Yet, when it was first offered to the Welsh Schools Rugby Union in October 1905, to be used by them for their league competition at U15 level, there was disquiet in some quarters about linking up with an alcohol company.
Thomas and John Dewar were the sons of the found of Dewar’s whiskey, Sir John Dewar, and Tommy helped to spread the family brand around the globe with his clever marketing. Part of his plan was to present trophies to many sporting bodies.
Welsh Baseball had its own Dewar Shield, but the biggest impact made has undoubtedly been made in the schools rugby, with the Dewar Shield still be a huge prize for everyone who takes part.
That meeting took place at a hotel in Swansea and it was a Swansea representative who raised questions about taking ‘sponsorship’ from whiskey company. The Pontypridd rep then put him in his place and said ‘let’s get on with the competition’.
It will be Swansea and Pontypridd who contest the 2023 final at Principality Stadium in what is a repeat of the 1997 final. On that occasion it was Swansea who came out on top in a two-legged affair, the All Whites winning 15-5 at home and 17-12 away.
THE WINNING YEARS
Pontypridd Schools: 1983, 1985, 1991, 1992, 1996, 2018
RUp: 1927, 1929, 1981, 1997, 2008, 2013Swansea Schools: 1938, 1962 (tie with Newport), 1968, 1981, 1987, 1988, 2001, 2010
RUp: 1928, 1948, 1972, 1977, 1992, 1993, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2019
Three Welsh internationals will be sitting nervously in the stands at Principality Stadium as they watch their sons play in the prestigious Dewar Shield final. Former Swansea and Wales lock Andy Moore, capped 26 times and also a Wales captain, will have his son Will in mind when he appears at centre for Swansea Schools.
In the Pontypridd ranks will be Rhys Wyatt at full back, son of former Pontypridd and Dragons ace Gareth Wyatt, who played twice for Wales, and at centre will be Owen Lewis, son of ex-Pontypridd, Cardiff, Swansea, Bath and Bristol back row man Geraint Lewis.
“Will’s not as tall as me and plays outside centre. I married the former Swansea wing Alan Harris’ sister Lucy and he must have inherited the genes of her side of the family because I was never fast,” quipped Andy Moore.
Gareth Wyatt never made the Dewar Shield final field for Pontypridd Schools when he was a youngster, saying: “I played outside-half back then and was on the bench with Lee Jarvis starting.”
Jarvis kicked a match-winning penalty to give them a one-point victory in the 1992 final against Swansea at Bridgend’s Waterton Cross. Kevin Morgan, who went on to become an international star and scored the killer try as Wales clinched a first Grand Slam for 27 years by beating Ireland in the 2005 Six Nations, was another big name who never graced a Dewar Shield final.
“He was on the bench with me. A lad called Gethin Joyce was at full-back,” recalled Gareth Wyatt.
Wyatt and Moore senior are both predicting a quality final between the class of 2023. “I watched Swansea Schools against Cardiff Schools and they are a very good outfit,” added Wyatt.
“Pontypridd beat them earlier in the season, but it was a game which could have gone either way and there wouldn’t have been any complaints if we’d lost. Swansea are probably the only side to have matched Ponty Schools physically this season.”
“Andy’s son Will is an exceptional centre, while for Ponty Geraint’s boy, Owen Lewis, is like his dad, a very good footballer. He’s a year young and normally plays outside-half but is at centre for this match.”
Pontypridd’s last hoisted the Shield when they beat Llanelli Schools 46-7 in the 2018 final. It was their first success in 22 years. Mind you, it took them 71 years of trying to win it!
Swansea last tasted glory with a 13-10 triumph over Rhondda Schools 13 years ago. They lost 24-21 to Cardiff Schools in the 2019 final but put their city rivals, and holders, out in the semi-finals 27-21.
Andy Moore believes that 6ft 4in No8 Noah Williams, hooker Osian Oliver, loosehead prop Josh Drew, flanker Scott Morgan and captain Jack Wilcox are all players to look out for in the future in the Swansea ranks.
“Jack is a tough centre in the Brian O’Driscoll mode and it should be a really good match between two strong teams,” he said.
Final word to Gareth Wyatt, who said: “I get more nervous watching the kids than I did when I was playing. It’s brilliant for them to be playing in the final at the Principality Stadium and, fingers crossed, it will be an exciting game.”
Former Wales and British & Irish Lions scrum half will be an interested spectator at the Morgan Griffiths Plate final when his son, Nick Fisk-Jones, captains Swansea Valley against Carmarthen.
U15 Lawrence Miller Bowl Final (2.30pm) – Islwyn v Pembrokeshire
Islwyn Schools: Riley Gummer (Blackwood School); Evan Davies (Islwyn HS), Charlie Gregory (Islwyn HS), Tegwyn Mahoney (Newbridge School), Liam White (Blackwood School); Kai Kinsey (Newbridge School), Felix Preece Jones (Newbridge School); Josh Davies (Risca HS), Tiaan Hall (Risca HS), Keegan Coonick (Blackwood School), Colbie Evans (Newbridge School), Cerrig Smith (Newbridge School, captain), Tom Murphy (Islwyn HS), Connor McIlwee (Newbridge School), Jake Sheppard (Islwyn HS)
Reps: Connor Boyland (Blackwood School), Aneurin Morgan (Newbridge School), Jack Owen (Risca HS), Dan Roberts (Islwyn HS), Luca Manning (Risca HS), Harrison Miles (Islwyn HS), Morgan Marozzelli (Blackwood School), Ollie Hiscott (Islwyn HS)
Pembrokeshire Schools: Leo Power (Milford Haven); Ifan Wyn Jones (Y Bro Preseli), Liam Highes (Haverfordwest HS), Delme Alleyne (Y Bro Preseli), Kian Ladd (Y Bro Gwaun); Madoc Evans (Y Bro Preseli), Alfie Luger (Y Greenhill); Cruz Findley (Milford Haven), Harri Evans (Haverfordwest HS, captain), Ollie Tucker (Y Greenhill), Harvey Thomas (Haverfordwest HS), Lewis Dennison (Y Harri Tudor) Lewis Rossiter (Y Greenhill), Jaydan Allen (Y Greenhill), Corey Riley (Milford Haven)
Reps: Rhys Phelps (Haverfordwest HS), Braydan Jones (Haverfordwest HS), Caio Jones (Haverfordwest HS), Owen Grieve (Y Greenhill), Callum White (Y Caer Elen), Alfie Thomas (Milford Haven), Dylan McGuire (Milford Haven), Deian James (Bro Preseli)
U15 Morgan Griffiths Plate Final (4.30pm) – Carmarthen v Swansea Valley
Carmarthen Schools: Rhys Jones (Bro Myrddin); Will Evans (Queen Elizabeth HS), Gethin Davies (Bro Myrddin), Connor Murphy-Healy (Queen Elizabeth HS), Ellis Jones (Bro Myrddin); Carwyn Legatt-Jones (Queen Elizabeth HS), Logan McDermott (Dyffryn Taf); Iago Ap Dafydd (Bro Myrddin), Tomos Axford (Bro Myrddin), Will Ford (Dyffryn Taf), Oscar Howells (Queen Elizabeth HS), Callum Goeman (Dyffryn Taf), Tomos Parry (Bro Myrddin), Owain Edwards (Bro Myrddin), Charlie Cullen Thomas (Bro Myrddin)
Reps: Will Jones (Bro Myrddin), Thomas Jones (Bro Myrddin), Lloyd Wilkins-Jones (Bro Myrddin), Sid Castree (Dyffryn Taf), Charlie Reynolds (Dyffryn Taf), Ioan Thomas (Bro Myrddin), Freddie Davies (Dyffryn Taf), Rhydian John (Bro Myrddin)
Swansea Valley Schools: Ashton Crook(YG Ystalyfera); Alfie Selby (YG Ystalyfera), Oliver Morgan (Maesydderwen), Iestyn Loughor (YG Ystalyfera), Issac Davies (YG Ystalyfera); Gruff Peters (YG Ystalyfera), Nicholas Frisk-Jones (YG Ystalyfera, captain); Brodie Davies (YG Ystalyfera), Evan Davies (Cwmtawe), Zach Llewellyn (YG Ystalyfera), Jack Harris-Barfoot (YG Ystalyfera), Owain Evans-Taylor (YG Ystalyfera), Jack O’Malley-Jones (Y Maesydderwen), Jayden Knight (YG Ystalyfera), Freddie Millward (YG Ystalyfera)
Reps: Brandon James (Maesydderwen), Morgan Davies (Maesydderwen), Cian Chesby (YG Ystalyfera), Darrius James (Cwmtawe), Theo Richards (Maesydderwen), Aled Evans (YG Ystalyfera), Morgan Penhale (YG Ystalyfera), Kobi Scott (YG Ystalyfera
U15 Dewar Shield Final (6.30pm) – Pontypridd v Swansea
Pontypridd Schools: Rhys Wyatt (Garth Olwg); Sam Price (Garth Olwg), Ioan Leyshon (Garth Olwg), Owen Lewis (Bryn Celynnog), Harry Kinsey (Garth Olwg); Gethin Jenkins (Y Pant), Gethin Downes (Garth Olwg); Wojciech Kudelka (Hawthorn), Lewis Rix (Bryn Celynnog, captain), Alfie Beazer (Llanhari), Lucca Alexander-White (Bryn Celynnog), Ryan Jones (Garth Olwg), Sam Morris (Bryn Celynnog), Alfie Prygodzicz (Llanhari), Alfie John (Garth Olwg)
Reps: Dylan Jones (Bryn Celynnog), Caleb Mountjoy (Cardinal Newman), Ethan Hardwidge (Bryn Celynnog), Samson Phillpott (Hawthorn), George Combs (Pontypridd HS), Josh Richards (Llanhari), Jaxon Humphreys (Garth Olwg), Issac Mannings-Burke (Y Pant)
Swansea Schools: Bailey Porter (Penyrheol); Ethan Bolche (Bryntawe), Will Moore (Bishopston), Jack Wilcox (YG Gwyr, captain), Evan Jones (YG Gwyr); Jake Davies (YG Gwyr), Theo Rodgers (YG Gwyr); Isaac Thomas (Morriston), Osian Oliver (Bryntawe), Josh Drew (Bishopston), Luke Fender (Bishopston), Owain Martin (Bryntawe), Ross Rossi (Bishopston), Sam Morgan (Morriston), Noah Williams (Bishopston)
Reps: Sam Cawsey (YG Gwyr), Dylan Allit (YG Gwyr), Ryan Blyth , Luke Macauley (Cefn Hengoed), Josh Gallivan (Bryntawe), Jonny Davies (Penyrheol), Evan Godwin (YG Gwyr), Jake Russell (Morriston)
