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| Full name | London Welsh Rugby Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Union | Middlesex RFU,Wales RU | ||
| Nickname(s) | Exiles,Dragons,Welsh | ||
| Founded | 1885; 140 years ago (1885) | ||
| Disbanded | 2017; 8 years ago (2017) | ||
| Location | Richmond,Richmond upon Thames,London,England | ||
| Ground(s) | Old Deer Park (Capacity: 5000 (1,000 seats)) | ||
| Chairman | Danny Griffiths | ||
| Captain(s) | Chris Lilly | ||
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| Official website | |||
| www | |||
London Welsh Rugby Football Club (Welsh:Clwb Rygbi Cymry Llundain) was arugby union club formed in 1885. Based inOld Deer Park,Richmond-upon-Thames, London Welsh RFC played in theEnglish Premiership in the2012–13 and2014–15 seasons, after gaining promotion from theRFU Championship in the 2012 and 2014 play-off final. The club returned to Old Deer Park in 2015 after three seasons at theKassam Stadium,Oxford.
The club went into liquidation in December 2016[1] and was given atemporary licence to complete two fixtures in the Championship. Chairman at the time Bleddyn Phillips claimed to have sold the club to a California-based investment group led by Welshman Trevor Owen Shaw, but no contract or funds ever materialised.[2]
On 24 January 2017 it was announced that London Welsh had been removed from theRFU Championship and their results expunged. The RFU stated that their place in the league was "untenable" and the club were dissolved.[3] The remnants of the defunct club were amalgamated intotheir amateur set up.
During professionalism, London Welsh's first-XV squad were fully professional, and they were complemented with the London Welsh Amateurs, Druids and Occies. Following the changes at the club in the 2016/17 season the club operates the 1st XV and Druids 2nd XV that form the performance playing squad, the Occies 3rd XV and the Under 23s Griffins player pathway.[citation needed]
London Welsh has one of the longest-standing women's sides – LWWRFC – which celebrated thirty years of women's rugby at the club in the 2015–16 season. While still being amateur, the club has succeeded both in XVs in the winter and 7s during the summer as well as players representing England at the regional level and on the Wales national touch team. There is also a mini and junior section.
London Welsh was formed in 1885 by and for London'sWelsh community, and has played senior-level rugby since then.[4] Its name inWelsh, isClwb Rygbi Cymry Llundain.
London Welsh enjoyed great success in the late 1960s.John Dawes was appointed captain, and effectively also as coach, for the 1965–66 season. He initially significantly increased fitness levels, and then led the club in an open, running, quick-passing, attacking style of rugby, including an overlapping full-back, and relatively skilled forwards. One 1968-69 performance was described by journalist John Reason[5][6] as "one of the most brilliant exhibitions of club football it has been my privilege to see," and by journalist Terry O'Connor[7] as "the finest display by a club team I can remember', further describing London Welsh 'switching attacks with speed and handling skill.'[8][9]
Seven London Welsh players were selected for the1971 British Lions tour to New Zealand (a Lions record which remains unbroken to this day).[10]
In December 2006, London Welsh revealed their ambition to leave the English league and become the fifth Welsh team in theCeltic League. The club later appeared to go back on this report, claiming they had been misquoted and said this would only be considered if theEnglish Premiership decided to prohibit promotion/relegation, but confirmed their hopes of ground-sharing withBrentford FC either at their current stadiumGriffin Park or a new 20,000 seat ground to be built at Lionel Road, nearKew Bridge.
In June 2009, the club went intoadministration shortly after turning professional.[11] They were bought from the receivers in July 2009 by Saudex Global, owned by Neil Hollinshead, and allowed to continue inThe Championship, albeit with a five-point deduction.[12][13] According to theBBC 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."[13] 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.[13]
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 thatCrystal Palace co-chairmanSteve Parish had approached senior figures at the club about a possible ground-share atSelhurst Park, as the club's plans to play their matches atKassam Stadium inOxford were deemed unsuitable by theRFU, after securing promotion to theEnglish Premiership.[14] 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 thatNewcastle Falcons, the club facing relegation from the Premiership, would not appeal against the ruling.[citation needed] A move to the Kassam Stadium was then confirmed for the2012–13 season.
In 2013 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.[15]
On 14 April 2013, London Welsh were relegated from the English Premiership in their first season (pending the winners of theRFU Championship meeting the Premiership entry requirements) after a 14–31 defeat at home toNorthampton Saints.Newcastle Falcons were eligible for promotion and therefore confirmed Welsh's relegation.
On 4 June 2014, London Welsh won promotion to the English Premiership again, defeatingBristol Rugby 27–8 at home and 21–20 away, 48–28 on aggregate.[16]However, the club endured a difficult season back in the English top flight, and suffered defeat in all of their 22 league fixtures of the regular season, claiming only 1 bonus point throughout the entire campaign. The team therefore finished bottom and was relegated to the RFU Championship for the2015–16 season. The team was also defeated in every single European Challenge Cup game, as well as every single Anglo-Welsh cup game. As a result, they became the first top-flight English side for over 10 years to suffer defeat in every single competitive match over a season.
The club left Oxford and returned to Old Deer Park at the end of the2014–15 season. Following the return the club, led by Head CoachRowland Phillips, went on to win the British and Irish Cup, beating Yorkshire Carnegie 10–33. Phillips then moved on to take up a coaching role with theWelsh Rugby Union. He was succeeded by forwards coachJames Buckland who took the role of Head Coach, assisted bySonny Parker andRichard Tonkin.[17]
HMRC petitioned theHigh Court towind up the club in September 2016 due to unresolved debts. The debts were paid and the petition was dismissed by the High Court. HMRC returned to court with a second winding-up petition in October 2016 and the insolvency court granted a stay of two weeks to arrange refinancing. After failing to pay their debts, the club went into voluntary liquidation on 23 December 2016.[18] The club ceased to be a member of the RFU at that point and the liquidator stated that London Welsh would not be fulfilling the club's fixtures in the league. A separate entity, "Rugby 1885 Limited", was created on 21 December 2016. The club were deducted 20 points from the Championship dropping them from 5th to 12th. Rugby 1885 Limited were granted a temporary licence to complete London Welsh's two fixtures until a further decision on their future in the Championship.[19] When the temporary licence expired on 17 January 2017, the RFU Board met and extended a deadline to allow the new entity to show it could meet RFU regulations.[20] After a further deadline was not met, on 24 January 2017 it was announced by the RFU that London Welsh had been removed from the Championship and their resultsexpunged. The RFU stated that their place in the league was "untenable".[3]
Merit Table Rugby
Sunday Telegraph Pennants
runner-up 1965–66third 1971–72[23]
runner-up 1965–66, 1971–72third 1972–73[23]
third 1965–66[23]
Herts & Middlesex 1 Champions 2017/18 season
London 3 NW Champions 2018/19 Season
Western Mail
runner-up 1967–68, 1971–72[23]
Daily Mail
Whitbread
Over the years the club has contributed 177 players to theWales national team and 43 players to theBritish & Irish Lions.
Seven London Welsh players were selected for the1971 tour to New Zealand (a Lions record which remains unbroken to this day): captain John Dawes,JPR Williams,Gerald Davies,Mervyn Davies, John Taylor (now Managing Director[28] and ITV commentator), Mike Roberts and Geoff Evans.
The following former players were selected for theBritish & Irish Lions touring squads while playing for London Welsh.
Robert Ackerman 1983Gerald Davies 1971Mervyn Davies 1971John Dawes 1971Geoff Evans 1971Vivian Jenkins 1938Tommy Jones-Davies 1930Arthur Harding 1904,1908Alun Lewis 1977Douglas Marsden-Jones 1924Teddy Morgan 1904Billy Raybould 1968Clive Rees 1974Mike Roberts 1971John Taylor 1968,1971J. P. R. Williams 1971,1974Jack Williams 1908The following former players captained theWales national rugby union team while playing for London Welsh.
See alsoWales rugby union captains
Lee Beach
Neil BennettNorman BiggsKevin BowringRonnie BoonTrevor BrewerColin CharvisWillie DaviesRhys GabeArthur "Monkey" GouldBob GouldTony GrayJames HannanArthur 'Boxer' HardingGavin HensonKeith JarrettArthur LewisTom MayJPR WilliamsGerald DaviesMervyn DaviesBryn Meredith
JEC 'Birdie' PartridgeReg PlummerWick PowellArthur ReesTommy ReesTom ShanklinHaydn TannerWatcyn ThomasHarry Uzzell
Piri WeepuFrank WhitcombeJeff YoungThe club set up anassociation football side in 1890 calledLondon Welsh FC. They continue to this day in their own right, based inChiswick.
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