London Welsh R.F.C.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| London Welsh RFC | |
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| Full name | London Welsh Rugby Football Club |
| Emblem | Welsh Dragon |
| Colours | Red, black and white |
| Founded | 1885 |
| Sport | Rugby union |
| League | National Division One |
| Ground | Old Deer Park |
| Official website | www.london-welsh.co.uk |
London Welsh Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in London that currently plays in National Division One, the second level of the English rugby union league system (below the Guinness Premiership).
London Welsh, established by and for London's Welsh community, has played senior-level rugby in England since its formation in 1885. Its name in Welsh, though it is rarely used, is Clwb Rygbi Cymry Llundain.
Over the years the club has contributed 177 players to the Wales national team and 43 players to the British and Irish Lions. Seven London Welsh players were selected for the 1971 tour to New Zealand (a Lions record in amateur times): captain John Dawes (now London Welsh president), JPR Williams, Gerald Davies, Mervyn Davies, John Taylor (now board member and ITV commentator), Mike Roberts and Geoff Evans (now a WRU Committee man).
London Welsh is one of the few 'senior' clubs that have retained the atmosphere of an amateur club. Unlike many clubs in the professional era, who have tended to run a 1st XV squad and distance themselves from 2nd, 3rd and lower sides, London Welsh still run multiple senior sides. They also have a successful social section, the Occasionals (or 'Occies'), who go a long way towards maintaining the 'amateur ethos' of enjoying a game and a pint on a Saturday.
London Welsh has one of the longest standing women's sides - LWWRFC, who celebrated twenty years of women's rugby at the club in the 2005/6 season. Whilst still being amateur, the women train hard and have enjoyed recent success with the club, both in XVs in the winter and 7s during the summer. There are also London Welsh Women representatives at England Regional Level.
In December 2006, London Welsh revealed their ambition to turn their back on the English league and become the 5th Welsh team in the Magners League.
[edit] External links
| Rugby union in England | |
|---|---|
| Federation: | Rugby Football Union |
| National team: | England • England Saxons • England Sevens • British and Irish Lions |
| International Competitions: | Rugby World Cup • Six Nations Championship • Heineken Cup • European Challenge Cup • European Shield • Churchill Cup • Rugby World Cup Sevens • IRB Sevens World Series • London Sevens |
| Domestic Competitions: | Guinness Premiership • EDF Energy Cup • National Division One • National Division Two • National Division Three North • National Division Three South |
| Guinness Premiership teams: | Bath • Bristol • Gloucester • Harlequins • Leicester Tigers • London Irish • Newcastle Falcons • Northampton Saints • Sale Sharks • Saracens • London Wasps • Worcester Warriors |
| National Division One teams: | Bedford • Cornish Pirates • Coventry • Doncaster • Exeter Chiefs • Leeds Tykes • London Welsh • Moseley • Newbury • Nottingham • Otley • Pertemps Bees • Plymouth Albion • Rotherham • Sedgley Park • Waterloo |
