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WALES / CYMRU |
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HOME - A to Z of Rugby Relics Pages - ORDER
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WALES / CYMRU |
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Welsh rugby memorabilia - you will find on this page a marvellous selection of memorabilia from all eras of Welsh Rugby. From the first Golden era to the 2008 Grand Slam, we've got the lot. Click on the links below or scroll down to see what great items we have on offer.
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2005 GRAND SLAM - 1900's GOLDEN ERA - PRE-WAR 1920's & 30's - WARTIME/SERVICES - POST-WAR 40s, 50s & 60s - 1970's GOLDEN ERA - WELSH CENTENARY YEAR - 1980s TO DATE - THE GREAT PLAYERS - GREAT WELSH VICTORIES - CARDIFF ARMS PARK - SCHOOLS & COLLEGES - WELSH RUGBY UNION - CLUBS |
2008 GRAND SLAM
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For the 2008 Triple Crown match, Wales travelled
to Dublin, so often the graveyard of Wales' Triple Crown hopes. This was the
make or break encounter for Warren Gatland's men. No quarter was given as the
men in red dominated the match, despite playing a quarter of it with only 14 men
after the sin binning of Mike Phillips and Martyn Williams . In the battle of
the boots Irish fly half Ronan O'Gara was faultless with 4 out of 4 penalties,
Stephen Jones slotted two for Wales and James Hook adding a long range effort in
the dying minutes. The definitive moment that sealed Wales great victory was the
try scored by that elusive genius Shane Williams, his 40th for Wales equalling,
the all time Wales try scoring record. The 16 - 12 victory set Wales up for a
Grand Slam encounter in Cardiff against the champions France.
We are offering this once in a life time double delight to celebrate Wales' great 2008 Triple Crown and Grand Slam season. The jersey worn by full back Lee Byrne in this decisive encounter and the match ball signed by the Welsh team. This is not a replica ball but an actual MATCH BALL used in this fixture. Both items are accompanied by a certificate signed by Lee Byrne guaranteeing their authenticity.
Ref: PL1- wa08tcgpxb - £2900.00 |
2005 GRAND SLAM
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WALES GRAND SLAM 2005 MAGIC MOMENTS - TURF PAPERWEIGHTS Rugby Relics are proud to be able to offer the actual turf on which Shane Williams touched down for his try against England and the very piece of grass from which Gavin Henson launched his penalty kick that won the game for Wales. The pitch cut up badly during the game and the Millennium Stadium and Welsh Rugby Union decided a new pitch was needed. To do this the whole pitch needed to be removed and re-laid. These two important pieces of turf were pinpointed by stadium staff and removed from the main pitch on Tuesday 15th of February. We have turned these two pieces of historical turf into a series of limited edition paperweights. For more information on the Magic Moments - Turf Paperweights - CLICK HERE |
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WALES v ENGLAND - MILLENNIUM STADIUM - 5th February 2005
- There was a feeling before this match that the old enemy could be
beaten, Wales had run both New Zealand and South Africa close in the
autumn internationals and the Welsh press was baying for blood, English
blood. The early score fell to Wales with a Shane Williams try. A penalty
by Stephen Jones and three penalties by England meant that with only 10
minutes remaining in the match, the score stood at 9 -8. Those of us with
elephant memories in the crowd were harking back to 1980 when the 70s
stranglehold was broken with three Dusty Hare penalties to two Welsh tries
and that 9 - 8 loss to Bill Beaumont's team, would they do it to us again.
But up stepped 'Ole Golden Boots', Gavin Henson to kick the big one and
hammer the final nail in England's coffin.
Wales 11 - England 9 |
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INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMMES |
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Ref: prwaen05xb out of stock |
v Italy Ref: priywa05xb £35.00 |
v France out of stock |
v Scotland
Ref: prscwa05xb £25.00 |
v Ireland
Ref: prwair05xb £10.00 |
England
11 – 9
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A Limited Edition print by Jonathan Evans celebrating that wonderful moment when Gavin Henson kicked the winning goal against England to set Wales on their way to the 2005 Triple Crown and Grand Slam. |
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The
2005/6 Rugby Annual for Wales (37th year) - This annual includes details of Wales' Grand Slam, the
British Lions tour of New Zealand, Wales tour of North America +
other European & Worldwide competitions. As always it is a mine
of information, the most comprehensive view of rugby in Wales -
Ref: anwa2005-06 - £7.50 For other editions of the Rugby Annual for Wales including 2006/7 - CLICK HERE |
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A
pair of players team issue Reebok Welsh training socks from the Grand Slam
season. They grey coloured socks have WRU embroidered to the top half of
the sock.
Ref: CC61-wa05-socks - £15.00 |
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"Fields of Praise" by David Smith & Gareth Williams. The official history of the Welsh Rugby Union. A monumental work, Smith and Williams are professional historians and the amount of research that has gone into this work is mind boggling, includes detailed chapters on the origin of rugby. This particular copy combines the old with the new, it is signed by members of the 2005 Grand Slam winning squad. The signatures are very good, well spread out and clear. The following players can be positively identified. Gareth Thomas, Mefin davies, Robin McBryde, Tom Shanklin, Gareth Cooper, Rhys Williams, Dwayne Peel, Martyn Williams, Gavin Henson, Gareth Llewellyn, Stephen Jones, Hal Luscombe, Adam Jones, Robert Sidoli, John yapp, Jonathon Thomas, Dafydd James, Gethin Jenkins, Shane Williams, Luke Charteris, Michael Phillips, Robin Sowden-Taylor & coach Mike Ruddock. The book is accompanied by a signature map and a COA guaranteeing the signatures. Ref: CL10-bkhiwa-ds/gw - £135.00 |
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WALES v NEW ZEALAND 16th December 1905 Quite simply, without argument the "greatest rugby match ever", the most talked about match, the most written about match in the history of the game. Four months into an arduous tour, the first All Blacks arrived in Wales having met and thrashed the best that England, Scotland and Ireland could muster. Unbeaten, with a total of 801 points for and 32 against, the All Blacks had moulded themselves into a single entity, there was no stopping this well oiled machine or was there ? "Wait till you get to Wales" was the popular cry amongst the defeated teams. Unbeaten at home for 6 years, Wales was in the middle of it's first golden era. The All Blacks knew this would be their stiffest test. This was to be the first 'unofficial world championship'. The home team won the game 3 - 0. It was not however the try that Teddy Morgan scored that became the talking point for next 100 years, but the one Bob Deans failed to score, or as the All Blacks contended 'was scored but disallowed'. Still the arguments rage, but there's no doubting the official score line. WALES 3 - NEW ZEALAND 0
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1905 WALES v ALL BLACKS TEAM PHOTO SIGNED PRINT |
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A superb quality photograph of the 1905 team prior to the New Zealand game. Facsimile signatures of the team have been added to the photo giving the print an authentic look. |
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Wales v New Zealand 1905. A vintage postcard, unused,
autographed on the reverse by 2 legendary Welsh outside halves Cliff Morgan & Phil Bennett.
This postcard dates from 1905.
Ref: F8-164-pcwanz05 - £75.00 |
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1909 Grand Slam & Triple Crown (Captain: Billy Trew) |
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v England 8 - 0 (Cardiff) |
v Scotland 5 - 3 (Inverleith) |
v France 47 - 5 (Paris) |
v Ireland 18 - 5 (Swansea) |
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The fifth consecutive victory over England saw the second Bancroft brother 'Jack' make his debut, Phil Hopkins and Johnnie Williams scored the tries. Once again Scotland proved the hardest opponents and once again could have won the match in the last minute when Cunningham's penalty went wide. The first visit to Paris saw Wales destroy the opposition with 10 tries, all by three-quarters. The defeat of Ireland gave Wales their ninth consecutive victory, all the points were scored in the second half. |
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The Players - Jack Bancroft, JL Williams, JP Jones, WJ Trew, P Hopkins, R Jones, RM Owen, Tom Evans, G Travers, PD Waller, J Brown, J Webb, J Blackmore, G Hayward, Ivor Morgan, AM Baker, Dick Thomas, E Thomas, TC Lloyd, R Thomas, |
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A large print featuring Welsh International players from
1909-10. This print was a "Supplement to the South Wales Daily News,
March 14th 1910". It contains individual photos of 27 players
including some of the greats of the first golden era, includes Bush, Gibbs, Charlie
Pritchard, Tommy Vile & Hop Maddock. There is some creasing across the
print which is mounted ready for framing, total size 56 x 40cm
Ref: CN2-piwa09-10 - £175 |
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1911 Grand Slam & Triple Crown (Captains: Billy Trew, Johnnie Williams) |
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v England 15 - 11 (Cardiff) |
v Scotland 32 - 10 (Inverleith) |
v France 15 - 0 (Paris) |
v Ireland 16 - 0 (Cardiff) |
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The defeat by England at the Twickenham opening the previous season was revenged with a shaky 15-11 victory in the opening match, Joe Pugsley crashed over in the last minute to increase the one point margin to four. The all Cardiff threequarter line supplied seven of the eight tries in the 32 - 10 defeat of Scotland. While in Paris, Billy Trew handed his captaincy to Johnnie Williams, because he could speak French, a record 45,000 crowd witnessed the 15 - 0 defeat of the the French. Ireland arrived in Cardiff for a 'Triple Crown' decider and were soundly beaten, Wales changed tactics putting empahsis on forward dominance and were rewarded when Evans and Webb scored two out of the three tries.
Memories of the 1911 season by BIlly Spiller |
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| The Players - Jack Bancroft, JL Williams, W Spiller, FW Birt, RA Gibbs, WJ Trew, RM Owen, J Webb, J Pugsley, AP Coldrick, H Jarman, W Perry, Tom Evans, DJ Thomas, Ivor Morgan, LM Dyke, G Travers, R Thomas, J Birch, WG Evans, | |||
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WALES v ENGLAND - 21st January 1911 |
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This was the second season of the Five
Nations tournament, France played all four home countries for the first
time in 1910 making the fixtures of the championship complete. England
were still undefeated in the Five Nations (in the previous season they had
beaten Wales, drawn with Ireland 0 - 0 then defeated both Scotland and
France, narrowly missing out on the grand slam). But it was Wales who were
to claim the first ever Five Nations Grand Slam with victories over the
other four nations in 1911. This was the first match of the championship
for both teams, Wales won the day by scoring 4 tries, (Reggie Gibbs, Ivor
Morgan, Billy Spiller & Joe Pugsley) and one penalty goal (Fred Birt)
to England's three tries and one conversion. Welsh captain Billy Trew said
after this great victory "The side we have defeated after such a hard
struggle is the finest English team that I have ever played against. It
was a good job for us that we were so well trained, or we would not have
lasted the hot pace right to the end" the Swansea stand off had
played 6 times previously against England between 1900-1910.
WALES 15 - ENGLAND 11 |
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Wales v England 1911 - The official match programme for the first match of the first ever 5 Nations Grand Slam. This copy has a small stain to the front cover, a slight crease across the centre of the programme, a rubbed spine, causing some parting in places and a rusty staple. This 12 pages publication contains individual photographs of each of the Welsh players. Ref: B64-23-waen1911 - £2950 |
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| Souvenir of Album presented to Horace S Lyne Esq M.B.E by his colleagues of the Welsh Football Union, October 1932. Horace Lyne was a Welsh International player 1883 - 1884, he served as a representative to the International Rugby Football Board 1887 - 1938 and was President of the Welsh Rugby Union 1906 - 1947. We believe that the original album was presented to HS Lyne by the WFU committee with a printed copy given to each of the signatories contained therein. This copy is printed to the outside WJ Llewellyn who was a signatory. This large format (42cm x 38cm, 17" x 15") album was printed by the Western Mail & Echo, all pages are illustrated. It is showing some signs of wear to the covers with approx 3cm missing from the spine, a very unusual item. Ref: LN6-abm-hslwa1932 - £285.00 | ||||||
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FRANCE v WALES 1922 - 'RUGBY' The
official publication of the French Rugby Union – A post match newspaper
containing a match report (text in French) and photographs of the last match in Wales' 1922
Championship Season. Finishing top of the table with three wins and a draw
against Scotland this was the best season for Wales in the 1920s. The
French match was played on a Thursday and Wales defeated the home team by
11 points to 3. There is some wear causing a parting to the top of the
spine and some discolouration throughout due to age.
Ref: ZJ01-23-npfrwa1922 - £85.00 |
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WALES v FRANCE 1923 - 'RUGBY' The
official publication of the French Rugby Union – A post match newspaper
containing a match report and photographs of the Wales v France 1923
international at Swansea. This match saw the opening of the new grandstand
at St Helens. The paper includes several photos of the game and a match
report (text in French). There is some wear causing damage to the spine,
some discolouration throughout due to age and some minor tearing to the
front cover.
Ref: ZJ01-24-npwafr1923 - £85.00 |
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Wales v England Schools 15th March 1924 touch judges flag. A double sided, genuine embroidered touch judge's flag (no stick), the size is 38 x 25cm (15" x 10"), there are one or two stains and some very small holes. The flag is sold together with a copy of the official programme for this match which Wales won 6 - 3. A great and unique piece of memorabilia from the 1920s. Ref: CC61-waen-sh240315 - £225.00 |
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An autographed Scotland v Wales
1930 dinner menu from the collection of William Charles 'Wick' Powell who
won 27 caps for Wales between 1926 and 1935. The menu card is signed to
the back cover by Wick Powell and BR Turnbull of Wales, Simmers, Waters
& Simpson of Scotland. the front cover is signed by Hart of Scotland.
Scotland won the game 12-9 with a last minute drop goal by Herbert
Waddell.
Ref: F78-53-dmauwasc30xb - £185.00 |
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Wales v Scotland 7th February 1931 - community singing
4 page leaflet. A selection of Welsh and Scottish songs to be sung
at the international match led by the Cardiff City Tramways and
Motors Prize Band.
Ref: F78-4-wale31 - £24.00 |
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Wales travelled to
Twickenham without a win in the 23 years of playing at HQ. A record crowd
of 64,000, including the Prince of Wales (illustrated meeting the Welsh
team) watched as a Welsh team including
2 new caps defeated the much fancied England side. The debutants, Vivian Jenkins and schoolboy
Wilf Wooller were to play an important part in Wales' first victory on
English soil but it was winger Ronnie Boon who stole the show with his
drop goal and try to seal this victory.
ENGLAND 3 - WALES 7 |
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England v Wales 1933 official match programme. Creased and grubby throughout with the match score written on the front cover and in the middle pages. Ref: prenwa33 - £85.00 |
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THE RONNIE BOON ITINERARY CARD COLLECTION
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Article on Ronnie Boon in The Times 1983 |
Ronnie Boon was one of Welsh rugby's great
characters of the 1930s. He would turn up prior to matches and announce
himself with the catchphrase 'have no fear, Boon is here'. This 'Boy from
Barry' was an all round athlete, a Glamorgan cricketer, an international
sprinter, possessing good looks and charm in abundance, Ronnie Boon
was a popular figure amongst his team mates and the Welsh rugby public. He made his debut against Scotland in 1930 and
played 12 times for Wales. He is best
remembered for scoring all the points in Wales' first victory at
Twickenham in 1933 scoring a try (3 points) and a drop goal (4 points)
in the 7 - 3 victory against the old enemy. Remarkably this was the second year in succession
that he achieved this scoring feat against England, having previously contributed
a drop goal and try in
the 12 - 5 victory at Swansea in 1932. A prolific try scorer, Boon was considered to
be one of the best wings in Britain during the early 1930s. He played his club
rugby at Cardiff scoring 76 tries in 98 games. In 1931 he went to
Dunfermerline to study as a physical education teacher and played the majority of his rugby
from then on in Scotland,
but he was always invited down to play for Cardiff in the big games. He
scored a try against the 1931 Springboks with a scintillating run of 45
yards. An injury to his knee in 1933 meant that he missed the Scotland
match and sat out the remainder of the international season. Boon stayed
in Scotland teaching once his college days were over, possibly he
was out of sight and out of mind for the Welsh selectors, he never
played for Wales again. We are offering 4 of Ronnie Boon's Welsh international players itinerary cards issued by the Welsh Rugby Union. |
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| Scotland v Wales 1930
Ref: F9-276-itwaxb - £75.00 |
Wales v England 1931
Ref: F9-275-itwaxb - £55.00 |
Ireland v Wales 1931
fold across top left corner SOLD |
Scotland v Wales 1932
Ref: F9-277-itwaxb - £50.00 |
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| Ronnie Boon's debut - Herbert Waddell dropped a goal to give the Scottish a last minute victory 12 - 9. | Wales almost broke the Twickenham bogey at this game, England kicked a penalty 3 minutes from time to draw the game 11 - 11. | Wales smashed Ireland 15 - 3 in Belfast to deny the Irish the Triple Crown | Boon scored the try in this 6 -0 defeat of Scotland at Murrayfield. | |
| Special Offer - Buy all 3 remaining cards for £135.00 | ||||
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WALES v NEW ZEALAND - 21st December 1935 |
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A
great victory for Wales at the Arms Park, captained by Claude Davey, the
Welsh team inspired by the Wilf Wooler - Cliff Jones combination defeated
Jack Manchester's third All Blacks. Only 10 minutes to go, and the men in
scarlet were trailing by 12 pts to 10. Hooker Don Tarr suffered a neck
injury which meant that Wales had to play out the remainder of the
game with 14 men. With six minutes to go, Wooller breaks through the gap, chips
the full back, the ball flies high and into the in goal area, but the ball
then cruelly bounces back over Wooller's head. Crashing into the straw
bales all Wooller could hear was the roar of the crowd as Geoffrey Jones following up
took the ball and scored his second try to give Wales a remarkable 13-12
victory.
WALES 13 - NEW ZEALAND 12 |
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Official match programme Wales v New Zealand 1935. The 16 page programme is complete, there is a slight crease down the centre of the programme and some slight discolouration due to age, generally the condition is good. Ref: F78-30-prwanz35xc - £235.00 |
| 1936 Wales Championship Season | |
A Scotland v Wales signed ball. This 'Walter McKenzie' ball is signed by the Scotland and Wales teams from the 1936 Five Nations championship match at Murrayfield. The ball originates from the collection of Tom Rees (Newport & Wales) and is very likely to be the ball used in the match. Walter McKenzie was a famous Scottish sports outfitter who supplied match balls to the Scottish Union pre-war. His shop was famous for the array of match balls lining the walls including Scotland v All Blacks 05 and Springboks 06. The 1936 season was an unbeaten one for Wales, with France missing from the championship, Wales drew 0-0 with England, beat Scotland 13-3 at Murrayfield and defeated Ireland 3 - 0. John Billot covers the game in his 'History of Welsh International Rugby'........... "After the defensive stalemate of the England match it was refreshing to see a colourful game of thrilling movement. Cliff Jones ran himself almost to a standstill setting up attacks. He made the first try for Wooller and scored the third himself, beating man after man in a dazzling run. Tanner supplied a long, smooth service and his play was a major contribution to success, Idwal Rees was a tireless coverer of his fellow backs. It was a severe test for the Welsh forward, who played with great determination against a pack of exceptional physique." For Wales, Wooller, Claude Davey and Cliff Jones scored tries. Viv Jenkins converted two. For Scotland Murray scored a try. The players who have signed the ball are as follows............ Scotland: K.W Marshall (Edinburgh Acads.), W.C.W. Murdoch (Hillhead HSFP), RCS Dick (Guys Hosp., Captain), HM. Murray (Glasgow Univ.), KC Fyfe (Cambridge Univ), RW Shaw (Glasgow HSFP), WR Logan (Edingurgh Wands), RM Grieve (Kelso), WAH Druitt (London Scottish), JA Waters (Selkirk), JA Beattie (Hawick), WA Burnet (West Scotland), M McG Cooper (Oxford Univ), PL Duff (Glasgow Acads), GD Shaw (Gala). WALES: VGJ Jenkins (London Welsh), BEW McCall (the Welch Regiment and Newport), W Wooller (Cambridge Univ), EC Davey (Capt), J Idwal Rees (Swansea), CW Jones (Cambridge Univ), H Tanner (Swansea), Tom Rees (Newport), Bryn Evans (Llanelli), Trevor Williams (Cross Keys), Harold Thomas (Neath), Griff Williams (Aberavon), AM Rees (London Welsh), J Lang (Llanelli), Eddie Long (Swansea), Ref: ZB29-baauwasc36-xb - £750.00 |
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South Wales v Sir Robert Webber's XV. The official match programme for a 'semi-international rugby match' at Cardiff Arms Park held towards the end of the war. The match was a charity fund raiser for "mobile rest camps" for the soon to be released Japanese prisoners of war. Included amongst these prisoners were Wilf Wooller and Les Spence, two of Cardiff's favourite sons. There is some creasing and small tears to this 4 page programme. Ref: F78-41-prspwaxb - £75.00 |
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1950 Grand Slam & Triple Crown (Captain: John Gwilliam) |
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v England 11 - 5 (Twickenham) |
v Scotland 12 - 0 (Swansea) |
v Ireland 6 - 3 (Belfast) |
v France 21 - 0 (Cardiff) |
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Leading up to the championship the Welsh camp was in disarray, players withdrew through injury, including captain Bleddyn Williams on the eve of the first match. This was at Twickenham, where Wales hadn't won since 1933. The new captain John Gwilliam gathered the team together in the dressing room, with ten minutes remaining to kick off he could see the team were under a great strain. In an attempt to settle the nerves of his team mates Gwilliam led the team singing traditional Welsh hymns. This seemed to do the trick but within 5 minutes of the kick off disaster struck when an English interception led to a try. The team rallied This was the last time the Welsh line was crossed that season, in fact the only other score against the men in scarlet that season was a solitary penalty goal against Ireland. The singing continued before kick off on each international match of that season, it became a feature where the door of the changing room would be left open. "Calon Lan" and "Sospan Fach" rang out loud and clear, intimidating opposition as Wales went on to win their first Grand Slam since 1911. View Billy Cleaver's report on the 1950 Grand Slam |
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| Back Row - Ivor Jones (WRU Selector), JD Robins, Don Hayward, Roy John, RT Evans, Ray Cale, Billy Cleaver, Seated - Ken Jones, Malcolm Thomas, Lewis Jones, John Gwilliam, Jack Matthews, Cliff Davies, Gerwyn Williams, Front Row - Rex Willis, DM Davies, Other players not pictured - Trevor Brewer, Windsor Major | |||
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All 4 programmes from the 1950 Grand Slam - Ref:
prstwa50 - £275.00
v England - (small mark to front cover and slight crease across centre) v Scotland (crease across centre otherwise good) v Ireland - (some slight creasing, generally very good) v France (slight crease across centre) All above programmes have the scores written in the centre pages. For individual programmes from this season, check the Programmes page on this website. Rugby Relics Framing Service - All 4 programmes, team photograph and match results framed and glazed, Ref: prstwa50fm - £355.00 |
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With only 3
minutes remaining in this fixture at Ravenhill, the score was tied at 3
apiece, Welsh hopes of their first Triple Crown for 39 years years were
fading fast. From an Irish scrum on their own 25, the home scrum half Carroll sent the
ball to Jackie Kyle, Welsh scrum half Ray Cale harassed the great Irish out
half, the ball rolled loose, Billy Cleaver picked it up and fed Lewis
Jones, Jones drew the full back and fed Malcolm Thomas on the wing,
reaching the corner under a cloud of tacklers Thomas grounded and
the game was won. Wales went on to defeat France 21-0 in Cardiff for the
grand slam.
IRELAND 3 - WALES 6 |
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Wales v France GRAND SLAM 1950 menu signed by 14* members of the
successful Welsh team and 2 members of the French team. The official
menu card for the after match dinner. The following players from the
Welsh team have signed next to their names (Gerwyn Williams, Ken
Jones, Jack Matthews, Malcolm Thomas, Billy Cleaver, Rex Willis,
Cliff Davies, DM Davies, John Robins, Roy John, RT Evans, Ray Cale,
& John Gwilliam), missing players are Lewis Jones & Dai
Hayward. The two French autographs are Aristuoy & Merquey.
* Feb 2008 - Lewis Jones signature has been added to the menu on the day he opened the 'Lewis Jones' pub & restaurant in Gorseinon. The menu is showing signs of wear with the spine partly split. Ref: F8-11-dmauwafr50 - £225.00 |
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1952 Grand Slam & Triple Crown (Captain: John Gwilliam) |
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| v England 8 - 6
(Twickenham) |
v Scotland 11 - 0
(Cardiff) |
v Ireland 14 - 3
(Dublin) |
v France 9 - 5
(Swansea) |
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The Grand Slam of 1950 was hailed as the start of the 2nd golden era in Welsh rugby. A 23-5 victory over England in the first international of the 1951 season seemed to confirm this, but when Wales travelled to Murrayfield and lost 19-0 in their second match then failed to register a win their next 3 matches, the dream of a "second golden era" faded into obscurity. At the start of the 1952 campaign, Wales again made the trip to Twickenham as underdogs. England steamed into a 6 - 0 lead but once again Wales came from behind despite finding themselves playing at a reduced capacity with Lewis Jones hobbling on the wing. On the opposite wing however, Olympic sprinter Ken Jones was in fine form as he crossed the English line for two tries to win the match for Wales. Comfortable victories were then gained over Scotland and Ireland before a hard earned 9 - 5 victory over France clinched the Grand Slam. Cliff Morgan sparkled for Wales at stand off thanks mainly to Neath line-out aces Roy John and Rees Stephens supplying a steady stream of possession. Read John Gwilliam's recollections from the 1950 & 1952 Grand Slams |
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| The Players - Gerwyn Williams, Lewis Jones, Alun Thomas, Bleddyn Williams, Horace Phillips, Ken Jones, Malcolm Thomas, Cliff Morgan, Billy Williams, Rex Willis, WO Williams, DM Davies, Rees Stephens, Roy John, Don Hayward, Clem Thomas, John Gwilliam, Alan Forward, Len Blyth, | |||
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WALES v NEW ZEALAND - 19th December 1953 |
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The All Blacks
were hoping to make it 3rd time lucky in the nation's capital. In 1905
& 1935 they had been beaten (the 1924 win by the All Black Invincibles
was at Swansea) at the Arms Park, was this to be the one? A Welsh defeat
looked ominous when 10 minutes into the second half centre Gareth
Griffiths left the field with a badly dislocated shoulder. The All Blacks
led 8 - 5 at the time. With 15 minutes remaining against medical advice
Griffiths returned, this immediately fired up the home team's forwards who
managed to win a penalty which Gwyn Rowlands converted. It was now 8
points a piece. The battle raged and giant Welsh wing forward Clem Thomas found himself hemmed in on
the touchline by All Blacks, he hoofed the ball way across field for
Olympic sprinter Ken Jones to scoop up the ball and race in for the
decisive try. A mighty roar ensued as the 56,000 crowd celebrated another
glorious victory over New Zealand's finest.
WALES 13 - NEW ZEALAND 8 |
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WALES v NEW ZEALAND 1953. - The official match programme - some wear to front cover, overall good Ref: prinwanz53xc - £50.00 |
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WALES
v NEW ZEALAND 1953. - Captains signed jersey. This Wales/New Zealand halved
jersey has been signed by both captains from the 1953 All Blacks
game. Bob Stuart, the All Blacks captain and Bleddyn Williams the
Welsh captain have both autographed under their country's badge.
There were only 10 of these jerseys signed by these two legends, as
far as we know this is the only one of these 10 to made available
for sale. The jersey comes together with a Certificate
of Authenticity. - Ref: CC61-jywanz1953xb - £450.00
(Buy this jersey framed with the official match programme for £600.00) |
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Gilbert Match miniature leather ball
signed by Bleddyn Williams. Welsh & British Lions (1950 - 3
tests) captain, the captain of the last Welsh team to defeat the All
Blacks in 1953. Pictured are two balls showing both the signature
and the 'Match' ball logo.
Ref: CC61-baau-bw1950 - £50.00 |
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HAYDN FORD - "Heads and Tails" - cartoons and
pen portraits of well known Welsh Rugby Football Personalities. This is a
28 page booklet
published approximately 1956 which contains caricatures of Welsh rugby personalities,
the proceeds of the booklet went towards the building of the YMCA in Neath, a
stone's throw from the Gnoll. The following personalities appear in this great
publication Aberavon - Cliff Ashton, Ross Richards,
Cardiff - Gareth Griffiths, Haydn Morris, Bleddyn Williams,
Sid Judd, Cliff Morgan, Gordon Wells, Rex Willis, Llanelli -
Peter Evans, Alun Thomas, Rhys Williams, Len Davies, Ray
Williams, Maesteg - Trevor Lloyd, Neath - Ivor David,
Roy John, Courtenay Meredith, Dai Meredith, Brian
Sparks, Rees Stephens, WR Thomas, Viv Evans, Newport -
Garfield Owen, Onllwyn Brace, Roy Burnett, Ken Jones,
Bryn Meredith, Pontypridd - Russell Robins, Swansea - Clem
Thomas, Billy Williams, Horace Phillips, Guest Stars - WPC
Davies (Harlequins), Jean Prat (Lourdes), Jackie Kyle (NIFC).
The booklet is in excellent condition apart from rusty staples. The
proceeds from the sale of this booklet were in aid of the Neath YMCA
Building Fund,
Ref: CC61-bkwabixc - £25.00 |
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FRANCE v WALES 1957 autographed dinner menu - This superbly illustrated menu is autographed by 28 players and officials, including, Cliff Morgan, Russell Robins, Michel Celaya, Andre Boniface & Michel Vannier, there is a single crease down the centre. Ref: F52-1audmfrwa57xc - £190.00 |
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Cliff Morgan Presents "Memorable Moments", a 33.3
rpm gramaphone record containing interviews with Cliff Morgan, Clem
Thomas, Bleddyn Williams, Billy Cleaver, Ken Jones. The record includes
match commentaries by GV Wynne Jones, Rex Alston & Winston McCarthy.
Produced by Cwaliton Records of Pontardawe. The front cover has been
signed by Cliff Morgan.
Ref: CC40-rewa-cm - £95.00 |
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Wales v France 1962 autographed post match dinner menu. The
menu card in the shape of a rugby ball has 11 signatures. The players who
have signed the menu include Haydn Morgan, Grahame Hodgson, Alun Pask,
Dewi Bebb, Tony O'Connor & Dave Nash who eventually went on to become
the first Welsh national coach.
Ref: F20-112-dmauwafr62 - £75.00 |
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Ireland v Wales 1964
programme signed to the middle pages by 13
Irish and the complete Welsh team, this was the first cap
for the great John Dawes who went on to be captain of the 1971 Grand
Slam team and the British Lions on their first victorious tour of
New Zealand.
Ref: F8-105-auprirwa64xb - £250.00 |
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1965 Triple Crown
Season
(Captain: Clive Rowlands) |
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v England 14 - 3
(Cardiff) |
v Scotland
14 - 12
(Murrayfield) |
v Ireland 14 - 8
(Cardiff) |
v France 13 - 22
(Paris) |
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Hopes were not high after Wales had embarked on a disastrous tour of South Africa. The new laws which abolished kicking directly into touch from outside the 25 were introduced into the championship for the first time. This brought out the superb attacking skills of fly half David Watkins who had his best season for Wales. The match against Ireland was a Triple Crown decider with the Irish having also beaten Scotland (16-6) and England (5-0). Wales were to lift the crown with tries from Dewi Bebb & Watkins, with 8 points from the boot of Terry Price.
Illustrated left - Welsh captain Clive Rowlands chaired from the field after hundreds of Welsh fans rushed onto the field at the final whistle at Murrayfield |
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All 3 programmes from the 1965 Triple Crown Ref: prstwatc65 - £65.00
v England - (2 corners folded over on front cover) v Scotland (one corner folded, slight crease down centre, player notes to team pages) v Ireland - (player notes to team pages) For individual programmes from this season, please check the Programmes page on this website. Rugby Relics Framing Service - All 3 programmes, team photograph and match results framed and glazed, £135.00 |
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WALES v ENGLAND - 15th April 1967 |
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This was the last
match of the 1967 Five Nations campaign, England came to Cardiff looking
for the Triple Crown and a share in the Championship title. At 18 years of age
and only 4 months out of school Keith Jarrett entered the Arms Park for
Wales against the old
enemy for his international debut. Usually a centre Jarrett was only making his
second appearance as a full back, it was a gamble for the Welsh selectors
and it paid off handsomely. 55 points were scored in the match, the
highest total ever in the Five Nations championship, A Welsh victory of 34
- 21 included 19 points by Jarrett, another record, this time, the highest
score by an individual in an international match, eclipsing Don Clarke's
18 points against the Lions in 1959. His kicking was almost perfect, 7 out
of 8 kicks were successful, the only one to miss hit the post. His one try
was a 50 metre dash for the line at a crucial time in the game, Wales were
leading 19 - 15 at the time and with England pressing Jarrett's moment of
brilliance turned the game in Wales' favour.
Wales 34 - England 21 |
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HISTORY OF WALES v ENGLAND - "More Than Just a Game" (DVD) The history of Wales v England encounters. Fascinating viewing includes footage from 1933, 1950, 1952, 1963, 1967, 1969, 1970 1971 through the 70s to 1985, 1987, 1993 & 1999. All great Welsh victories apart from 1963 of course. Includes interviews with John Gwilliam, Harry Bowcott, David Watkins, Keith Jarrett, Chico Hopkins, Scott Gibbs, Jonathan Davies, JPR Williams & Neil Jenkins. Ieuan Evans is the link man and Dai Smith offers expert historical analysis. The DVD is approx 90 minutes in length. This item is available only as a DVD. THIS DVD IS IN STOCK - Ref: CC28-dvhiwaen-x2 Price £11.95 |
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Argentina v Wales 1st Test 1968.
A programme for this test match with Argentina fully signed by the Welsh tour party. Programmes from this tour are extremely rare. Ref: F19-47-prinarwa68-1Txb - £495.00 |
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| A complete set of official programmes and a
post tour pictorial booklet from the 1969 Welsh tour of New Zealand,
Australia & Fiji. The condition of the programmes is as follows: Taranaki - Excellent, NZ 1st Test - light wear to front cover, Otago -
Excellent, Wellington - Excellent, NZ 2nd Test - very slight crease across
centre, Australia - scorers in centre, Fiji - tour scores written on front
cover, scorers and team changes written in centre. Post tour brochure -
Excellent. An excellent opportunity to purchase the full set of programmes from the tour, including the rare Fiji & Australian tests. Ref: AS-prtrstwa69xb - £295.00 |
1970's GOLDEN ERA 1969 - 1970 - 1971 - 1972 - 1973 - 1974 - 1975 - 1976 - 1977 - 1978 - 1979
| 1969 Triple
Crown & Championship
(Captains: Brian Price & Gareth Edwards) |
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| v Scotland 17 - 3
(Murrayfield) |
v Ireland 24 - 11
(Cardiff) |
v France 8 - 8
(Paris) |
v England 30 - 9
(Cardiff) |
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This was the start of the second golden era of Welsh rugby, Clive Rowlands took over as coach and regular squad sessions took place at the Afan Lido, Port Talbot. The campaign started brilliantly with the biggest victory at Murrayfield since 1947. This match saw two London Welsh youngsters make their first appearances, Mervyn Davies and JPR Williams. Both were to lead Triple Crown sides over the next decade. The Irish match was a tense affair, Ireland needed to win to secure the triple Crown for themselves but for the 11th time Wales denied the men from the Emerald Isle the crown. Then it was off to France where the French clawed back an 8 point deficit to draw 8 - 8. The final match was a decisive victory over England, Maurice Richards crossing the line four times to equal the Welsh try scoring record. |
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All 4 programmes from the 1969 Triple Crown &
Championship Year Ref: prstwatc69 - £125.00 v Scotland (very slight creasing, scorers on team pages) v Ireland - (slight crease down the middle & scorers on team pages) v France - (scorers on team pages & slight wear to front cover) v England - (single crease and scorers on team pages ) For individual programmes from this season, check the Programmes page on this website. Rugby Relics Framing Service - All 4 programmes, team photograph and match results framed and glazed, Ref: prstwatc69fm - £195.00 |
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WALES v ENGLAND - 12th April 1969 |
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Needing to defeat
England in the last match of the Five Nations tournament to clinch their
11th triple Crown, Wales were hot favourites to win. At half time the
score was 3 - 3, a Bob Hiller penalty goal cancelled out Maurice Richards'
try. Early into the second half, Keith Jarrett kicked 2 penalty goals then
a Barry John zigzag run of brilliance saw the No 10 score a try. With
twenty minutes left on the watch Richards scored his second try, then
another, then another. His total of 4 tries equalled the Welsh record.
Wales ran out winners 30 - 9 to clinch the Triple Crown and Five Nations
Championship. This campaign saw the start of the second golden era in
Welsh rugby.
Wales 30 - England 9 (Illustration right - Duckham unable to stop Richards scoring his 4th try) |
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WALES
v ENGLAND 1969 - A
copy of the official programme for Wales v England 1969, excellent
condition
Ref: prinwaen69xb - £15.00 |
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WALES v ENGLAND 1969 - A copy of Rugby World and post for June 1969, Cover photo from the match with 3 + pages of match photos including two of Richards' tries. A short match report is also included. This issue doubles as a pre-tour souvenir for Wales' trip to New Zealand, Australia and Fiji 1969. There are pen pictures and photos of the squad, pre tour views and comments Ref: RW-69-06 - £15.00 |
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Western
Mail - 4 page pre-match Triple Crown souvenir, photos and articles
leading up to the match.
Ref: B90-wm-tc - £10.00 |
******
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1970 Five Nations Champions (title shared with France) |
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| v Scotland 18 - 9
(Cardiff) |
v England 17 - 13
(Twickenham) |
v Ireland 0 - 14
(Dublin) |
v France 11 - 6
(Cardiff) |
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May 1970 issue of Rugby World with a 3 page profile of Ray "Chico" Hopkins the Maesteg, Wales and Britrish Lions scrum half. The article is titled "They call him 'Chico'" and is by the Western Mail chief rugby correspondent JBG Thomas. Photos include Chico scoring against England in 1970. The article is signed by beneath the title "Ray Hopkins, Chico". Ref: CC40-mg-rw70-05 - £15.00 |
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Early 1970s Welsh tracksuit. This tracksuit belonged to the Wales & British Lions scrum half Chico Hopkins. Chico was a member of the Welsh squad 1970 - 1972. He went North soon after playing for Llanelli against the 1972 All Blacks. He was a regular understudy to Gareth Edwards. In his one cap against England in 1970 he turned the game in Wales' favour scoring a try in a fantastic victory at Twickenham. His one test appearance for the British Lions was also as a replacement for Edwards in the first test at Dunedin in 1971. Again the Maesteg man sparkled in a famous Lions victory over the All Blacks. Ref: ZL5-tswa70 - £185.00 |
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1971 Grand Slam & Triple Crown (Captain: John Dawes) |
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| v England 22 - 6
(Cardiff) |
v Scotland 19 - 18
(Edinburgh) |
v Ireland 23 - 9
(Cardiff) |
v France 9 - 5
(Paris) |
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| Arguably the greatest Welsh side ever.
Containing several players who went on to star in the most successful Lions tour
of New Zealand ever and revolutionised rugby football. Captained by master tactician John 'Syd' Dawes the team
contained the genius of Barry John, Gareth Edwards & Gerald Davies, a
ball winning mobile pack and the rock, JPR in defence. The sensational
victory over Scotland in 1971 remains to this day, one of the most
inspiring moments in Welsh rugby history while the defeat of France in the last
match was one of Wales' classic performances.
The Players - J.P.R. Williams, Gerald Davies, John Dawes, Arthur Lewis, Ian Hall, John .C. Bevan, Barry John, Gareth Edwards, Denzil Williams, Jeff Young, Barry Llewellyn, Mike Roberts, Delme Thomas, Dai Morris, Mervyn Davies, John Taylor. |
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All 4 programmes from the 1971 Grand Slam, v England, Scotland,
v Ireland & France in varying condition from good to excellent - Ref:
prstwa71 -
£175.00
For individual programmes from this season, check the Programmes page on this website. Rugby Relics Framing Service - All 4 programmes, team photograph and match results framed and glazed, Ref: prstwa71fm - £260.00 (+ UK delivery £20.00) |
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Wales v England 1971- A selection card for Welsh reserve Ray
'Chico' Hopkins. The fold over card has been written and signed by Bill
Clement (Welsh International 1937-8 and 1938 British Lions), the WRU
secretary. In the corresponding fixture in 1970 'Chico' came on as
substitute for Gareth Edwards, scored a try and helped Wales to a
remarkable comeback to win the game at Twickenham.
Ref: F64-52-waen71-aucd-bc - £65.00 |
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SCOTLAND v WALES - MURRAYFIELD - 6th February 1971 - There are nail
biting finishes to matches and there are knuckle biting finishes, once the
nails and the fingers have gone, only the knuckles are left. This was
the case in Wales' second match of the 1971 five nations championship. The
lead changed hands six times and with just three minutes to go JPR
Williams put Gerald Davies away on the Scottish 25, with a long run in the
wing managed to squeeze into the corner for a try. Two minutes left and
the Scottish crowd expect Barry John to step up to take the conversion,
but up strolls Wales' secret weapon John "Basil Brush" Taylor to
take the conversion kick from the touchline. You can hear a pin drop in
the valleys as he lines the ball up but the whole of Wales shouts with joy
as over the ball goes. Wales are half way to a Grand Slam.
SCOTLAND 18 - WALES 19 |
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1975 Champions (Captain - Mervyn Davies) |
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v France 25 - 10 (Paris) |
v England 20 - 4 (Cardiff) |
v Scotland 10 - 12 (Murrayfield) |
v Ireland 32 - 4 (Cardiff) |
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Japan v Wales 2nd Test 1975. This 82 - 6 victory over Japan at the National Stadium in Tokyo was at the time a world record score for an international match. Wales scored 14 tries including 3 from the legendary full back JPR Williams, other try scorers were Phil Bennett (2), Gerald Davies (2), Graham Price (2), JJ Williams (2), Mervyn Davies, Ray Gravell and Charlie Faulkner, Phil Bennett converted 10 of the tries and slotted over two penalty goals. The programme is signed by 22 of the tour party including Gareth Edwards, Gerald Davies, Bobby Windsor, Graham Price, John Dawes (coach), Derek Quinnell, JPR Williams, Steve Fenwick, Roy Bergiers' captain Mervyn Davies & current Welsh coach Gareth Jenkins. Ref: F19-50-prtrwa75au-xc - £195.00 |
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Japan B V Wales 1975. Match programme signed by 22 of the Welsh tour party and 15 of the Japan B squad, signatures include Les Spence (manager), Allan Martin, Trevor Evans, Bobby Windsor, Clive Shell, Geoff Wheel, JJ Williams & Gareth Edwards. Ref: F19-67-prtrwa75au-xb - £145.00 |
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Japan v Wales 1st Test 1975 match programme signed by the victorious Welsh team. Wales won the match 56 - 12 in the searing 90º fahrenheit heat. The programme is signed by 22 of the Welsh tour party including Gareth Edwards, Gerald Davies, Bobby Windsor, John Dawes (coach), Derek Quinnell, JPR Williams and captain Mervyn Davies, Ref: F19-3-prtrwa75au-xc - £165.00 |
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Waseda University & Kinki Nihon Railway Combined v Wales 1975 programme autographed by both teams. There is a total of signatures, 15 of the combined team and 23 of the Welsh tour party including: Mervyn Davies, Gareth Jenkins, JJ Williams, Gareth Edwards, Phil Bennett, Allan Martin & Geoff Wheel. Ref: F19-70-prtrwa75au-xb - £125.00 |
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1976 Grand Slam & Triple Crown (Captain: Mervyn Davies) |
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v England 21 - 9 (Twickenham) |
v Scotland 28 - 6
(Cardiff) |
v Ireland 34 - 9
(Dublin) |
v France 19 - 13
(Cardiff) |
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A Grand Slam of records, the team scored 102
points in the championship, Phil Bennett scored 19 in the match against
Ireland, equalling Jack Bancroft and Keith Jarrett's records, Gareth
Edwards became the highest try scorer for Wales with 18, JPR became the
most capped Welsh full back while the victory over Ireland in Dublin was a
record score against Ireland. This was an outstanding team led by 'Merve
the Swerve'. The victory over France in the last match was a classic, JPR
Williams tackle on French wing Gourdon in the final stages ensured Wales
were crowned champions. The Players - J.P.R. Williams, Clive Rees, Gerald Davies, Steve Fenwick, Ray Gravell, J.J. Williams, Phil Bennett, Gareth Edwards, Charlie Faulkner, Bobby Windsor, Graham Price, Allan Martin, Geoff Wheel, Trevor Evans, Terry Cobner, Mervyn Davies, Tommy David. |
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WELSH RUGBY - APRIL 1976 - GRAND SLAM 1976 SPECIAL ISSUE - 48 page special issue of this long running magazine celebrating Wales' Five Nations Grand Slam of 1976. Photos and comments on a great season. Reports and comments on each match by Dave Phillips (Sunday Times), John Reed (Sunday Express), Reg Prophit (Edinburgh Evening News), John O'Shea (Dublin) & Alex Potter (Paris). A double page b&w squad photo. Profile of JPR Williams, tribute to previous grand slam sides, plus regular articles. CLICK HERE FOR PRICE AND AVAILABILITY |
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WESTERN MAIL - GRAND SLAM 1976 SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT - A six page broadsheet publication, match reports from all 4 games, a historical look at past Grand Slams from 1908 onwards, John Billot interview with 3 Grand Slam captains, John Gwilliam, John Dawes & Mervyn Davies. Ref: B90-wm-su1976 - £8.00 |
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IRELAND v WALES - 21st February 1976 - Wales arrived in Dublin in search of the Triple Crown desipte several death threats received allegedly from IRA terrorists. No member of this Welsh side had played in a winning team at Lansdowne Road. This was the match in which Gareth Edwards was to equal Ken Jones' record of 44 appearances for Wales, the match was a milestone for the Cardiff man, scoring his 18th try, a new Welsh record, equalling the feat of Teddy Morgan in scoring tries in five consecutive internationals. Phil Bennett was to equal Jack Bancroft and Keith Jarret's record of 19 points for Wales including scoring his first try in international rugby. Another record breaker was Mervyn Davies whose 37th cap was a new record for a Welsh forward. The 34 points was the highest total ever against Ireland, (both home and away). A masterful performance by the Welsh team secured the first of 4 consecutive Triple Crowns for Wales - IRELAND 9 - WALES 34 |
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1977 Triple Crown
(Captain: Phil Bennett)
Pictured above, the team that beat England at Cardiff, other players to play for Wales in the championship this season were Glyn Shaw, Trevor Evans, & Jeff Squire
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v Ireland 25 - 9
(Cardiff) |
v France
9 - 16
(Paris) |
v England 14 - 9
(Cardiff) |
v Scotland 18 - 9
(Edinburgh) |
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Wales had to work hard against both England and Ireland for victories. The Triple Crown was secured against Scotland with an incredible piece of Phil Bennett magic. The Welsh skipper scored a rousing try when he finished off a move that had started with JPR Williams in his own half. One of the great tries of the 1970s Golden Era. |
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WALES v ENGLAND 1977 - Welsh Triple Crown season fully signed programme, almost all players and reserves from both teams have signed this programme, 30 signatures in total, 29 players on the centre pages and Max Boyce on the front cover. Please see illustration for the players who have signed this programme. This item is part of the 'Mike Slemen Collection', England's l |
