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Cardiff RFC

Cardiff Rugby Football Club was founded in 1876. The club played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park, where they have been based ever since. They built a reputation as one of the great clubs in world rugby largely through a series of wins against international touring sides. South Africa and New Zealand have been beaten by Cardiff. Australia have failed to beat them in six attempts. Cardiff have provided more players to the Welsh national side and British Lions than any other Welsh club.

History

Early history

Cardiff RFC were formed from the amalgamation of three other clubs, Glamorgan, Tredegarville and Wanderers Football Clubs and played their first fixture on 2 December 1876, versus Newport at Wentloog Marshes. In 1881, Cardiff beat Llanelli to win the South Wales Challenge Cup, though the tournament was scrapped soon after due to persistent crowd trouble.

Cardiff RFC was one of the eleven clubs present at the formation of the Welsh Rugby Union in Neath in 1881 and supplied three players to the first Welsh international team who took on and lost to England earlier that year.

A notable early player was Frank Hancock. A skilful centre, Hancock first played for Cardiff due to an injury to a first regular. At this time, rugby was played with six backs and nine forwards but Hancock's performance so impressed the selectors that for the next game they selected him as a seventh back and selected only eight forwards. The system was soon adopted by the Welsh national team and the seven backs and eight forwards system exists in rugby to this day.

Today

Today, Cardiff RFC Ltd runs two sides - both playing at the Arms Park. The first team, branded Cardiff Blues take part in the Magners League, EDF Energy Cup and Heineken Cup. The Cardiff club side take part in the Welsh Premiership.

The Arms Park

Club Rugby games were moved to what was the cricket ground and a new stadium was built in 1969 as a result of an agreement between the Cardiff Athletic Club and the Welsh Rugby Union. On the site of the old Arms Park stadium, a new stadium was built, Welsh National Rugby Ground (also known as The National Stadium). In 1999, a brand new stadium was built in place of the National Stadium, which was named the Millennium Stadium. Cardiff RFC still play at the Cardiff Arms Park which is beside the Millennium Stadium.

Club honours

Heineken Cup runners-up: 1996
Middlesex 7s winners: 1939
Snelling Sevens winners: 1955, 1966, 1969, 1972, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1983 and 1984.
Welsh Cup: 1981, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1994 and 1997
Welsh League: 1995
Welsh/Scottish League: 2000

Notable former players

Games played against international opposition

Year	Date	Opponent	Result	Score	Tour
1888	December 22		Win	8-3
1905	December 26		Loss	8-10	1905 Original All Blacks tour
1907	January 1		Win	17-0	1906 South Africa rugby union tour
1908	December 28		Win	24-8
1912	December 21		Loss	6-7	1912-13 South Africa rugby union tour
1919	March 29	NZ Army	Draw	0-0
1924	November 28		Loss	8-16
1926	November 6		Loss	8-18
1926	December 28		Loss	3-5
1931	November 21		Loss	5-13
1935	October 26		Loss	5-20
1945	September 15	Australian Air Force	Win	28-3
1945	November 3	NZ Services	Win	14-3
1945	December 26	NZ Kiwis	Loss	0-3
1947	September 27		Win	11-3
1951	September 22	British Lions	Loss	12-14
1951	October 20		Loss	9-11
1953	November 21		Win	8-3	1953/54 All Blacks tour of the British Isles, France and North America
1955	September 7		Win	6-3
1956	May 5	NZ Navy	Win	40-10
1956	September 1		Win	25-0
1956	October 3		Win	8-3
1957	December 14		Win	14-11
1960	October 29		Loss	6-13
1963	November 23		Loss	5-6	1963/64 All Blacks tour of the British Isles, France and Canada
1966	September 3	West Germany	Win	41-3
1966	November 5		Win	14-8
1969	December 13		Loss	3-17
1972	May 27	Rhodesia	Win	24-6
1972	November 4		Loss	4-20	1972 All Blacks tour of the British Isles, France and North America
1975	November 1		Win	14-9
1976	October 2		Loss	25-29	1976 Argentina tour of Wales and England
1976	October 30		Win	54-22
1978	October 21		Loss	7-17	1978 All Blacks tour of the British Isles
1979	September 19		Win	19-8	1979 Canada rugby union tour of England, Wales and France
1980	October 18		Loss	9-16	1980 All Blacks tour
1981	June 6		Win	34-17	Overseas tour
1981	June 13		Win	35-23
1982	October 23		Loss	10-17
1984	October 24		Win	16-12
1985	October 12		Win	31-15	1985 Fiji tour of the British Isles
1989	October 14		Loss	15-25	1989 New Zealand rugby union tour of the British Isles and Canada
1994	October 22		Loss	6-11
1995	October 28		Win	22-21	1995 Fiji tour of Wales
1996	November 26	Western Samoa	Loss	29-53