Mark Ring

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Mark Ring
Rugby union career
Full name	Mark Gerarde Ring
Date of birth	(1962-10-15)15 October 1962
Place of birth	Cardiff, Wales
School	Lady Mary High School, Cardiff
Occupation(s)	Businessman
Playing career
Position	Centre
Amateur clubs
Years	Club / team
	Cardiff RFC Pontypool RFC Barbarian F.C.
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1983–1991	Wales	32	(34)

Mark Gerarde Ring (born 15 October 1962)^[1] played rugby union for Cardiff RFC, Pontypool RFC and Wales between 1982 and 1996. He was regarded as among the most gifted players of his generation but his career was hampered by serious injury.^[2]

Club career

A great entertainer, Ring was noted for his cheek, flair and individual skill. He first came to attention as outside half for the Cardiff RFC Youth team. Selection for the full Cardiff RFC side soon followed. He became a great crowd favourite with his hometown club but also spent a few seasons at Pontypool RFC where he formed a notable half back partnership with David Bishop (rugby, born 1960) in 1987-88 and where there were only two defeats suffered all season. He returned to Pontypool RFC in 1992.

International career

He won his first Welsh cap at the age of 20 versus England in Cardiff. He eventually won 32 caps, scoring 34 points in the process. The highlight of his international career came in 1988 when he was part of a Triple Crown winning Welsh side. He fell out with Welsh coach Ron Waldron because of the focus on physical fitness, not Ring's main strength. The majority of his caps were won in the centre position but he played in his favoured outside half role throughout the 1991 Rugby World Cup.

Coaching career

Mark Ring ended his top flight club career in 1996 after the first Heineken Cup Final, when Cardiff were beaten by Stade Toulousain. He moved into coaching, first at West Hartlepool RFC then back at Cardiff where he took charge of the backs. Ring spent a spell as player/coach at the Penzance and Newlyn Pirates. He then won plaudits as coach of Caerphilly RFC.Mark moved to Ireland to coach a feeding team for Munster called Old Crescent. He returned across the water and to coach Tetbury RFC in Gloucestershire Division Two for a few seasons and went on to coach the University of Glamorgan team in Pontypridd. He is now coach of Welsh Premier Division side Cross Keys RFC. Mark Ring regularly contributed to Real RadioSports phone-in where he gave pundit advice.

Notes

↑ Mark Ring player profile Scrum.com
↑ Jenkins, John M.; et al. (1991). Who's Who of Welsh International Rugby Players. Wrexham: Bridge Books. p. 140. ISBN 1-872424-10-4. Cite uses deprecated parameters (help)

v t e Wales squad – 1987 Rugby World Cup Third Place

Forwards	Blackmore Buchanan Collins Ph. Davies S. Evans James P. Moriarty R. Moriarty Norster A. Phillips K. Phillips Rawlins Richards Roberts Sutton Webster Whitefoot Young

Backs	Bowen Dacey J. Davies Devereux I. Evans Giles Hadley Hopkins Jones Ring Thorburn Titley Webbe

Coach	Gray

Persondata
Name	Ring, Mark
Alternative names
Short description	Welsh rugby union player
Date of birth	15 October 1962
Place of birth	Cardiff, Wales
Date of death
Place of death

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