Glamorgan Wanderers RFC

Glamorgan Wanderers RFC

Full name	Glamorgan Wanderers Rugby Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Wands
Founded	1893[1]
Location	Cardiff, Wales
Ground(s)	Memorial Ground
Chairman	Alyn Humphreys
Coach(es)	Matthew Bolton
Captain(s)	Lee Highgate
League(s)	WRU Championship
2011-12	8th[2]
Team kit
Official website
www.glamorganwanderers.co.uk

Glamorgan Wanderers are a Welsh rugby union club based in Ely, west Cardiff in Wales. The club is located just to the north of Western Cemetery. They currently play in WRU Championship, having been relegated from the Welsh Premier Division in the 2010-2011 season.

Glamorgan Wanderers began as the Old Monktonians, formed by ex-pupils of Monkton House School in 1893.^[3] In 1913 the team changed their name to Glamorgan Wanderers to reflect the wider intake of their membership. The club played rugby on seven different grounds in the earlier years, including former Cardiff RFC ground Sophia Gardens and Llandaff RFC's pitch Bishop's Field,^[4] until they were able to purchase their present ground in 1951.^[5] The ground was purchased via various fund raising appeals and is named the Memorial Ground in honour of former players who had lost their lives in the two World Wars.^[6]

Former President of the club, and of the Welsh Rugby Union, Sir Tasker Watkins Q.C., was awarded the Victoria Cross for his outstanding bravery in the Second World War.

Rugby Sevens

The Wanderers were an important influence on rugby sevens in Wales, having hosted the country's first seven-a-side competition in April 1939. The game of seven-a-side rugby had been played in England since 1926, but the Welsh Rugby Union had blocked any attempts for the game to be played for profit. The profits from these first games by Glamorgan Wanderers were donated to charities stipulated by the WRU.^[7]

Club honours

• Snelling Sevens 1986 - Champions
• Glamorgan County Silver Ball Trophy 1999-00 - Winners

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player Position Union Haval Ibrahim Prop Wales Ryan Beddows Prop Wales Darragh Cantillon Prop Ireland Danny Douthwaite Prop Wales Carl Kimber Flanker Wales Ross Grimstone Hooker Wales Joseff Russell Prop Wales Mark Sheppard Prop Wales Jonathan Barley Lock Wales Tom Evans Lock Wales Alex Luff Lock Wales Richard Thomas Lock Wales Mazin Al-Azzawi Flanker Wales Nick Hampson Flanker Wales Josh Navidi Flanker Wales Lee Highgate Number 8 Wales Dan Richards Number 8 Wales

Player Position Union Rhys Griffiths Scrum-half Wales Tim Cronin Scrum-half Wales Gareth Cull Fly-half Wales Rhys Gosling Fly-half Wales Charlie Johnson Centre Wales Ciaran Driscoll Centre Wales Joe Xibberas Wing Wales Dan Lovell Wing Wales Rory Budina Wing Wales Ryan Healey Wing Wales Owen Marshall Fullback Wales Mike Stephens Fullback Wales Elliot Jones Fullback Wales

Notable former players

The following players have represented Glamorgan Wanderers and have been capped at international level.

• Lynn 'Cowboy' Davies (3 caps)
• Rhys Gill
• Sam Warburton (Wales)
• Andy Powell
• John Yapp
• Gary Powell
• Robin Sowden-Taylor
• Ben White
• Scott Andrews

Coaches

• Head Coach Matthew Bolton
• Backs Coach Nick Wakely
• Team Manager Luke Burton

Games played against international opposition

Year	Date	Opponent	Result	Score	Tour
1987	28 October	United States	Win	25-6	1987 United States rugby union tour of Wales[8]

References

1. Rothmans Rugby Yearbook 1981-82 ed. Vivian Jenkins ISBN 0-907574-05-X
2. WRU Official Site
3. The Rugby Clubs of Wales pp122, David Parry-Jones (1989) ISBN 0-09-173850-4
4. The Rugby Clubs of Wales pp122, David Parry-Jones (1989) ISBN 0-09-173850-4
5. Fields of Praise, The Official History of the Welsh Rugby Union 1881-1981 pp331, David Smith, Gareth Williams (1980)
6. The Rugby Clubs of Wales pp122, David Parry-Jones (1989) ISBN 0-09-173850-4
7. Fields of Praise, The Official History of the Welsh Rugby Union 1881-1981 pp298, David Smith, Gareth Williams (1980)
8. Jones, Stephen (1988). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1988-89. Queen Anne Press. pp. 30–32. ISBN 0-356-15884-5.