Rugby photos, paintings, caricatures and other memorabilia in the gallery at the Welsh Rugby 125 Exhibition

Modern Print of

Gradidge advert 1912

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Modern Print of

Bryan's advert 1896

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Modern Print of

'King of All Football Boot' advert 1896

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Modern Print of

'Perrins & Burke' advert 1910

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NEATH 3pts - SOUTH AFRICA 8pts

"L.A.C." special correspondent of the “Cape Town Times” ( January 8th, 1913 ) :-

"The Welsh international .... took rank as the most unpleasant of the tour until Neath was visited. Yesterday, I witnessed the foulest and dirtiest football that I have ever seen and heard the most unsportsmanlike, bigoted, partisan and ignorant lot of spectators giving tongue, like a pack of yelping dogs right through the game, abusing in the vilest language the referee and our players and by their conduct directly contributing to the rotten football and the unpleasant recollection of Welsh football and Welsh manners that we shall carry back with us to South Africa.

The alleged sportsmen of Neath .... care nothing for the game, or the way it is played, providing that their own team wins. (WRM-0212)

ARTHUR ‘MONKEY’ GOULD

Arthur Gould was Welsh rugby's first super star. He was the man who put Wales on the rugby map. When he began playing for Wales in 1885, it was only her 8th international and only two wins had been recorded. When he finally retired from international rugby in 1897, Wales had won her first Triple Crown; Welsh clubs were regularly beating English, Scottish and Irish opponents; and the players who were to usher in the first Golden Era were starting to take their place in the national XV.

Gwyn Nicholls summed up his contribution: 'Chief credit for the perfection of Welsh tactics (in the first Golden Era) can be almost entirely ascribed to Gould. (WRM-RR)

1922-25-Ex-Schoolboys-XV.jpg (149340 bytes)

ALBERT FREETHY’S INVINCIBLES

Albert Freethy’s ‘Invincibles’ was a side composed mostly of of Neath boys who had played in a local schools league and had been invincible in the Dewar Shield schools rugby competition in 1922 and 1923. Freethy kept the side together, and they became renowned throughout South Wales . A noted disciplinarian, the autocratic Freethy instructed his boys in technique on the field, and tactics on the blackboard. They played exciting, attacking, running rugby. In their first full season, 1922-23, they played on the Gnoll and made £100 for Neath and £700 for charities. They went undefeated for four years, and their backs - Trevor Walters, hailed as another Percy Bush at fly-half, Sam Bates and Griff Bevan at centre, Howie Jones and Arthur Hickman on the wings - were easily the peer of the best in senior football. In February 1925 they met a star-studded Christ College, Brecon, side at the Gnoll, and beet them 6 - 3 in front of a crowd of 5,000. In February 1926, they beat Llandovery 18 - 4, Christ College 18 - 5 within a week. Such was the success, and the attractiveness, of Freethy's brilliant youngsters that friction developed with the Neath club. Neath understandably, wanted to include some of them on its own side, but Freethy felt that 'the spirit of Welsh rugby was not that it should be', and asked to be allowed to keep his side together for a couple more seasons; were he to release a few now, the whole side would disintegrate. Smarting at Freethy's refusal, Neath refused him the use of the Gnoll, but playing at Cwrt Herbert, the 'Invincibles' still drew larger crowds than the town team. (WRM-0219)

(Extract from Smith & Williams “Fields of Praise” Centenary History of the Welsh Rugby Union )

Modern Print of

Gilbert advert 1928 (WRM-RR)

Modern Print of

Kangaroo Hide Boot 1934 (WRM-RR)

Modern Print of

'Abbo Boots' advert 1922 (WRM-RR)

1905-06-Neath-Schools-Dewar.jpg (150274 bytes)

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This is the first Neath Schools team to win the premier schools tournament in Wales, the ‘Dewar Shield’ One of the players is quite fashion conscious and is 100 years ahead of his time, he may be related to a famous Welsh player of the 2005 Grand Slam side. Can you see which player we are talking about.

This photo was taken on April 1^st 1906 .

"Silver Strike"

Wales v England at the Millennium Stadium and with only 4 minutes remaining Wales are down against the old enemy by just one point, up steps the man in the silver boots, the whole of the Millennium Stadium is on the edge of it's seat, you can hear a pin drop in the thousands of pubs around Wales all of which are packed to the rafters, wherever Welshmen are located around the world, they are glued to their TV sets and willing this one kick over, this is the moment, one small moment in time…………… the rest is history as they say ! (WRM-RR)

TO PURCHASE THIS PRINT - CLICK HERE

THE MILLENNIUM STADIUM

The home of Welsh Rugby, this is the architects original watercolour impression of how the stadium should look. (WRM-310)

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Since it's opening in June 1999, the Millennium Stadium has welcomed over 1.3 Million visitors per year. With the first retractable roof in the UK , the Stadium is a multi-purpose, all round venue. With a UEFA 5-Star rating, it has quickly established itself as a world class venue and is now the home of five major sporting bodies: The Welsh Rugby Union, The Football Association, The Football League, The Football Association of Wales and the British Speedway Association.

Since hosting the spectacular Rugby World Cup in 1999, it seems that each month brings yet another memorable event; the FA Cup Final, the Carling Cup Final, the British Speedway Grand Prix, and many outstanding concerts with excellent performances from the following artists: The Manic Street Preachers, Tina Turner, Bon Jovi, Robbie Williams and The Stereophonics - the list just grows and grows ...

Fifty-six thousand tonnes of concrete and steel have created the Millennium Stadium, which has risen like the phoenix from the debris of the old Cardiff Arms Park . The Stadium is re-orientated through 90 degrees, so that the pitch now runs North to South.

Above information courtesy of Millennium Stadium website www.millenniumstadium.com

Brett Sinkinson, Wales and Neath limited edition print. A great lifelike illustration by Daniel Yorke, N0 6 of a limited edition of 250, the print dates from approx 1998. (WRM-RR)

Dawn of the Millennium

signed print

Wales v South Africa 1999. (WRM-RR)

International Rugby Hall of Fame, 5th induction print, Gwyn Nicholls and Dave Gallaher are facsimile signatures (supplied by us) but all the rest are genuine. (WRM-0097)


Neath RFC - circa 1872 on loan from Neath RFC	Neath RFC - 1888-89 on loan from Neath RFC	Neath RFC - 1908-09 (WRM-0208)	Neath Crusaders, Thursday Side - 1909-10 (WRM-0209)


Neath RFC - 1911-12 (WRM-0211)	1911-12 Neath Crusaders, Thursday Side (WRM-0212)	Neath RFC - 1913-14 (WRM-0213)	Neath RFC - 1920-21 (WRM-0214)


Neath RFC - 1926-27 (WRM-0215)	Neath RFC - 1927-28 (WRM-0217)	Neath RFC - 1938-39 (WRM-0)	1951 Rees Stephens XV v International XV (WRM-0)


Neath RFC - 1986-87 on loan from Neath RFC	Neath RFC - 1988-89 on loan from Neath RFC