1969 Wales rugby union tour

The 1969 Wales rugby union tour was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the Wales national rugby union team to Australia, Fiji and New Zealand. The tour took in four matches against regional and invitational teams and three tests; two to New Zealand and one to Australia. This was the second official Wales tour to the southern hemisphere and the first to Australasia and Melanesia.

The tour results were mixed for Wales; the team was unbeaten in the non-test matches and were victorious over Australia, but were completely out-classed by New Zealand. The captaincy of the tour was given to Newport's Brian Price.

Results

27 May 1969

Taranaki	9 - 9	Wales XV

Rugby Park, New Plymouth

31 May 1969

New Zealand	19 - 0	Wales

Lancaster Park, Christchurch

4 June 1969

Otago	9 - 27	Wales XV

Carisbrook, Dunedin

7 June 1969

Wellington	6 - 14	Wales XV

Athletic Park, Wellington

14 June 1969

New Zealand	33 - 12	Wales

Eden Park, Auckland

21 June 1969

Australia	16 - 19	Wales

(Cricket Ground), Sydney

25 June 1969

Fiji	11 - 31	Wales XV

Suva

Touring party

• Manager: D.J. Phillips

Full-backs

• J.P.R. Williams (London Welsh)

Three-quarters

• Gerald Davies (Cardiff)
• Maurice Richards (Cardiff)
• Keith Jarrett (Newport)
• John Dawes (London Welsh)
• Alan Skirving (Newport)
• Stuart Watkins (Newport)

Half-backs

• Phil Bennett (Llanelli)
• Gareth Edwards (Cardiff)
• Ray Hopkins (Maesteg)
• Barry John (Cardiff)

Forwards

• Mervyn Davies (London Welsh)
• Norman Gale (Llanelli)
• Dennis Hughes (Newbridge)
• Barry Llewellyn (Newport)
• David Lloyd (Bridgend)
• Dai Morris (Neath)
• Brian Price (Newport) (captain)
• John Taylor (London Welsh)
• Brian Thomas (Neath)
• Delme Thomas (Neath)
• Denzil Williams (Ebbw Vale)
• Jeff Young (Harrogate)

Replacements

• Vic Perrins (Newport)

Bibliography

• Billot, John (1972). All Blacks in Wales. Ferndale: Ron Jones Publications. 
• Smith, David; Williams, Gareth (1980). Fields of Praise: The Official History of The Welsh Rugby Union. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-0766-3. 

References

Rugby union tours of New Zealand British and Irish Lions 1888 (no test) 1904 1908 1930 1950 1959 1966 1971 1977 1983 1993 2005 Australia  1905 1913 1931 1936 1946 1949 1952 1955 1958 1962 1964 1972 1978 1982 1986 1990 1991 New South Wales 1894 1921 1923 1925 1928 South Africa  1921 1937 1956 1965 1965 1981 1994 Argentina  1979 1989 1997 2001 2004 England  1963 1973 1985 1998 2003 2004 2008 2010 2014 France  1961 1968 1979 1984 1986 1989 1994 1999 2001 2003 2007 2013 Ireland  1976 1992 1997 2002 2006 2008 2010 2012 Italy  1980 (no test) 2002 2003 (no test) Scotland  1975 1981 1990 1996 2000 2004 Wales  1969 1988 2003 Romania  1991 (no test) Japan  1974 Fiji  1974 1980 1989 no test 1996 1997 2003 Samoa  1996 2005 (no test) Pacific Islanders 2004 Canada  1995 2007

Rugby union tours of Australia British and Irish Lions 1888 (no test) 1899 1904 1908 (no test) 1930 1950 1959 1966 1971 (no test) 1989 2001 2013 New Zealand  1884 (no test) 1893 (no test) 1897 (no test) 1903 1905 1907 1910 1914 1920 1922 1924 1925 1926 1929 1932 1934 1938 1947 1951 1957 1960 1962 1968 1974 1979 1980 1984 1988 1991 1992 NZ Maori 1888-89 (no test) 1922 1923 1926-27 1936 1949 South Africa  1921 1937 1956 1965 1971 1993 Argentina  1983 1986 1995 2000 England  1963 1975 1988 1991 1997 1998 1999 2003 2004 2006 2010 France  1961 1968 1972 1981 1986 1990 1997 2002 2005 2008 Ireland  1967 1979 1994 1999 2003 2006 2008 2010 Italy  1981 (no test) 1986 1994 2005 Scotland  1982 1992 1998 2004 2012 Wales  1969 1978 1991 1996 2003 2007 2012 Fiji  1952 1954 1961 1976 1984 1985 1989 no test Samoa  1994 2005 Tonga  1973 1993 Pacific Islanders 2004 North American teams 1985 1990 1996 1999 Asian teams 1975 1987 (no test)