Penygraig Rugby Football Club is a Welsh

Rugby union in Wales

Rugby union is the national sport of Wales and is considered a large part of national culture. Rugby is thought to have reached Wales in the 1850s, with the national body, the Welsh Rugby Union being formed in 1881...

 rugby union

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

 team based in Penygraig

Penygraig

Penygraig is a village and community in the Rhondda Valley in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales...

, Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

. Penygraig RFC formed in 1877, one of the earlier rugby clubs to emerge, and by 1890's were a strong voice in the Welsh Rugby Union

Welsh Rugby Union

The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...

, one of four clubs from the Rhondda Valley

Rhondda

Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley , is a former coal mining valley in Wales, formerly a local government district, consisting of 16 communities built around the River Rhondda. The valley is made up of two valleys, the larger Rhondda Fawr valley and the smaller Rhondda Fach valley...

 that held WRU representation.

Early history

The early history of Welsh international rugby saw players selected not so much for form or ability but club connections. Penygraig were one of the first clubs to break this pattern managing to gain international caps

Cap (sport)

In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...

 for two of their players, David 'Dai' Evans

Dai Evans

David "Dai" Evans was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Penygraig and international rugby for Wales.Evans was born in Maenclochog, Pembrokeshire, but came to the Rhondda Valley to find work...

 in 1896 (4 caps) and Jack Rhapps

Jack Rhapps

John "Jack" Rhapps was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Penygraig and international rugby for Wales...

 (1 cap) in 1897. Both men were early exponents of the 'Rhondda forward', heavy labourers chosen for their aggressive style of play. Despite being based in the heart of the industrial South Wales coalfield, Penygraig also supplied one of the most devastating fly-halves of early Welsh rugby when Percy Bush

Percy Bush

Percy Frank Bush was a Welsh rugby union player who played international rugby for Wales on eight occasions. Playing at fly-half, Bush is regarded as one of the most talented Welsh players before the first World War.-Rugby career:...

 went through the team's ranks before joining Cardiff

Cardiff RFC

Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...

.

During the turn of the 19th century, Penygraig, like many other successful Welsh clubs, lost several players to the professional Northern Union

Rugby Football League

The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...

. Scouts from Northern rugby league

Rugby league

Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...

 teams approached rugby footballers to play in England for a wage. Penygraig lost Rhapps to Salford

Salford City Reds

Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup...

 in 1897 and Frank Shugars

Frank Shugars

Frank Shugars was a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1900s and '10s who at club level level played rugby union for Penygraig RFC, and at representative level played rugby league for Great Britain, and Wales, and at club level for Warrington, playing at , i.e...

 to Warrington

Warrington Wolves

Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....

 in 1904.

In 1908 Penygraig were playing to such a high standard that they were chosen as one of the invitational club teams to face the very first touring Australian

Australia national rugby union team

The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...

 team. Played at the Athletic Ground in Tonypandy

Tonypandy

Tonypandy is a town in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales, lying in the Rhondda Fawr Valley. A former industrial coal mining town, today Tonypandy is best known as the site of the Tonypandy Riots....

, the Australians won 11-3.

Penygraig's ground hosted the first match of the 1973 Japan rugby union tour of Wales, England and France

1973 Japan rugby union tour of Wales, England and France

The 1973 Japan rugby union tour of England, Wales and France was a series of eleven matches played by the Japan national rugby union team in Wales, England and France in September and October 1973. The Japanese team won only of two of their matches and lost the other nine. Neither Wales nor France...

, when the touring team played an East Glamorgan representative side.

2002/03 Silver Ball final

Penygraig RFC beat Pontypridd RFC

Pontypridd RFC

Pontypridd Rugby Football Club, known as Ponty, are a rugby union team from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, currently playing in the British and Irish Cup, Principality Premiership, and are the current SWALEC Cup champions....

 30-25 in the 2003 Glamorgan County Silver Ball Trophy

Glamorgan County Silver Ball Trophy

The Glamorgan County Silver Ball Trophy , is a Welsh rugby union competition open to all non-premier Welsh Rugby Union clubs playing in the Glamorganshire area....

 final; but after the game the entire winning Penygraig XV refused to give a drug sample to UK Sport

UK Sport

UK Sport is the UK Government's organisation for directing the development of sport within the home countries.-History:The Sports Council previously had been formed in 1972, and had the motto Sport for All. There was also the Central Council of Physical Recreation. In July 1994 it was decided to...

 officials requested by the WRU. The club appealed against the mass suspension the WRU was seeking and it took until January 2004 for a decision to be made. The outcome was the suspension of 19 Penygraig RFC players for 15 months, and the suspension of the club secretary for two years.

Club honours

• 1994-95 Welsh League Division 8B Central - Champions
• 2002-03 WRU Division Three East
  WRU Division Three East
  The Welsh Rugby Union Division Three East is a rugby union league in Wales.- Competition:There are 12 clubs in the WRU Division Three East...
  
   - Champions
• 2002-03 Glamorgan County Silver Ball Trophy
  Glamorgan County Silver Ball Trophy
  The Glamorgan County Silver Ball Trophy , is a Welsh rugby union competition open to all non-premier Welsh Rugby Union clubs playing in the Glamorganshire area....
  
   - Winners

Games played against international opposition

Year	Date	Opponent	Result	Score	Tour
1908	10 October		Loss	3-11	1908 Australian tour of the British Isles

Notable players

See also :Category:Penygraig RFC players

Percy Bush

Percy Bush

Percy Frank Bush was a Welsh rugby union player who played international rugby for Wales on eight occasions. Playing at fly-half, Bush is regarded as one of the most talented Welsh players before the first World War.-Rugby career:...

 David "Dai" Maldwyn Davies

Dai Davies (rugby player born 1925)

David "Dai" Maldwyn Davies was a and British Lions international rugby union player.Davies made his debut for Wales on 21 January 1950 versus England and was selected for the 1950 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia. He played club rugby for Somerset Police.- References :...

 Dai Evans

Dai Evans

David "Dai" Evans was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Penygraig and international rugby for Wales.Evans was born in Maenclochog, Pembrokeshire, but came to the Rhondda Valley to find work...

 Harry Jones

Harry Jones (rugby player)

Harry Jones was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Penygraig and county rugby for Glamorgan. Jones played in just two international matches, but became a Triple Crown winner when he represented Wales during the 1902 Home Nations Championship.-Rugby career:Although...

 (2 caps) Willie Llewellyn

Willie Llewellyn

William Morris "Willie" Llewellyn was a Welsh international rugby union player. He captained Wales in 1905 and London Welsh in 1902. He was a member of the winning Welsh team who beat the 1905 touring All Blacks, toured with the British Isles to Australasia in 1904 and won three Triple Crown...

 (20 caps) Jack Rhapps

Jack Rhapps

John "Jack" Rhapps was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Penygraig and international rugby for Wales...

 (1 cap rugby union) (2 caps rugby league)   Frank Shugars

Frank Shugars

Frank Shugars was a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1900s and '10s who at club level level played rugby union for Penygraig RFC, and at representative level played rugby league for Great Britain, and Wales, and at club level for Warrington, playing at , i.e...

 (8 caps rugby league) Dick Thomas

Dick Thomas

Edward John Richard 'Dick' Thomas was a Welsh international rugby union back who played club rugby for Mountain Ash.-Rugby career:...

(4 caps)