The Welsh Rugby Union chairman has used his address in the official matchday programme to explain why young Dragons flanker Aaron Wainwright has been travelling around the USA capital with a large wooden, ornately carved ‘spoon’ slung over his shoulder.
The tradition, for the Wales national team, started in 2003 when the then head coach (and current New Zealand boss) Steve Hansen wanted to bestow the responsibility of carrying one of the country’s oldest symbols upon the youngest member of his Australia-bound Rugby World Cup squad – as a talking point for when the team were welcomed on public engagements.
But the Welsh Lovespoon tradition dates back to the 17th Century – the oldest example can be found in the Welsh Folk Museum in St Fagans which was carved in 1667 – when the handmade keepsakes were gifted by suitors with romantic intentions and they can still be bought in gift shops around Wales today.
As Davies points out the first Wales player to carry the current two-and-a-half-foot-long carving, which depicts a dagger and includes various national symbols of Wales including a harp, dragon, daffodil and the Prince of Wales’ feathers, was the hooker Huw Bennett.
Bennett was 20 when he took the spoon to Australia in 2003 and, coincidently, he is also travelling with the Wales squad in America today as a strength and conditioning coach, but a wide array of top Welsh talent has followed in his footsteps.
“On our most recent visit to Argentina in 2006 the winger Chris Czekaj was the youngest squad member and when we faced USA in Chicago in 2008 it was Dan Biggar,” explains Davies, who has travelled with Wales to Washington for the clash with the Springboks and will follow on to Argentina for the two-Test tour against the Pumas.
“A few more familiar names debuted during the ’06 tour in particular: James Hook, Ian Evans, Richard Hibbard and a 20-year-old who would go on to captain both Wales and the British & Irish Lions, Alun Wyn Jones (who also carried the Lovespoon at the 2007 RWC a year later).
“Today Tom Prydie, the youngest player ever to be capped by Wales at 18-years-and-25-days in February 2010, features in the tour squad (though he is now 26) and Tomos Williams and Aaron Wainwright figure as are our two uncapped tourists.
“Aaron has the privilege, as the youngest member of our touring squad, of carrying a Welsh Lovespoon around Washington DC and onwards to San Juan and Sante Fe, Argentina
“It is a tradition we are proud of and which symbolises the carefully nurtured cycle of our national game.”
In reference to the ‘circle of life’ around Welsh rugby Davies points out that Wainwright was just a year old when Wales achieved their first ever victory over South Africa in 1999, but two other significant current figures featured that day.
“Wales assistant coach Rob Howley and skills coach Neil Jenkins were the half-back partnership the day we beat the Springboks in Cardiff, after 96 years and 13 attempts, and they have been in position as coaches each of the three times we have repeated the feat since (’14, ’16, ’17),” says Davies.
“But the stats also show we have a tough task ahead: we are yet to beat the ‘Boks on foreign soil and the last time we won a Test Series against Argentina away from home… was also in ’99, with both Howley and Jenkins still in their playing prime (though we did draw a Series against the Pumas 1-1, in 2004).”
For Davies Wales’ clash with South Africa in Washington DC is what rugby is all about and he hopes that, just like the 17th Century Welsh Lovespoon introduced to the national side in 2003, the fixture can forge new traditions for both participating countries and their hosts.
“Summer tours are about creating a small piece of history in the countries you visit, adding new chapters against the nations you play and building new futures for your team and its individual members,” he adds.
“I hope everyone enjoys the game as much as I know I will at this most famous of venues and that new traditions, alliances and friendships can be formed for rugby in Washington DC as a result.”
