London Welsh RFC
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| Full name | London Welsh Rugby Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Exiles, Dragons | ||
| Founded | 1885 | ||
| Location | Oxford, England | ||
| Ground(s) | Kassam Stadium (Capacity: 12,500) | ||
| Coach(es) | Justin Burnell | ||
| League(s) | English Premiership | ||
| 2014–15 | 12th (relegated to the RFU Championship) | ||
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| Official website | |||
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London Welsh Rugby Football Club (Welsh: Clwb Rygbi Cymry Llundain) is a rugby union club based in Oxford that in 2014–15 played in the English Premiership after gaining promotion from the RFU Championship in the 2014 play-off final. After one season in the top division they are relegated to the RFU Championship.
Affiliated teams
Despite professionalism, London Welsh has tried to retain the atmosphere of an amateur club. The first XV squad are fully professional, and they are complemented with the London Welsh Amateurs, Wizards and Occies are still strong parts of the club. They also have a successful social section, 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. While 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 London Welsh Women representatives at England Regional Level and on the Wales National Touch team. There is also a popular mini & junior section.
Club history
London Welsh, established by and for London's Welsh community, has played senior-level rugby in England since its formation in 1885.[1] Its name in Welsh, 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 which remains unbroken to this day): captain John Dawes (now London Welsh president), JPR Williams, Gerald Davies, Mervyn Davies, John Taylor (now Managing Director[2] and ITV commentator), Mike Roberts and Geoff Evans.
In December 2006, London Welsh revealed their ambition to leave the English league and become the fifth Welsh team in the Celtic League. The club later appeared to go back on this report, claiming they had been misquoted and said this would only be considered if the English Premiership decided to prohibit promotion/relegation, but confirmed their hopes of ground-sharing with Brentford FC either at their current stadium Griffin Park or a new 20,000 seat ground to be built at Lionel Road, near Kew Bridge.
In June 2009, the club went into administration shortly after turning professional.[3] They were bought from the receivers in July 2009 by Saudex Global, owned by Neil Hollinshead, and allowed to continue in The Championship, albeit with a five point deduction.[4][5] According to the BBC in March 2011, court documents show that Hollinshead is "alleged to have submitted forged documents and fake bank account details in order to continue his control of London Welsh and that he repeatedly lied to ensure that ownership of London Welsh was transferred over to him."[5] The former shareholders of London Welsh RFC rescinded the 2009 agreement, by which they sold the shares of the club to Hollinshead, and had regained control by January 2010.[5]
2010 – present
The 2010–11 season was the club's 125th anniversary and to kick off the celebrations they held a military tattoo on the evening of Wednesday 25 August at Old Deer Park with the Band and Corps of Drums of the Welsh Guards, plus the London Welsh Rugby Club Choir.
On 1 June 2012, it was revealed that Crystal Palace co-chairman Steve Parish had approached senior figures at the club about a possible ground-share at Selhurst Park, as the clubs plans to play their matches at Kassam Stadium were deemed unsuitable by the RFU, after securing promotion to the English Premiership.[6] However a legal appeal by the club against the RFU's actions was upheld on 28 June 2012, after the appeal panel ruled that the criteria were in breach of EU and UK competition laws. Promotion was ultimately secured when it was announced that Newcastle Falcons, the club facing relegation from the Premiership, would not appeal against the ruling.[7]
In the 2013 season London Welsh caused controversy by fielding an ineligible player (Tyson Keats) in nine league matches during the season, eventually receiving a 5-point deduction and £10,000 fine.[8]
On 14 April 2013, London Welsh were relegated from the English Premiership in their first season (pending the winners of the RFU Championship meeting the Premiership entry requirements) after a 14–31 defeat at home to Northampton Saints.
On 4 June 2014, London Welsh won promotion to the English Premiership, defeating Bristol Rugby 27–8 at home and 21–20 away, 48–28 on aggregate.[9]
Club honours
- Middlesex Sevens winners: 1930, 1931, 1956, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1984
- Courage League Division 5 South champions: 1994–95[10]
- RFU Championship champions: 2011–12, 2013–14
- John Player Cup Runners-up 1985[11]
Merit Table Rugby
Sunday Telegraph Pennants
- English-Welsh Champions 1967–68, 1970–71
Runners-up 1965–66 Third 1971–72[12]
- English Champions 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1977–78, 1978–79,
Runners-up 1965–66, 1971–72 Third 1972–73[13]
- Welsh Champions 1970–71, 1971–72
Third 1965–66[14]
Western Mail
- Welsh Championship Champions 1972–73
Runners-up 1967–68, 1971–72[15]
Daily Mail
- Anglo-Welsh Third 1978–79[16]
Whitbread
- Welsh Merit Table Champions 1971–72[17]
Promotion
- National Division 4 – 2nd Place, 1995–6 (Fourth tier of English rugby) [18]
- Jewson National League 1 – 3rd Place, 1997–98 (Third tier of Enlgish rugby)[19]
- Lowest league position 6th 1993–4 Courage League Division 5 South (5th tier)[20]
- Highest league position 12th Aviva Premiership 2012–13 (1st tier) [21]
Current squad
2014–15 Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.
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Coaches
London Welsh are coached by former Cardiff Blues head coach, Justin Burnell and player coach Gordon Ross.
Notable former players
British and Irish Lions
The following former players were selected for the British and Irish Lions touring squads while playing for London Welsh.
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Wales International Captains
The following former players captained the Wales national rugby union team while playing for London Welsh.
See also Wales rugby union captains
- Teddy Morgan 1908
- Wick Powell 1927
- John Dawes 1968–71
Other notable former players
- See also Category:London Welsh RFC players
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London Welsh Football Club
The club set up an association football side in 1890 called London Welsh FC. They disbanded after a couple of seasons.
See also
Bibliography
- Jones, Stephen; Paul Beken (1985). Dragon in Exile, The Centenary History of London Welsh R.F.C. London: Springwood Books. ISBN 0-86254-125-5.
References
- ↑ Jones (1985), pg 3.
- ↑ "London Welsh – Club Contacts".
- ↑ Maidment, Neil (23 June 2009). "Rugby-London Welsh Rugby forced into administration". Reuters. Retrieved 23 June 2009.
- ↑ "Rescued Welsh handed five-point deduction for new campaign". yourlocalguardian.co.uk. 20 July 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "London Welsh RFC 'fraud': RFU changes rules". BBC News (BBC). 29 March 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
- ↑ "London Welsh not eligible for Premiership promotion". BBC News (BBC). 23 June 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
- ↑ "Falcons concede defeat as London Welsh win battle for Premiership berth". Daily Mail (Daily Mail). 3 July 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
- ↑ Standard (Standard) http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/rugby/london-welsh-poised-for-appeal-against-points-deduction-8541510.html. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/22084245
- ↑ http://www.hampshirerugby.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=806&Itemid=455
- ↑ Anglo-Welsh Cup
- ↑ Dragon in Exile, The Centenary History of London Welsh R.F.C, Stephen Jones and Paul Beken, Springwood Books, London, 1985
- ↑ Dragon in Exile, The Centenary History of London Welsh R.F.C, Stephen Jones and Paul Beken, Springwood Books, London, 1985
- ↑ Dragon in Exile, The Centenary History of London Welsh R.F.C, Stephen Jones and Paul Beken, Springwood Books, London, 1985
- ↑ Dragon in Exile, The Centenary History of London Welsh R.F.C, Stephen Jones and Paul Beken, Springwood Books, London, 1985
- ↑ Dragon in Exile, The Centenary History of London Welsh R.F.C, Stephen Jones and Paul Beken, Springwood Books, London, 1985
- ↑ Dragon in Exile, The Centenary History of London Welsh R.F.C, Stephen Jones and Paul Beken, Springwood Books, London, 1985
- ↑ http://www.rugbyarchive.net/Pagine/PaginaCompetizioni.aspx?ID=24&Stagione=1995/96
- ↑ http://www.moseleyrugby.co.uk/report_display12.php?menitem=104
- ↑ http://www.rugbyarchive.net/Pagine/PaginaCompetizioni.aspx?ID=24&Stagione=1993/94
- ↑ http://www.rugbyarchive.net/Pagine/Squadre.aspx?ID=163
External links
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