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London Welsh
Full name	London Welsh Rugby Football Club
Founded	1885
Location	London, England
Ground(s)	Old Deer Park, Richmond upon Thames
Capacity	5,850
Coach(es)	Danny Wilson
League(s)	The Championship
Official website
	www.london-welsh.co.uk

London Welsh Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in London that currently plays in The Championship, the second level of the English rugby union league system (below the Guinness Premiership).

[edit] Club history

London Welsh, established by and for London's Welsh community, has played senior-level rugby in England since its formation in 1885.^[1] Its name in Welsh, though it is rarely used, is Clwb Rygbi Cymry Llundain.

Over the years the club has contributed 177 players to the Wales national team and 43 players to the British and Irish Lions. Seven London Welsh players were selected for the 1971 tour to New Zealand (a Lions record in amateur times): captain John Dawes (now London Welsh president), JPR Williams, Gerald Davies, Mervyn Davies, John Taylor (now board member and ITV commentator), Mike Roberts and Geoff Evans.

Currently the 1st XV squad are fully professional, and hopes are high that this will lead to a sustained challenge for promotion to the Premiership. Head Coach Danny Wilson, Assistant Coach Phil Greening and Captain Nathan Bonner Evans have all been brought in to change the club ethos to a more professional mindset on the pitch.

Despite the new professionalism, London Welsh has tried to retain the atmosphere of an amateur club. Although the 1XV squad are fully professional, the Wizards and Occies are still strong parts of the club. They also have a successful social section, who go a long way towards maintaining the 'amateur ethos' of enjoying a game and a pint on a Saturday.

London Welsh has one of the longest standing women's sides - LWWRFC, who celebrated twenty years of women's rugby at the club in the 2005/6 season. Whilst still being amateur, the women train hard and have enjoyed recent success with the club, both in XVs in the winter and 7s during the summer. There are London Welsh Women representatives at England Regional Level and on the Wales National Touch team. There is also a popular Mini & Junior Section.

In December 2006, London Welsh revealed their ambition to turn their back on the English league and become the 5th Welsh team in the Magners League. The club later appeared to go back on this report, claiming they had been misquoted and said this would only be considered if the Guinness Premiership decided to prohibit promotion/relegation, but confirmed their hopes of ground-sharing with Brentford FC either at their current stadium Griffin Park or a new 20,000 seat ground to be built at Lionel Road, near Kew Bridge.

In June 2009, the club went into administration shortly after turning professional.^[2] They were bought from the receivers in July allowed to continue in The Championship, albeit with a five point deduction.^[3]

[edit] Current Squad

2009-10 London Welsh Squad

Nat.	Position	Player
	PR	Michael Holford
	PR	Lorne Ward
	PR	Aaron Liffchak
	PR	Joe Horn-Smith
	PR	Dorian Williams
	HK	Dan George
	HK	Sunia Koto
	HK	Ben Gotting
Ireland	HK	Gavin O'Meara
	LK	Matthew Corker
	LK	Mike Powell
	LK	Ben Thomas
	FL	Tom Audley
	FL	Jonathan Mills
	FL	Robert Bell
	FL	Michael Hills
	N8	Tom Brown
	N8	Andy Scott
	N8	Nathan Bonner-Evans (C)
	N8	Lee Beach

Nat.	Position	Player
	SH	Allen Chilten
	SH	Robert Lewis
	SH	Nick Runciman
	FH	Aled Thomas
	FH	Gordon Ross
	CE	Greg Evans
	CE	Paul Mackey
	CE	Simon Whatling
	CE	Neil Starling
	WG	Paul Sampson
	WG	Dominic Shabbo
	WG	Errie Claassens
	FB	Ed Lewis-Pratt

[edit] British and Irish Lions

The following former players were selected for the British and Irish Lions touring squads whilst playing for London Welsh.

[edit] Wales International Captains

The following former players captained the Wales national rugby union team whilst playing for London Welsh RFC.

See also Wales rugby union captains

Teddy Morgan 1908
Wick Powell 1927
John Dawes 1968-71

[edit] Other notable former players

See also Category:London Welsh RFC players

[edit] London Welsh F.C.

The club set up an association football side in 1890 called London Welsh F.C.. They, however, disbanded after a couple of seasons.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] Bibliography

Jones, Stephen; Paul Beken (1985). Dragon in Exile, The Centenary History of London Welsh R.F.C.. London: Springwood Books. ISBN 0862541255.

[edit] References

^ Jones (1985), pg 3.
^ Maidment, Neil (23 June 2009). "Rugby-London Welsh Rugby forced into administration". Reuters. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKLN25065020090623?rpc=401&. Retrieved 2009-06-23.
^ "Rescued Welsh handed five-point deduction for new campaign". yourlocalguardian.co.uk. 20 July 2009. http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/sport/rugby/londonwelshnews/4502259.Rescued_Welsh_handed_five_point_deduction_for_new_campaign/. Retrieved 2009-08-28.

[Jones3-0] Jones (1985), pg 3.

[1] Maidment, Neil (23 June 2009). "Rugby-London Welsh Rugby forced into administration". Reuters. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKLN25065020090623?rpc=401&. Retrieved 2009-06-23.

[2] "Rescued Welsh handed five-point deduction for new campaign". yourlocalguardian.co.uk. 20 July 2009. http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/sport/rugby/londonwelshnews/4502259.Rescued_Welsh_handed_five_point_deduction_for_new_campaign/. Retrieved 2009-08-28.

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