Happy new rugby season! The first of September is the traditional start date for the new rugby season and most clubs in Wales now only have a few days to wait before kicking off their league campaigns at the weekend.
The honour of playing the first competitive match of the new season will fall to Glamorgan Wanderers, when they host Mountain Ash in the Championship East at the Memorial Ground on Friday, 4 September (7.30pm).
The Super Rygbi Cymru launches on 12 September, and the four regions get underway in the BKT United Rugby Championship two weeks later. First into action in the professional game will be the Dragons when they face Benetton Rugby at Stadio Monigo on Friday 25 September.
This season sees Aberavon and Cardiff celebrate their 150th anniversaries, as well as Pontypridd, Bangor, Llandaff and Cardigan. Clubs who have already celebrated their 150th anniversaries include Neath (1871), Swansea, Newport, Brecon, New Panteg (all 1874), Mountain Ash, Lampeter Town, Carmarthen Quins, Llandeilo and Blaina (all 1875).
The first games played 100 years ago in the 1926-27 season included one between Crumlin and Oakdale, which ended in a crushing 30-0 win for Crumlin. The same two sides will kick-off their Division 4 East campaigns against each other on 12 September.
Also in action on the opening day a century ago were Llanhilleth and Risca, who both face each other in the same division on 12 September. Risca picked up a sensational win at Pontypool, 8-6, and Aberavon launched their season with a 27-0 triumph over Pontypridd.
This is how the Western Mail described the opening weekend of the season 100 years ago:
RUGBY SEASON OPENS
VALUE OF NEW HALF-BACK RULE PROVED
FREE-SCORING GAMES AT CARDIFF
B. 0. MALE’S BRILLIANT PLACE-KICKING AGAINST BRIDGEND
Rugby opened very quietly on Saturday, the big Welsh dubs sharing rather easy victories. The exception was at Pontypool, where the home sale lost through a last-minute try to Risca, who were thoroughly deserving of success. It is rarely that a club of the standing of Pontypool loses at home in the first match of the season. In other games the value of the new rule relating to half-back play—which forbids a player to advance after a scrummage has been formed in front of his own forwards until the ball be clear of the scrummage—was proved, and at Cardiff no less than 66pts were scored in the two matches. The home took handsome toll of Bridgend, winning by 39pts to 3. Against Treorky they were lucky to snatch the victory almost on the call of time. Abertillery had no difficulty in disposing of Llanhilleth, and Llanelly made no mistake at Loughor. Most of the other clubs were engaged in what were to aIl intents and purposes trials of strength against weak opposition.
Welsh Rugby Results – 4 September 1926
Aberaman 17 – 0 Ynysbwl; Aberavon 27 – 0 Pontypridd; Abertillery 24 – 0 Llanhilleth; Blaenavon 23 – 0 Cardiff Romilly; Cambrian Welfare 3 – 6 Penygraig; Cardiff 39 – 23 Bridgend; Cardiff 13 – 11 Treorky; Crumlin 30 – 0 Oakdale; Pontnewydd 7 – 7 Blaina; Ebbw Vale 24 – 4 Penylan; Loughor 3 – 14 Llanelly; Neath 40 – 0 District League; Newport Probables 22 – 12 Newport Possibles; Pontypool 6 – 8 Risca; Swansea 38 – 8 District League; Tredegar 3 – 6 Bryncethin
These days the Welsh Rugby Union boast almost 300 member clubs on the men’s side who play in 28 divisions. There are also 43 clubs playing in six women’s division – they kick-off on Sunday, 6 September.
Congratulations to all those clubs celebrating significant birthdays this season. Let’s hope it is a great season for everyone!