News

As a rugby season comes to an end and everyone looks forward to a new one it is an appropriate time for Old Penarthians to celebrate a young rugby star who has just had a great end to the truncated 2021/22 season and has a very bright future in front of her.

Georgia Morgan started her rugby career at Old Penarthians as a six-year-old at the very beginning of the club’s introduction into Mini and Junior rugby in 2010.  She was part of a team that under the guidance of the WRU allowed children to learn rugby skills through tag rugby and initial contact rugby in a mixed environment of boys and girls.

It was always likely that Georgia would play for Old Penarthians because both her Grandparents, Ken and Marilyn, had been bar stewards at the Club and her father Jamie had played rugby for the Club alongside being a gymnast who competed for Wales.  Mum, Ceri did not have the same sporting pedigree but her brother Geraint was a stalwart for Penarth RFC for many years and her father Tom, amongst other many and varied rugby credentials, was one of the first coaches of the original Old Pens Youth XV in 1994.

Georgia excelled in her early years, captaining the team on many occasions as well as winning awards at the Annual Presentation Days.  However, in accordance with the WRU Pathway Scheme at the age of thirteen it was time for Georgia to move into female-only rugby so in April 2017 she played her last game for the Club in a victory over Rhiwbina by 57 points to 22.

Old Penarthians did not have enough female players to provide Georgia with a platform for her skills so she moved to Cardiff Quins.  There she quickly established herself as a regular name on the team sheet and she progressed through the U15 team into the U18s.

And so, to this season, where Georgia played for Cardiff Quins in the final of the WRU National U18 Cup at Principality Stadium against Ceirw Nant.  This was a victory for the Quins by 29-25 and a personal success for Georgia as she scored two tries and was on hand to give the scoring passes to her colleagues on two other occasions.

This performance capped a season that had also brought her recognition at Wales level and she was part of the squad that travelled to the Six Nations U18 tournament played in Glasgow in April.  Georgia played in the game against Italy that Wales won 14-0 and whilst selected as a substitute for the Ireland match unfortunately an injury prevented her from taking part.

Georgia can therefore lay claim to be the first Wales rugby international to have been nurtured at the Old Penarthians and the club are genuinely proud of the accolades that have befallen her.

As she moves forward with her rugby career, Georgia will remain at Cardiff Quins as well as continuing her education at Cardiff Metropolitan University where she will be studying Sports and Exercise Science after completing her A-levels at Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Morgannwg.