More than 170 members had singed-up for a gala dinner at Swansea University that was due to take place in May, 2020, to commemorate the club’s 100th birthday. The COVID outbreak forced the initial date to be cancelled and the event was re-scheduled for May this year.
Now the dinner has been pushed back to May, 2022, to ensure everyone can be accommodated safely.
“We aren’t going to be able to get the numbers into an event in May this year. A lot of our members are older and we want to ensure they are all safe when we finally do celebrate,” said club chairman, Peter Evans.
“Swansea University have been very good to us and Phil Steele has juggled his diary to ensure he can still act as the compere for the evening. The band we’ve booked are also lined-up for next year as well.
“It is going to be a special occasion and we are hoping to have 300+ on the night. We’ve only had about 10 people who had booked originally drop out.”
Founded at the Uplands Hotel, Swansea, in 1919 by players of the pre-WW1 Swansea Grammar School, the club took its name from the venue of the meeting. Early opponents included local rivals Mumbles and on their first tour to London in 1921 they secured victories over Wasps and Streatham.
The following season they met Parkhurst and Saracens and by the 1922-23 season the club had sufficient number to add a 2nd XV. These days they boast two senior sides a Youth team and nine age-group teams in their vibrant junior section.
Home in the early years was on a pitch near The Bible College, Derwen Fawr, where they played until WW2, and in September, 1928, they successfully applied for membership of the Welsh Rugby Union.
The last game before WW2 was against Old Whitgiftians in Croydon on 10 April, 1939. After a meeting eight days later the club enlisted en-bloc, forming a “sportsman’s platoon” in 5th Battalion The Welch Regiment.
The first opponents post-WW2 were Mumbles on 23 September, 1948, and in 1952 the club purchased a field at Upper Killay on which to play its matches. A clubhouse was built by the members and, following a special match on 23 April, 1958, to mark the occasion, and it was formally opened by the WRU president, Enoch Rees.
The 50th anniversary of the club marked was marked in 1969 with a match between a Club XV and an International XV. A celebration dinner had Brigadier Glyn Hughes, the president of the Barbarians, as the chief guest.
In the Seventies the club joined the West Wales league system and were also founder members of the Swansea & District Boys Rugby Union. At that stage they formed a junior section and in 1986 they branched out into women’s rugby.
“Junior rugby has re-started at the club and the numbers have been good. This weekend we are getting the senior sides and the Youth team together for a training and sevens session,” added Evans.
“The clubhouse facilities will open again on Saturday and we’re putting on a BBQ and free bar for the players. Our new captain, Michael Evans, is raring to go and we’d love to be able to start league rugby in September.
“Michael has returned to the club after studying at Exeter University and began with us at the age of six. Malcolm Jones is continuing as our head coach and has Mark Rippon as his assistant and Ashley Jenkins as team manager.
“Our goal is to get out of Division 3 and into Division 2. We’ve lost a couple of players to clubs like Llandovery, Bonymaen and Swansea in recent seasons, but we’ve still got a strong nucleus of players.”
During lockdown the club has played its part in the vaccination programme by hosting patients from the Uplands and Mumbles Medical Practice. Another example of a great club serving their community on all levels.
