In 1906, Wales again won the Home Championship, later that year playing the South African national side, the Springboks for the first time. Wales were expected to defeat the South Africans but instead South Africa dominated in the forwards and eventually won 11–0. Two years later, on 12 December 1908, Wales played her first match against Australia's national side, the Wallabies, defeating them 9–6.
In 1909, Wales won the Home Championship and then, in 1910, the first-ever Five Nations (which now included France as the fifth nation). In 1911, Wales took the first official Grand Slam by winning all their matches in the Five Nations; it would be nearly forty years before they took it again. England's defeat of Wales at Cardiff in 1913 was Wales' first home loss to one of the Home Nations since 1899 (and the first loss at home to England since 1895). The Great War came in 1914 and rugby was suspended for the duration.
In late 1905, Wales played their first Test against opposition from outside the Home Nations when they faced New Zealand's All Blacks at Cardiff Arms Park. New Zealand, later known as the Original All Blacks, were undefeated on their tour of the British Isles, already defeating England, Ireland and Scotland in three Tests before facing Wales. Before the match, the All Blacks' performed the haka (a Maori posture dance); the 47,000-strong crowd responded with the Welsh national anthem—Hen Wlad fy Nhadau ("Land of Our Fathers")—the first time a national anthem had been sung before a sporting fixture. Wales' winger Teddy Morgan scored first to give Wales a 3–0 lead, but later in the match All Black Bob Deans claimed to have scored a try, only to be dragged behind the line before the referee could arrive. The referee ruled a scrum to Wales and the score did not change; Wales winning 3–0. The loss was the All Blacks' only loss on their 35-match tour.
Rugby union took root in Wales in 1850, when Reverend Rowland Williams became Vice-Principal at St David's College, Lampeter, where he introduced the sport. The first Welsh club, Neath was formed in 1871. On 19 February 1881, Wales played their first international, organised by Newport's Richard Mullock, in a game against England; England won by seven goals, one drop goal and six tries to nil.
Early years (1850–1919)
On 12 March 1881, the Welsh Rugby Union was formed at The Castle Hotel, Neath. Two years later, the Home Nation Championship was first played and Wales did not register a win.
However, rugby union in Wales quickly developed and, by the 1890s, the Welsh had developed the four three-quarters formation. This formation—with seven backs and eight forwards, instead of six backs and nine forwards—revolutionized the sport and was eventually adopted almost universally at international and club level. With the "four three-quarter" formation Wales became Home International Champions for the first time in 1893; in the process winning the Triple Crown. Wales next won the Championship in 1900, heralding the first 'golden age' of Welsh rugby which was to last until 1911. They won two more Triple Crowns in 1902 and 1905, and were runners up in 1901, 1903 and 1904.
Wales play in red jerseys embroidered with the Prince of Wales's feathers. Their current home ground is the Millennium Stadium, completed in 1999 to replace the National Stadium at Cardiff Arms Park. Ten former Welsh players have been inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame, and two of the ten have been inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame.
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with 25 wins. Wales most recent championship win came in 2008. They also compete in the Rugby World Cup every four years. The International Rugby Board (IRB) regards Wales as a Tier One rugby nation, and ranks them eighth in the world as of 1 February 2010.
The governing body, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), was established in 1881, the same year that Wales played their first international against England. Wales' performances in the Home Nations Championship (now the Six Nations) continued to improve, experiencing their first 'golden age' between 1900 and 1911. They first played New Zealand, known as the All Blacks, in 1905, when they defeated them 3–0 in a famous match at Cardiff Arms Park. Welsh rugby struggled between the first and second World Wars, but experienced a second 'golden age' between 1969 and 1980 when they won eight Five Nations Championships (including 3 shared wins). They played in the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987 where they achieved their best ever result of third. Following the professionalization of rugby in 1995, Wales hosted the 1999 World Cup and, in 2005, won their first Six Nations Grand Slam which was followed by a second in 2008. Their 2005 Grand Slam is notable for being the first ever team to gain the accolade playing most matches away from home. Only Ireland repeated this in 2009.
