Wales Rugby Team

Rugby union was first played in Wales in the 1850s, but it took around 30 years for the national team to form. Shortly after the team played their first game in 1881 (a comprehensive loss against England), they joined the Home Nations Championship (now the Six Nations Championship). Although the Wales Rugby team started the competition poorly, they quickly improved and captured their first championship in 1893. The team then entered into a golden age and they won the title in 1900, 1902, 1905 and 1906, while finishing as runners-up in 1901, 1903 and 1904. During this period, they were the only side to beat New Zealand on the side’s tour of Europe and North America.

Although Welsh rugby went into decline in the inter-war years, the team was then resurgent during the second half of the twentieth century. Between 1969 and 1979, the Wales Rugby team only lost seven games.

Fast-forward to the professional era of rugby union and the Wales Rugby team have remained a strong side. They’ve featured in every edition of the Rugby World Cup since the competition began and they’ve won the 6 Nations Championship on 28 occasions, including 12 Grand Slams and 22 Triple Crowns. In addition, they were ranked as the number one team in the world in 2019.