News

On Saturday 2^nd September Old Penarthians started their year of centenary celebrations with a dinner at their home at Cwrt-y-vil, St Marks Road. The dinner, held in a purpose-built marquee, was attended by 280 guests, the majority of whom were former or present players and members of the club.

They were joined by specially invited guests on the evening Sir Gareth Edwards and Gerald Davies, President of the WRU, rugby legends from the time that Wales dominated the northern hemisphere and still very recognisable faces in world rugby today.

Also on the top table were John Manders, WRU Board Director, and Chair of the Community Game, and fellow Board Directors, David Young and Gwyn Bowden and Lady Maureen Edwards hosted by Club officials Stephen Clarke, Robert Crimp and Nigel Willaims.

The whole evening was managed by ‘Master of Ceremonies’, Phil Steele, a BBC broadcaster and raconteur who interwove his humorous stories and unrivalled Welsh rugby knowledge with anecdotes about famous and no-so-famous guests attending the dinner.

Before the meal an introductory speech was given by Club President, Tony Crimp, in which he welcomed the guests and gave a brief but informative history of the club, which was born at a meeting held on the 1st of December 1923, as the rugby section of the Old Penarthians Association, an association representing former students of the then Penarth County School for Boys.

Only a few games were played during that season and the first full season in 24/25 showed 21 matches played, ten won, nine lost and two drawn. Then in 1938 the club ceased to be Penarth County School Old Boys and officially became Old Penarthians Rugby Club.

The year 1950 saw the start of the Old Penarthians Invitational 7-a-side tournament featuring teams from old boys’ teams associated with schools in the area. This was the first large scale 7-a-side tournament organised in Wales and fittingly that first event was won by Old Penarthians. The tournament has evolved and developed in the intervening 72 years but is still the premier event of its kind in Wales attracting many international stars both past and present.

In 1964 the Old Penarthians moved to their new home from where the clubhouse has developed into a modern facility serving members and the local community.

Tony also made note of the work undertaken more recently with the introduction of a Mini and Junior section in 2010, from which two players have gone on to win international honours.  Georgia Morgan representing Wales women under 18s against Scotland in 2022 and more recently Steffan Crimp playing twice for the USA U20s against Canada.

The reintroduction of the Youth XV for the first time since 1994 has already seen the benefits with seven former Youth team players starting in the senior 1^st XV earlier if the day.

The Old Penarthians Women XV were also a welcome addition three years ago bringing a new and vibrant enthusiasm to the rugby club

Tony concluded his speech by acknowledging the founding fathers of the club for having the foresight to create a rugby section from a school association; to the thousands of individuals who have played for the club; to the administrators who had steered this club over the intervening years and had created the history that was the reason for the night’s celebrations.

Gerald Davies responded on behalf of the guests and during his speech he emphasised the importance of ‘grass-roots’ rugby clubs to the development of the game and the nurturing of the next generation of players who should grow to enjoy the game of rugby

A generous three course meal was then served by younger members of the club expertly managed by Fiona Benson and Rachel Glover.

At intervals during the meal Tony Crimp was again to the fore when he introduced new awards to recognise individual player achievements of playing 150, 200 or 300 plus games for the 1^st XV.  The specially designed caps in club colours were very well received not only by the recipients themselves but by the wider audience who recognised the level of commitment required to earn the honours.

Club caps were awarded to the following players by former chairman of the club:

150 plus caps: Alun Haines (154 games), Leighton Davies (160), Lea Goddard (164), James Williams (165), Jon Howell (175), Jon Barry (184), Mark Sadler (192)

200 plus caps: Richard Smith (201), David Smith (202), Mark Glover (202), Simon Davies (222), Jonathan Crimp (225), Jeff Evans (234), Robert Pilcher (239), Lindsay Jones (241), Nigel Williams (272), David Martin (275)

300 plus caps: Mike Matthews (301), Robert Young (302), Nick Chandler (308), Lee Brennan (324), Allen Evans (350), Neil Orpin (352), Tony Kemp (358), Tony Crimp (379)

To recognise the award of the most capped player present at the dinner Phil Steele called Sir Gareth forward to present Tony Crimp with his cap.

In recognition of the achievements of the players from earlier periods of the club’s history who had played 35-40 games a season the last cap award of the night was also presented by Sir Gareth to Peter Frost a club captain on two occasions in 1959/60 and 1961/62 who had played 208 1^st XV matches.

Other recipients not at the dinner will be awarded their caps at other events to be held as part of the centenary season

There then followed a Q & A session with Sir Gareth chaired by Phil Steele in which Sir Gareth admitted he could not even escape the magic of his famous Barbarian try against the All Blacks even when he was on a fishing trip in a remote part of Russia.

The formal part of the evening was concluded by Club Chairman, Stephen Clarke, who paid tribute to everyone who had made the night a success with particular thanks to Laura Davies who had managed the whole event and to whom he presented a bouquet of flowers.

The rest of the evening was left to the attendees to reminisce and reacquaint themselves with former colleagues with promises to meet again.