Cardiff Harlequins RFC

Cardiff Harlequins RFC was a rugby union club located in the Welsh capital city of Cardiff. The team provided several international players during the late 19th century, most notably Gwyn Nicholls, who after leaving the club not only represented Wales but also played for the British Isles on their 1899 tour of Australia. The club disbanded in the 1890s.

History

Cardiff Harlequins formed in the early 1880s in Cardiff, playing on a field off Penarth Road. Although in the shadow of first class team Cardiff RFC, the Harlequins began to attract matches from some of the lesser but well established clubs in the Glamorgan area. The team is recorded as playing matches against Pontypridd, Mountain Ash,^[1] Cardiff and Llanelli and later became a popular opponent for touring teams from the West of England, such as Bristol.^[2] The Harlequins first recorded match against Cardiff is recorded as 17 February 1883, a 0-0 draw.^[3]

The club's most prominent period came in the early 1890s, which began in 1891 when their first player was selected for an international match, while still representing the club. Percy Bennett, a forward with the club, was chosen for the 1891 Home Nations Championship to face England at Newport.^[4] Bennett won four caps in total between 1891 and 1892. In 1892, Frederick Nicholls was also selected, playing in the same game against Ireland as Bennett.^[5] In 1892, Gwyn Nicholls, who would become one of the most notable Welsh players in the country's history, switched from the little-known Cardiff Star to join the Harlequins on the advice of his brother Sid. Unfortunately for the Harlequins they only held onto Gwynn for one season, as a disastrous 1891-1892 season for Cardiff RFC, saw the team scour the lower clubs for new talent. This saw Nicholls switch to Cardiff for the 1892-93 season.^[2]

In 1892 the team moved from Penarth Road, and a replacement pitch was made available for the team by Lord Tredegar at Roath Park. Originally called the Cardiff Athletic Ground, the pitch became known as the Cardiff Harlequin Athletic Ground, a name it keeps to the present day.^[6] Sometime in the first half of the 1890s, the club disbanded.

Notable former players

• Percy Bennett (4 caps)
• Dai Fitzgerald
• Frederick Nicholls (1 cap)
• Gwyn Nicholls (24 caps)

Bibliography

• Davies, D.E. (1975). Cardiff Rugby Club, History and Statistics 1876-1975. Risca: The Starling Press. ISBN 0-9504421-0-0. 
• Godwin, Terry (1984). The International Rugby Championship 1883-1983. London: Willows Books. ISBN 0-00-218060-X. 
• Griffiths, John (1987). The Phoenix Book of International Rugby Records. London: Phoenix House. ISBN 0-460-07003-7. 
• Parry-Jones, David (1999). Prince Gwyn, Gwyn Nicholls and the First Golden Era of Welsh Rugby. Bridgend: seren. ISBN 1-85411-262-7. 

References