961), p. 99.
41. ^ Smith (1980), p. 344.
42. ^ McCarthy (1968), p. 233.
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45. ^ Smith (1980), p. 368.
46. ^ David Smith, Gareth Williams: Fields of Praise: The Official History of The Welsh Rugby Union . University of Wales Press, Cardiff 1980, ISBN 0-7083-0766-3 , pp. 368-369 .
47. ↑ World Rugby 1951 - Date. England Rugby Archived from the original on June 23, 2015 ; accessed on June 23, 2014 . 
48. ^ Smith (1980), p. 369.
49. ↑ Morgan & Fleming (2003), pp. 44-45.
50. ^ Smith (1980), p. 389.
51. ^ Smith (1980), p. 393.
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53. ^ Johnes (2008).
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55. ↑ Gareth Edwards. ESPNscrum, archived from the original on October 8, 2019 ; accessed on May 31, 2020 (English). 
56. ^ McLean (1969), p. 144.
57. ^ McLean (1969), p. 119.
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59. ^ Smith (1980), p. 400.
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65. ^ Smith (1980), p. 432.
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67. ^ RBS Six Nations: 11 Grand Slams: 1978 Grand Slam. Welsh Rugby Union, archived from the original on June 27, 2015 ; accessed on August 11, 2015 . 
68. ↑ 180th All Black Test: 741st All Black Game. allblacks.com, accessed September 21, 2007 . 
69. ↑ Steve Deane: Rugby's 10 worst refereeing howlers. New Zealand Herald, November 7, 2008, accessed March 28, 2018 . 
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72. ↑ Roger Quince Sound. ESPNscrum, archived from the original on February 22, 2019 ; accessed on May 31, 2020 (English). 
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76. ↑ Davies, Sean: Eastern Promise: Japanese rugby. BBC , February 12, 2007, archived from the original on December 7, 2019 ; accessed on May 31, 2020 (English). 
77. ↑ Peatey (2011), p. 36.
78. ↑ Peatey (2011), p. 39.
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80. ↑ Peatey (2011), pp. 246-247.
81. ↑ Pyem Steven: Remembering England's woe in Cardiff in the 1989 Five Nations. The Guardian , March 20, 2013, archived from the original January 20, 2014 ; accessed on May 31, 2020 (English). 
82. ^ Wooden Spoon History. Welsh Rugby Union, March 28, 2003, archived from the original on June 2, 2013 ; accessed on August 11, 2015 . 
83. ↑ Peatey (2011), p. 62.
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85. ↑ ^{a b} Peatey (2011), pp. 264-265.
86. ↑ 1990s: v Wales. ESPNscrum, archived from the original on March 6, 2016 ; accessed on May 31, 2020 (English). 
87. ↑ Peatey (2011), p. 81.
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89. ↑ Peatey (2011), pp. 282-283.
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91. ↑ ^{a b c} Graham Henry. Welsh Rugby Union, archived from the original on July 19, 2014 ; accessed on December 1, 2014 . 
92. ↑ ^{a b c} Richards, Huw: Graham Henry's downfall as Wales coach. ESPNscrum, March 12, 2015, archived from the original on August 14, 2015 ; accessed on May 31, 2020 (English). 
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96. ↑ Peatey (2011), S. 115th
97. ↑ Jenkins, Tom: Bridgend and Maesteg's malaise symbolic of the decline of Welsh club rugby. The Guardian , February 2, 2013; archived from the original on February 22, 2019 ; accessed on May 31, 2020 (English). 
98. ^ Damning report questions survival of Welsh rugby regions. BBC , November 7, 2012, archived from the original on August 17, 2019 ; accessed on May 31, 2020 (English).  
99. ↑ Peatey (2011), pp. 323-324.
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106. ^ Wales unveiled Jenkins as new coach. BBC , April 27, 2006, archived from the original on December 7, 2019 ; accessed on May 31, 2020 (English).  
107. ↑ Argentina 45-27 Wales. (No longer available online.) BBC , June 17, 2006, archived from the original on April 1, 2019 ; accessed on December 13, 2019 . 
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110. ↑ Peatey (2011), pp. 186-187.
111. ↑ Peatey (2011), S. 188th
112. ↑ Lewis explains Jenkins' sacking. BBC , October 5, 2007, archived from the original on December 7, 2019 ; accessed on May 31, 2020 (English).  
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118. ↑ 2009 Six Nations. BBC , March 22, 2009, archived from the original on November 12, 2019 ; accessed on December 14, 2019 (English).  
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133. ↑ Andrews (1991), p. 346.
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138. ↑ Simon Rimmer: Player 'Selfies' Reveal New Change Kit. Welsh Rugby Union, November 19, 2013, archived from the original on December 7, 2019 ; accessed on May 31, 2020 (English). 
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144. ^ Smith (1980), p. 9.
145. ^ Smith (1980), p. 139.
146. ^ Smith (1980), p. 175.
147. ^ Smith (1980), p. 219.
148. ^ Smith (1980), p. 284.
149. ^ Smith (1980), p. 371.
150. ^ Smith (1980), p. 372.
151. ^ Smith (1980), p. 373.
152. ↑ Matt Hale: The Venue: The Millennium Stadium. TheFA.com, July 30, 2004, archived from the original on April 5, 2005 ; Retrieved April 5, 2005 . 
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154. ↑ Why is it taking so long? , Bristol Evening Post. May 28, 2007, p. 8. 
155. ^ Wembley Stadium. ESPNscrum, archived from the original on April 2, 2019 ; accessed on May 31, 2020 (English). 
156. ^ The Millennium Years. The Football Association, archived from the original on March 6, 2014 ; accessed on March 6, 2014 . 
157. ^ International Rugby Union Statistics - Wales. ESPNscrum, accessed January 19, 2020 . 
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159. ^ RBS 6 Nations: 11 Grand Slams - 2005 Grand Slam. Welsh Rugby Union, archived from the original on December 1, 2014 ; Retrieved November 30, 2014 . 
160. ↑ Pivac names first Guinness Six Nations squad. WRU, January 15, 2020, accessed January 16, 2020 . 
161. ↑ Total matches played (descending). ESPNscrum, accessed June 24, 2020 . 
162. ↑ Total matches played as captain (descending). ESPNscrum, accessed June 24, 2020 . 
163. ↑ Total points scored (descending). ESPNscrum, accessed June 24, 2020 . 
164. ↑ Total tries scored (descending). ESPNscrum, accessed June 24, 2020 .