The Wales national rugby union team (Welsh: Tm rygbi'r undeb cenedlaethol Cymru) represents the Welsh Rugby Union in men's international rugby union. Its governing body, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), was established in 1881, the same year that Wales played their first international against England. The team plays its home matches at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff (currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Principality Stadium), which replaced Cardiff Arms Park as the national stadium of Wales in 1999.
Wales has competed annually in the Six Nations Championship (previously the Home Nations Championship and Five Nations Championship) since it was established in 1883. They have won the tournament (and its predecessors) outright 28 times, most recently in 2021. Since the Six Nations was formed in 2000, Wales have won six Six Nations titles, including four Grand Slams and finished bottom once. Wales has also participated in every Rugby World Cup since the competition was established in 1987; they finished third in the inaugural tournament and have since made two semi-finals, in 2011 and 2019. Wales were the host nation for the 1999 Rugby World Cup, although matches were also played in England, Scotland, Ireland and France.
Welsh Rugby Union
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With the "four three-quarters" formation, Wales won the Home Nations Championship for the first time in 1893, winning the Triple Crown in the process.[7] Wales next won the Championship in 1900, heralding the first "golden age" of Welsh rugby, which was to last until 1911.[8] They won two more Triple Crowns in 1902 and 1905,[9] and were runners-up in 1901, 1903 and 1904.[6]
Wales next won the Five Nations outright in 1975, and in 1976, Wales won their second Grand Slam of the decade. Just like the first in 1971, they used only 16 players over their four matches.[53] They repeated the feat in 1978 and, in the process, became the first team to win three consecutive Triple Crowns.[54] Following their final Five Nations match of 1978, both Phil Bennett and Gareth Edwards retired from rugby.[42]
Wales reached the top spot in the men's World Rugby Rankings in August 2019, holding the position for two weeks.[99] They went on to top their pool at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, winning all their pool matches for the first time since the inaugural tournament in 1987,[100] and ultimately reached the semi-finals before they were knocked out by eventual champions South Africa;[101] Wales lost to New Zealand in the bronze final and finished fourth in the tournament.[102]
On 5 December 2022, Warren Gatland was reappointed as head coach, following a review of Wayne Pivac and his performance in the 2022 Autumn Nations Series.[109] The contract will see Gatland as head coach through to the end of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, with the potential to extend an additional four years, through the 2027 Rugby World Cup.[110] Gatland's initial coaching team included Alex King as attack coach, Mike Forshaw as defence coach, Jonathan Humphreys as forwards coach and Neil Jenkins as skills coach.[111] Jonathan Thomas was added as a contact area skils coach.[112]
Wales's alternate strip as of 2023 is black with yellow accents, inspired by the Flag of Saint David[114] although there have been various different coloured strips in the past. Former change strips worn by Wales have used black, navy, white, yellow, grey & green as their predominant colours.[115] Wales previously wore black jerseys as part of celebrations for the WRU's 125th anniversary in 2005. The jersey was worn against Fiji and then Australia that year; the Australia match was the first time Wales had not played in their red jersey against one of their traditional rivals.[115]
In 1992, the Welsh Rugby Union agreed a deal with Cotton Traders to produce the national team's kits.[116] They were replaced in 1996 by Reebok,[117] whose contract with the Welsh Rugby Union was worth 1.3 million in 1999.[118] Wales received the first jersey sponsor in their history in 2000, when Redstone Telecoms agreed a deal worth 2 million.[119] Redstone was replaced two years later by Reebok subsidiary Rockport, in a deal worth 1 million,[120] followed by Brains Brewery in 2004,[121] in conjunction with a four-year extension to the Reebok deal.[122] Due to French alcohol advertising regulations, the "Brains" name was replaced by "Brawn" for the 2005 Six Nations Championship match between France and Wales at the Stade de France,[123] and by "Brawn Again" for the corresponding match two years later.[124] The Brains deal was extended in June 2008 until September 2009, with "Brains SA" appearing on Wales home shirts and "SA Gold" appearing on the team's yellow change shirts.[125] For the away match against France in February 2009, the "Brains SA" logo was replaced by the words "Try Essai"; "essai" is the French word for a try, but is also pronounced the same as "SA", meaning the branding could have been viewed as "an invitation to 'try' Wales' best loved beer brand".[126]
In 2008, Under Armour replaced Reebok as Wales' kit manufacturer in a four-year deal worth 10 million.[127] Welsh insurance company Admiral replaced Brains as the main shirt sponsors in 2010, signing a three-year contract.[128] That deal was extended by two years in both in 2013 and 2015,[129] with the latter described as the WRU's "biggest shirt partnership deal in its history".[130] In 2017, Japanese motor company Isuzu Motors replaced Admiral as the main sponsors of the Wales team's home shirts.[131] Between 2017 & 2019 the sponsorship of the team's alternate shirt was taken on by Subaru as a result of both Subaru & Izuzu's UK imports being handled by IM Group.[132] In October 2015, the WRU agreed a nine-year, 33 million extension to its contract with Under Armour,[133] only for both parties to mutually terminate the deal four years early in 2020.[134]
A new, seven-year contract with Italian company Macron was agreed in September 2020, believed to be worth around 30 million.[135] In 2021 Cazoo replaced Izuzu as the shirt sponsor in a two year deal, however Izuzu remained a partner of the WRU. [136] In June 2023, Vodafone replaced Cazoo as the front of shirt sponsor (although it had already been present on the women's team's shirts since 2022),[137] A month later it was announced that comparison site Go.Compare would become the first back of shirt sponsor of the team.[138] The new Macron kits were launched toward the end of July (Just after the 2023 World cup shirts[139]) at which point it was also announced that player names would return to the back of the shirts, having previously been present between 2005 & 2008. [140]
By 1958, the WRU had concluded that a new national ground was needed due to flooding that often affected Arms Park.[158] After debate and disputes between the WRU and various other parties, including Cardiff RFC, it was decided in the 1960s that a new national stadium would be built with a new ground for the Cardiff club backing onto it.[159] The National Stadium, as it was known, was officially opened in 1970.[160]
In the next two tournaments in 1991 and 1995, Wales failed to progress beyond the pool stage, winning just one match in each tournament.[69][72] They also became the first co host nation to not make it out of the pool stage in 1991.
Both the 1999 and 2003 tournaments were more successful, with Wales qualifying for the quarter-finals both times. Wales hosted the event in 1999 and topped their pool only to lose to eventual winners Australia in the quarter-finals.[77][169]
At the 2015 World Cup Wales were in the same pool as Australia, England, Fiji and Uruguay. They finished second in the pool behind Australia and ahead of hosts England. South Africa defeated Wales in the quarter-finals.
In the 2019 World Cup Wales were in pool D with Australia, Fiji, Georgia and Uruguay. They won all their group matches to finish top of the pool. After defeating France in the quarter-finals, they lost to the eventual tournament winners South Africa in the semi-finals.
When the World Rugby Rankings were introduced in October 2003, Wales were ranked 8th.[f] They rose to 7th in June 2004, before falling back to 8th in November that year. Following a Grand Slam win in the 2005 Six Nations, they rose to a ranking position of 5th. They fell to 9th by June 2006, and, after rising back to 8th by September, fell to 10th after the 2007 World Cup. A second Six Nations' Grand Slam in 2008 propelled them to 6th in the rankings, but following losses to South Africa in the mid-year and end-of-year internationals Wales slipped to 7th. Wales climbed to 4th after a win over Scotland in their first match of the 2009 Six Nations. They slumped to 9th in 2010 but rose back to 4th after their fourth place in the 2011 World Cup.[171] Since then, Wales have ranked the majority of the time among the top six teams. They reached 2nd during the 2015 Rugby World Cup,[172] before hitting top spot for the first time on 19 August 2019, after winning 15 of their last 16 games.[173]
Eighteen Welsh internationals have been inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.[178] One Welsh player, Shane Williams in 2008, has been awarded World Rugby Player of the Year (formerly known as the International Rugby Board Player of the Year).[179]
Neil Jenkins was the first rugby player to surpass 1000 Test points. He holds several Welsh records, including the most points scored for Wales with 1049, the most successful penalty kicks for Wales with 248, and the Welsh record for most points in a single Test match with 30.[180][181] The record for drop-goals for Wales is held by Jonathan Davies with 13.[182]
Shane Williams is Wales' record try-scorer with 58 tries. Williams is also Wales' record try-scorer in Six Nations Championships with 22 and the Rugby World Cups with 10.[183] Colin Charvis' 22 tries is the all-time Welsh record for a forward, and was the world record for tries by a forward until 2011.[184]
Alun Wyn Jones is the nation's most capped player with 158 Welsh caps. Eight other players have earned 100 caps or more: Gethin Jenkins, Stephen Jones, Gareth Thomas, Martyn Williams, George North, Dan Biggar, Taulupe Faletau and Leigh Halfpenny[185] The record for most matches as captain is held by Alun Wyn Jones with 52.[186] The record for the most consecutive appearances is held by Gareth Edwards who played all 53 of his matches for Wales consecutively between 1967 and 1978.[180] Edwards is also Wales' youngest ever captain at the age of 20.[43] 152ee80cbc
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