A leek, really?
If the French proudly wear the cock on their chest, the English the rose or the Scots the thistle, the Welsh are flanked by a... leek. According to legend, the leek became the emblem of Wales after a fight against the Anglo-Saxons. Saint David is said to have advised soldiers to attach leeks to the top of their helmets to blend in with the leek field in which they were to fight. On the Welsh jersey there are also three ostrich feathers. They evoke the battle of Crécy, during the Hundred Years War in 1346. Edward the Black Prince, son of King Edward III of England, fought against an army much larger than his own, but emerged victorious from the battle and took the helmet worn by the Bohemian King John I. Three ostrich feathers appear on it and they become a symbol of victory for the whole of Wales. History is on the march and if the weapons have been put away, it is with spikes and an oval ball that the new leek dignitaries will defend the Welsh colours on all the lawns of the world. For nearly a century and a half..
A century-old history
During its rich history, Welsh rugby has had a few lean decades, offset by golden periods that have been enough to forge its legend.
The Welsh team joined their British counterparts in the Home Nations Championship (the forerunner of the 6 Nations Tournament) in the 1880s and lifted their first trophy in 1893. A trophy with a Triple Crown (one victory over each of the other British teams). However, this performance was short-lived and it was not until 1900, the beginning of a long period of glory, that a competitive Welsh team returned. Between 1900 and 1911 (France joined the competition in 1910), the Welsh XV won seven editions of the tournament and remained unbeaten at home. In 1908, the Welsh team was the first to sign the famous Grand Slam, an honorary title awarded to the winner who beats all his opponents in the same edition. But until the 1950s, Welsh rugby was to experience a long period of dearth despite a few victories in the Tournament (1922, 1931, 1936). After the Second World War, for the resumption of the competition in 1947, the XV du Poireau celebrated the event with a victory shared with England. A major success, because it heralded a new golden age: during the next ten editions, no less than seven will fall into the Welsh fold.
And to think that this first golden generation, led by captain Bleddyn Williams, was only a foretaste of the 1970s, the decade of all records. The numbers speak for themselves. After a shared victory in 1964 and two triumphs in 1965 and 1966, the Welsh XV began an unprecedented domination of European rugby, with eight victories (1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1978 and 1979), including three Grand Slams (1971, 1976 and 1978). All this in ten editions, the 1972 edition being unfinished because of the troubles in Ireland. In short, an undivided red domination that will see its champion Gareth immortalised by a statue in Cardiff (now on display at St. David's Centre). Faithful to its chaotic history, Welsh rugby then began a long decline that would plunge it into a deep crisis until the end of the century, despite a finethird place in the first World Cup played in 1987.A leading nation in modern rugby
While the foundations laid by New Zealand coach Graham Henry between 1998 and 2001 will take some time to bear fruit, Wales will return to success in 2005. That year, the 15th of the Leek signed the Grand Slam. Led by Shane and Martyn Williams, the Welsh play a seductive and effective game, always forward looking. After three more victories (2008, 2012, 2013), the Welsh will reach the Grand Slam in 2019, thanks in particular to the talent of the giant Alun Wyn Jones, who was named best player of the competition. With 38 victories, Wales join England at the top of the tournament's winners' standings. A year also marked by their 4th place at the World Cup in Japan, where they beat the French team in the quarter-finals by a small point (20-19) before finishing 4th. And, between the two competitions, the XV du Poireau was the first team ever to win the global tournament to move up to first place in the World Rugby World Ranking. We tell you, you always have to count on the Welsh!
A mythical stadium
And what could be better than watching a Red Dragons match to see the fervour they unleash? In Cardiff, on a match day, the atmosphere in the vicinity of the Millennium Stadium is getting louder and louder as the players are just starting to eat their breakfast. Every rugby fan dreams of being there, with a beer in their right hand and a seat in their left, for a decisive match in this splendid setting in the heart of the city. Built on the occasion of the 1999 Rugby World Cup, in place of the dilapidated and mythical Arms Park enclosure, the Millenium is today a flagship of technology and one of the largest stadiums in the world with a retractable roof (yes, it can be used from time to time!). On match days, nearly 74,500 ebullient spectators thrust themselves behind their protégés, and the opposing teams sometimes lose their bearings in this deafening cauldron where communication between players is blurred by the Hen Wlad fy Nhadau
(Old Country of my ancestors, the Welsh anthem) sung at the top of their lungs. Renamed the Principality Stadium in 2016 (and for a 10-year period) after a naming contract with a construction company, it remains the soul of Welsh rugby and a mandatory visit during a visit to Cardiff. No rugby match on the calendar? No overheated concert on the programme? The excuse doesn't hold up, because you can visit the stadium every day. A unique visit, for fans and novices alike, as you will enter the bowels of the stadium via the press conference room, the VIP lounge, the changing rooms or the players' tunnel that leads straight to the "sacred turf"...
