Est 1886
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St Peter's RFC.
Harlequins Playing Field, Minster Rd. Cardiff. CF23 5AS
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Est 1886 Click the keys to go home |
St Peter's RFC. Harlequins Playing Field, Minster Rd. Cardiff. CF23 5AS
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St. Peter's Rugby Club has a proud history, over over 120 years. The club was formed in 1886 in the parish of St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church in Roath, Cardiff. When the club celebrated its centenary in 1986, the
occasion was marked by the publication of a book, written by the club's
Hon. Secretary, Des Childs. The book, entitled One
Hundred Years of the 'Rocks' Since the book was published, much has happened in the life of St. Peter's R.F.C., including the historic win over Cardiff R.F.C. at the Arms Park in January 1993, the sale of the clubhouse in Newport Road and the development of a new clubhouse at the Harlequins Ground. Some of the characters mentioned in the book, who have contributed so much to the life of the club, have sadly passed away and they are remembered with great affection. This book, One Hundred Years of the 'Rocks' is divided into 8 chapters. Click on the links below to jump to each chapter. You can return back to the top of the page by clicking the 'Top' links, which appear just above the chapter. Chapter 4: Confusion and Rivalry (The Inter-War Years) Chapter 5: A New Start (1948 to 1960) Chapter 6: Expansion (the 1960s) Chapter 7: Welsh Rugby Union Club (the 1970s) Chapter 8: Modern St. Peter's (the 1980s) Chapter
1
Introduction This book is the
history of St. Peter's Rugby Football Club for its first hundred years
from 1886. The Club began as the Parish Club of St. Peter's Roman Catholic
Church, Roath, Cardiff and retains its links to this day. There
was a time when a reference to St. Peter's was normally accompanied by the
suffix 'Cardiff' in order to identify the Club accurately. It is fair to
say that the suffix has long been redundant since there are few in Welsh
rugby who do not know of St. Peter's R.F.C. The Club in
1986 is a credit to all those who have gone before. Its facilities are
second to none and its achievements particularly in recent years mark it
as one of the strongest Clubs outside the first class grouping in the
whole of Wales. A glance at
the Appendices showing the results of last season will illustrate the
point more powerfully than words. Those who
founded the Club and those who worked so hard through its difficult years
would surely be proud of it today. This book is dedicated to them.
Chapter
2
Beginnings The
beginnings of St. Peter's R.F.C. lie inextricably in the origins of the
modern Roman Catholic community of Cardiff. The rise of the Catholic
population and its influence on sporting life paralleled the rise in
prominence of the town itself. In the early
years of the nineteenth century Cardiff was barely stirring from a pattern
which had been set for centuries. In spite of its medieval history and
ancient castle, time had fashioned little change within the town
boundaries. There were few Catholics in Cardiff in the period following
the Reformation, whilst in 1800 the total population was not much more
than 1,000. The advent of
the Industrial Revolution changed Cardiff, as it did so many places,
beyond recognition. As the docks, the Glamorganshire Canal and the
railways were built the town grew at an alarming pace. Its new found
inhabitants arrived in waves from the farming communities of West Wales
and the West Country and from over the Irish Sea. By 1829 the Catholic
population of the town had reached 1,000. The total population was about
12,000 in 1837 and in the next fifty years it mush- roomed to over
150,000. Such expansion
was not without problems. In 1847 there was an anti-Catholic riot after a
death and 200 Catholic railway workers entered the town armed with pick
axes to demand better police protection. There were only about twelve
policemen in Cardiff at this time, some of whom were described in a local
journal as 'decrepit old men'. In 1855, at
the request of Bishop Brown, priests from the Rosminian Order, the
Institute of Charity, arrived in Cardiff. It was a relatively new order
founded by Fr. Antonio Rosmini in 1828. Hence the three priests were
Italian and they had only one church, St. David's, which had been built in
1855. It was obvious that the rapidly growing population needed a second
church and the Rosminians immediately decided to build one. One
Hundred Years of the 'Rocks'
There was some
debate about whether to locate the new church west of the river Taff in
Cowbridge Road but Fr. Gastaldi, the senior priest, decided to build just
within the eastern boundary of the old town. This boundary was what is now
known as City Road, but had previously been called Castle Street and, even
earlier, Pucca Lane, and ran from the Long Cross, where the Royal
Infirmary stands today, to the north. It was judged that the initial
expansion of the population would be to the east of the old town rather
than over the river to the west. Although
the judgement was to be proved correct, it is strange to think of the new
large church being built in advance of much of the attendant parish. The
church was dedicated to St. Peter in 1861 and the photograph in this book
shows it around 1870 much as it is today except for the bell tower and the
high roof windows. Surprisingly, to any inhabitant of modern Roath, it was
called St. Peter's - in - the - Fields which illustrates that it had been
built before the houses which would eventually surround it. It was located
in what was later to become St. Peter's Street within the old town
boundary of City Road. The
St. Peter's School was opened in 1868 by another Italian priest, Fr.
Signini who recorded in the St. Peter's Diary 'Opened a new poor school in
the large room till lately used by the Wesleyans for religious and Sunday
School purposes, and situated at the back of the present presbytery in
Chapel Street (Bedford Place) on 14th January, 1868. The teacher is
Timothy O'Brien, formerly a pupil in David Street School, Cardiff. He had
previously a small school in his own little cottage, Milton Street, on his
own account. The object of the removal of the School is to have more
accommodation, better facilities for teaching, and more immediate control
over the school by the Clergy. They give the room rent free to the Master,
besides incurring some other little expenses, calculated to be, with rent,
about £12 a year. The master is not certificated.' The school was later
to move opposite the church where it remained until recent times when it
was transferred to the former Cardiff High School site in Newport Road. Houses
were being built rapidly. The community of Adamsdown to the south was
being established but in 1861 only a few dwellings had appeared along the
old Newport Road from the Long Cross towards the Four Elms (these trees
were demolished when the road was widened). Many of the prominent citizens
of Cardiff built houses in the ribbon development and although some have
disappeared in modern times others still exist. Appropriately, the
R.F.C.'s Clubhouse at 118 Newport Road is one of these. The area between
Newport Road and Broadway was owned at this time by one Mary Charles.
Other less substantial houses were being built along City Road itself,
still known as Castle Street after the Roath Castle or Mackintosh
Institute as it is now called. These houses were beginning to break the
centuries old pattern of life in the parish of Roath. The
medieval parish, centered around the old church of St. Margaret's, had
been little more than a few houses and some outlying farms stretching from
the town boundary in the west to the Rumney river in the east and from the
moorlands of the Severn Estuary in the south to the adjoining parishes of
Llanedeyrn and Llanishen to the north. Two prominent dwellings were Roath
Court, the site of today's Summers Funeral Home in Newport Road, standing
in its own grounds, and Ty Mawr, the big house, lying behind St.
Margaret's. Ty Mawr was demolished in 1969 and the site is now occupied by
the Ty Mawr old people's home in Southminster Road.
The
Harlequins Ground is located to the north of Newport Road but south of St.
Margaret's and Ty Mawr. There was no sign of the ground in the 1841 survey
map of Roath but forty years later a map clearly shows the ground marked
as Cardiff Athletic Grounds. The photograph taken around 1890 shows the
ground had been in use for some time by then. Apparently it was also known
as Cardiff Harlequins Athletic Ground after a club which ceased to exist
in 1890. The Cardiff Harlequins R.F.C. were one of the most prominent
clubs in Cardiff in the 1880s. They played Cardiff on 10 occasions in
these early years, winning one of them. The ground retained the Harlequins
name. The
parish of Roath must have viewed the expansion of Cardiff's population in
the latter years of the nineteenth century with awe and apprehension. The
new houses came almost like a flood up to the old town boundary and then
over it without so much as a pause. Roath was incorporated into Cardiff in
1875. The land of the parish was owned by a series of landowners the
largest being Charles Morgan, later Lord Tredegar, while others were the
Marquess of Bute, the Croft Williams family and the Mackintosh of
Mackintosh who had married into the Richards family. These owners built
estates on their land often naming the streets after their relatives and
in a few decades Roath was transformed into an urban community. To
return to St. Peter's Church, it was built in the vanguard of the parish
it was meant to serve. At first it may have seemed too large for the
potential parishioners but in a few years it was crowded. This
new Welsh Roman Catholic parish was administered by Italian priests and
consisted at least initially of a considerable proportion of Irish
immigrants or first generation Welshmen of Irish descent. It was not long
before it gave birth to a rugby club and helped set a tradition among
Cardiff's Catholics, which has persisted to this day. One hundred years
later St. Peter's celebrates that its name has been carried with honour
throughout the rugby fields of Wales. One
cannot help wondering what Fr. Gastaldi, who returned to Italy and
eventually became Archbishop of Turin, would have made of it all. Even
though the Rosminian may never have seen a rugby ball, he would surely
approve of his parish's offspring.
Chapter
3
The
early years It
is at this point that we must reveal a secret to the reader. Although this
book is part of the celebration of a century of St. Peter's R.F.C., the
exact date of the formation of the Club is not known! The date of 1886 has
been decided upon because references have been found to what appears to be
a thriving Club in 1888 but it is possible that the Club played before
1886, particularly since the original school opened in 1868 and the game
was establishing a strong presence in Cardiff at this time. Perhaps this confusion is understandable. The early years of the game were characterised by a truly amateur if not to say haphazard approach. The numbers per side varied and it was customary for players to wear ordinary clothes and even hats. Admittedly by the 1880s such eccentricities were rarer but photographs of the time still show players with decidedly independent postures. The Italian priests who had founded St. Peter's Parish had returned to Italy and Fr. John Hayde was Rector. The school headmaster was the formidable Charles Higgins who presided over 150 juniors in 1888 aided by Mrs. Higgins and Miss Duggan, while Miss Carey attempted to control a further 220 infants. Such
facts can he gleaned from the Parish Magazine, the St. Peter's Chair,
which was published monthly from early 1888 until late 1899. Unfortunately
the magazine does not contain any references to the sporting life of the
parish and little reference to the social life either. Whether the editor
would have welcomed the attentions of the rugby club is doubtful since he
refers with evident satisfaction to a Procession of the Blessed Sacrament
in December 1864 in which more than fifty teetotallers took part! There is
no mention how many in the procession were of the other persuasion. Also
in 1889 there was a branch of the Total Abstinence League of the Cross in
St. Peter's with Fr. Hayde, no less, as President. However there were
signs of another and, in the event, more lasting tradition in the parish. The
first reference to St. Peter's R.F.C. that has so far been discovered is
in a Western Mail of September, 1888 which referred to a fixture between
St. Peter's and St. Margaret's, Roath due to be played at the Harlequins
Ground. In view of the ground becoming the home of St. Peter's ninety
years later, it is a fascinating reference. Sadly the result is not recorded. On
5th October, 1888 in the Western Mail it was announced that the
captain for the season of St. Peter's juniors was S. Sexton with S.
Lennon as vice captain. The Secretary and Treasurer was Mr. Harry
Smith of 16 Gold Street, Roath. We find from the Parish Magazine that the
redoubtable Mr. Smith was also Secretary of the C.Y.M.S. Hence a link
between the rugby club and the Catholic Men's Society occurred which is
echoed by links in modern times. The
juniors were probably a second or a youth team but this is not clear. They
are recorded as playing against Roath Waterloo at the recently opened
Roath Park on 27th October, 1888 and winning by 3 goals, 5 tries and 9
minors to nil. In those days one goal out-scored any number of
tries and if teams tied with the same number of goals and tries, the
number of minors were used to determine the winners. In late December they
beat Water Lily F.C. by a goal and two tries to nil. Names
such as St. Margaret's, Roath Waterloo, and Water Lily were typical of the
teams which were formed at this time. Sadly the City of Cardiff was to
breed many sides who rapidly grew but in almost all cases just as rapidly
disappeared. The
Club nickname of the 'Rocks' was soon in evidence. It comes from
the Gospel reference to St. Peter - 'Thou art Peter and upon this rock I
will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it'
(St. Matthew, Chapter 16). There is a play on words because the Greek word
for Peter is the same as for rock. The name was to prove popular and
persists to this day. In December 1888 St. Peter's Shamrocks played
against Cardiff Albions and won with tries from J. Bateman and J.
Brady and a goal by J. Ryan. It is the only reference to the 'Shamrocks' -
an interesting combination of 'Rocks' and the Irish influence of
the time. Later in the month St. Peter's played the Higher Grade (later to
become Howard Gardens High School and now Howardian) and it seems likely
that this was a schoolboy game. The result was a disputed try to a
disputed try and the South Wales Echo recorded that the Higher grade were
'compelled to walk off the field on account of St. Peter's beginning to
fight and cheat'. No doubt the scribe was a Higher Grade man! The
choice of the Club colours was unlikely to have caused much debate since
St. Peter's traditional colour is green. Hence, perhaps influenced by the
early Irish immigrants, the colours became emerald green and black and
have never altered. In
1889 the Club was raising a 1st XV and a junior side. The former played
Penarth United, Tredegarville, Cogan 2nds and Cardiff United. Players
included D. Dwyer (who scored four tries against Tredegarville), T.
Sexton, F. Nelson, Reuben and Driscoll. The juniors beat Llandaff with F.
Sexton and J. Martin scoring. The Club did not seem to have a regular home
ground since various venues are recorded although the Barracks Field was
the most popular. For
the 1890/91 season Dwyer, a wing, was captain and the Secretary was E.
Thomas of 10 Bedford Street. Opponents included Barry Dock and Railways,
Red Rose (Taffs Well), Cardiff Rangers, Barry Rovers, Llandaff Yard,
Nantgarw, Cardiff Stars, Roath Windsor and Cardiff Albion. The team
travelled to away games by public transport, either train or bus, and met
at the stations. The Club was running a junior side that year which was
known as St. Peter's Rovers. Roath
Park had become the Club's home venue by the mid 1890s. In the 1894/95 and
1895/96 years the 1sts were led by three-quarters A. Leary and P. Downey
while the 2nds prospered under the direction of veteran outside half Ivor
Williams. The Club dominated the early leagues of the Cardiff and District
Union.
The
earliest photograph of a St. Peter's team to survive is that of the
unbeaten 1896/97 side who played 24 matches winning 20 and drawing 4,
whilst scoring 256 points and conceding a mere 27. They won the District
league easily. The captain was John Ryan and the photograph includes Fr.
Hayde. For such a record to be achieved clearly shows how strong the Club
had become by then. As far as can be discovered, the only other unbeaten
St. Peter's team is the youth side of 1980/81, and bearing in mind the
difficulty of modern fixture lists it is doubtful the feat will be
performed again. The
Secretary at the time was J. Crawley of 2 Cyfarthfa Street. The Club
junior side seemed to have changed its name to the more colourful St.
Peter's Stars in 1895 when they were led from outside half by M. Downey.
The name persisted until 1897 when T. Dunn was captain but from 1898 a
youth side known as St. Peter's United began to play. In 1896 there was
another team called St. Peter's Harps led by M. Watkins
playing. It was however clear that all these teams were of lower status to
the St. Peter's 1st and 2nd XVs playing at the time.
The
Cardiff Junior Rugby Football Challenge Cup was played for in these early
years of rugby in the City. It is inscribed as being presented by the
Cardiff Football Club, the word 'Rugby' often being omitted at that time.
The Cup was rediscovered in an attic a few years ago and belongs to the
Cardiff and District Rugby Union. It must be one of the oldest trophies in
the game covering the period starting in 1896. The Mallett Cup is a few
years older. The strength of the St. Peter's Club was confirmed when this
new cup was won by the 2nd XV in 1897. The successful team continued to be
led by Ivor Williams and his partnership with scrum half P. Conners had
much to do with the triumph. Others in the 2nds at that time were W.
Ashmore, later to play for the District on the wing and forward W.
Jenkins, later to join Cardiff R. F. C. With almost all of the other
winners of the Cup no longer in existence, the District Union in 1984
asked St. Peter's to keep it on permanent display at the Clubhouse. There
was some reluctance to play on Good Friday but this did not stop two well
known local characters named Cullinane and Carney from raising teams to
play at Roath Park on Good Friday 1898 with both sides liberally laced
with players from the Rocks. A riotous game took place in front of a large
crowd. On
2nd April, 1898 St. Peter's played Penylan at Roath Park. Full back was D.
Butler and the three quarters were J. Ryan, J. Grey, D. Warren and A. N.
Other. The forwards were W. Sexton (captain), W. Neill, J. Sullivan, J.
'Straw' Desmond, C. Bowyer, J. A'Hearne, J. Cummins and W. Greenslade.
Neill was destined to become a Welsh International. On 2nd May, much the
same team but with M. O'Leary as wing forward, beat St. Paul's at the
Harlequins Ground by one goal and two tries to a goal, a win which
entitled them to play against Cardiff Reserves (now the 'Rags'). Most of
those named were stalwarts of the late 1890s and several were to captain
the Club in this period. Sexton's team again won the District league title
while the 2nds now captained by D. Ryan, Ivor Williams having retired
after many years of service, also won their competition when they met
Canton Cresents at Cardiff Arms Park and triumphed by a converted try,
scored by a player called Jones, to nil. By
1898/99 T. Collins was the captain playing at outside half and again the
Club won the league title. In April they played Cardiff Reserves at the
Arms Park after the Cardiff v Leicester match. The 2nds were led by J.
Downey and the United by W. Huntley. The
Secretary in 1899 was the splendidly named Mortimer O'Sullivan of 31 Topaz
Street, another to feature in the 1896 photograph. The 1899/00 captain was
forward C. Bowyer and, as was becoming customary, the team won the league
as well as the Mallett Cup. In view of their dominance they must have been
disappointed to have had only three players in the District team that met
Cardiff at the Arms Park in a new fixture at the start of the season.
These were W. Ashmore, J. Sullivan and J. Connell. Hence
in the late 1890s St. Peter's were an outstanding side which produced a
series of fine players foremost among whom was the great Billy Neill. He
was a young vice captain in 1897 before joining Cardiff with W. Jenkins,
in 1898/99. Billy was an expert line out forward who has become a legend.
By 1901/02 another St. Peter's vice captain and forward, Jack Brown, was
to join Neill at Cardiff and two years later more St. Peter's players, E.
Coughlin and D. Ryan arrived. In the 1880s and 1890s many of Cardiff
R.F.C.'s players were Catholics. Several came from St. David's whose team
disbanded around that time. Hence the St. Peter's players were helping to
set a tradition still evident in Cardiff R. F. C. sides.
Billy
Neill became the first St. Peter's man to win a full Welsh cap in 1904
against Scotland. He was to win a total of 11 caps in the next few years
during a period acknowledged as one of the golden eras of Welsh rugby.
They included the triple crown years 1904/05 and 1907/08. In 1907 jack
Brown was to play with Billy Neill against England and become the second
St. Peter's international. He was to win 7 caps in the next three years.
Both players were to be vice captains of Cardiff but did not captain the
club. Billy Neill turned professional with Warrington in 1908. Under the
seniority rule it was customary to apply at that time, he would have
captained Wales the following season. Billy
Neill was later to coach St. Peter's after the First World War. His
parents, John and Ellen O'Neill together with John's sister, had been
shipwrecked off the Welsh coast when emigrating to America in one of the
infamous 'coffin' ships. Their descendants have populated the ranks of St.
Peter's R.F.C. ever since with branches of the family including the
Manleys, Whelans, Crowleys, O'Briens, Sweeneys, Ellerys and Leahys. They
were to provide six Club captains and two others who married into the
family. One wonders how different St. Peter's would have been if that ship
had not floundered off the Welsh coast all those years ago. Returning
to St. Peter's R.F.C., by 1900 the Club was at a peak of achievement
having proved itself to be the best in the Cardiff and District for the
previous decade. The number of clubs in full membership of the W.R.U. was
a lot fewer then and St. Peter's were able to attract some of the top
fixtures particularly for early season games. Thus in 1900 they played
Bridgend, Maesteg and Tredegar and must have harboured thoughts of W. R.
U. status. They were running three sides, lsts, 2nds and United and, as we
have seen several of their players had moved on to Cardiff where they were
playing with distinction and two were to become Welsh Internationals. The
bright future was shattered during the season 1900/01 as the Club suffered
a blow from which it was not to recover until after the First World War. Although
in the 1890s there are references to teams called St. Peter's Rovers, St.
Peter's Stars, St. Peter's Shamrocks, and St. Peter's Harps as well as the
regular St. Peter's United, some of these were clearly part of the main
Club. If some of the others were splinter groups, they do not seem to have
done much harm. It was quite customary for players to change clubs at this
time and the Cardiff and District Union spent much of its weekly meetings
vetting applications for transfers. A few players moved from club to club
as Don Juan was reputed to do with women. Such difficulties did not apply
to St. Peter's, one of whose strengths had been the loyalty of the
players. Therefore the events of 1900/01 were all the more surprising. The
season began normally. The District team selected to play against Cardiff
included St. Peter's players W. Ashmore on the wing, J. Barry at inside
half, J. Connell at lock and J. Sullivan at prop. Sullivan was captain of
the Club and W. Lewis led the 2nds. An illustration of the strength
available was the team selected to play against Cardiff Mackintosh in
early September, the week after the Cardiff match. It was fullback E.
Jones, three quarters John Ryan, E. Coughlin, P. Loughlin and Ashmore,
half backs D. Ryan and Barry, and forwards Sullivan, W. Sexton, H.
Summerhayes, C. Bowyer, J. Desmond, J. Connell, M. A’Herne and T.
McCarthy. Thus Sullivan had three former captains in the side, two players
who were soon to join Cardiff R. F. C. and a string of others who had or
were to play for the District. Although no record remains, there seems to have been a major row of some sort and by the end of the season most of the prominent players had transferred to other clubs. The Mallett Cup final was between Grange Stars, who included Sullivan himself and ex-St. Peter's forward Desmond, and Cardiff Mackintosh, who had E. Jones, J. Ryan, D. Ryan, H. Summerhayes and C. Bowyer in their ranks. Hence several former captains had transferred. By 1901/02 the only St. Peter's side left was the United.
The
'Macs', a local Roath team based at the Mackintosh Institute, displaced
St. Peter's as the prominent club in the District for the next decade and
more and many of the better Rocks players continued to join them. In 1905
a past versus present match was refereed by Billy Neill himself and
included many former St. Peter's players. By then the 'Macs' were playing
with distinction against opponents who included Pontypridd, Pontypool,
Tredegar, Cross Keys, Blaina and Cardiff Reserves. The drain of
players to the 'Macs' may have been caused by a feeling that they were
going places but in the event it was the older Club who survived. Although
only St. Peter's United were playing in 1901/02 they were successful for a
young team and the photograph which has survived clearly shows the
enthusiasm. The captain was M. McCarthy, the vice captain and Secretary
was N. D. Reed, both of whom were props, and the Treasurer was P. Donelly. The
team retained the 'United' tag the next season but dropped it in 1903/04
when they were led by another prop, T. Delacour..
St.
Peter's School was a founder member of the Cardiff Schools Rugby Union in
1902 and is one of the few left playing today. A photograph survives of
the school team of 1902/03 which was one of the early successes and was
captained by B. Thompson. Thompson was one of several St. Peter's
boys to play for the first Cardiff Schools team. The photograph shows that
he was a big boy and, judging from the gargantuan ball he is holding, he
seems likely to have been one of the few who could catch it! His team
dominated the Schools season with 314 points for and only 27 against. In
1908 Arthur Callus, uncle of Frank Callus who became a teacher at St.
Peter's and Deputy Head at Lady Mary High School, became the first St.
Peter's boy to win a schoolboy international cap. He was the kicker for
the Cardiff Schools team. The Monday following the announcement of his
selection the Headmaster lined the whole school up to greet the hero but
unfortunately Arthur was not the most punctual of pupils and by the time
he arrived the only one left waiting, was the Headmaster complete with
cane. A year earlier Giovanni Corsi, father of the three brothers all of
whom were to play for St. Peter's, won a cap whilst at St. David's. It was
the custom in those days for schoolboy caps to wear their international
jerseys in school matches, a ploy worthy of Michael Green's coarse rugby
men which also saved on new school jerseys! When St. Peter's and St.
David's met in 1908 the two internationals stood out like sore thumbs.
Whenever Corsi received the ball he headed in a straight line for Callus
and vice versa. The game and the rest of the players were forgotten as the
two battled away. The
District team of 1906 featured five 'Macs' and four more were reserves but
the old Club was fighting back and M. Donovan of the Rocks joined them for
the game against Cardiff. The
Cardiff and District Committee meetings of the time were concerned with
transfers of players between clubs and enlivened by appeals that league
points should be awarded to losing teams because the winners played
ineligible players. All this was faithfully reported in the South Wales
Echo whose reporter was allowed to attend the meeting. After one row over
league points an irate club Secretary called the Committee all sorts of
names. At the next meeting members demanded an apology but the offender
only withdrew the worst of the offending names. The row dragged on for
months with the offender gradually withdrawing the names but by the end of
the season alleging that the Echo had misquoted him in the first place! At
the start of the 1906/07 season there was a move to exclude the press from
the meetings as though it was the Echo's fault that the row took place!
The motion was passed by a narrow majority but the St. Peter's delegate,
J. Downey, voted against. Downey,
another prop, was captain of St. Peter's that season and the club was back
in the First Division of the District leagues for the first time since
1901. They were still there in 1907/08 when J. Keane, a wing forward, led
them but they then dropped back to the Second Division. It is strange how
the captain was changed with such regularity in those days. It seems that
it was regarded as a great honour which should be passed around. It was
not until the 1930s that a man was to captain the club for more than one
year. St.
Peter's School was playing baseball before the War and in 1907 a St.
Peter's team played an American side at their version of the game. Messrs
Jarvis of City Road made the American style bats for the match. The first
ever baseball international between Wales and England took place at the
Harlequins Ground on 3rd August, 1908. The
Harlequins Ground has been host to many such events over the years.
Cardiff City A.C. played some major games there around 1908 in the period
before they were admitted to the Football League. They normally played at
Sophia Gardens in those days but made special arrangements for the visits
of the League clubs Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace and Bristol City by
playing at the Harlequins Ground and Cardiff Arms Park. In
1909/10 T. Griffiths, a wing, led St. Peter's who had returned to the
First Division but their stay was short lived and by the next season we
find that they were again in the Second where in January 1911 the District
Committee awarded league points to Splott Crusaders because the Rocks
played an ineligible player. Thus the Club continued to struggle in the
years leading to the First World War and were not to recapture their
former glory until after the conflict.
Chapter
4
Confusion
and Rivalry (the
inter-war years) During
the Great War, rugby was not played in St. Peter's. The dreadful toll in
life of that conflict is illustrated by a roll of honour board in the C.
M. S. Most of those named were rugby men and the list is depressingly
long. For
some reason an association football side was organised during the war for
schoolboys. It was as though the Parish could not bring itself to play its
traditional game even at schoolboy level, while the conflict took place.
The boys who played were mainly those who helped to reform the rugby club
and they included the Turnbull brothers, Kevin, Bernard and Maurice. The
later two were destined to play rugby for Wales whilst Maurice became
arguably the greatest cricketer Wales has ever produced as well as
becoming a hockey international. In
1919 rugby restarted and the Secretary was Joe Cullen who was to make a
major contribution for the next decade and more. Early players included C.
M. S. Jones and William Cummins who soon moved on to play for Bridgend and
Treorchy respectively. Jones was to win two international caps in 1920 and
Cummins four in 1922.
John
Lord was the first captain and Jack O'Donovan his vice captain. They
trained at the Maindy Barracks field (now the site of Companies House)
under a Sergeant Major Jones, a former international. One of their number
was Jim (Buller) Sullivan who soon left for Wigan Rugby League Club after
a short spell with Cardiff R.F.C. Sullivan was to become a legend in the
northern game. In 1921 St. Peter's won the new Minnie Pride Cup by beating
St. David's 14-3. This cup was intended to be the senior trophy in Cardiff
and District circles and, although the competition was soon to disappear,
the first final attracted tremendous interest at the time. That year St.
Peter's also won the Lord Ninian Stuart Cup as it was then known without
conceding a try. They finished the season with 365 points for and only 69
against and were promptly invited to high tea at the presbytery by the
Rector, Fr. Fennell. In 1920/21 a second team was formed with John O'Neill
captain and Charles O'Brien (for many years the choirmaster at St. Peter's
Church) as Secretary. Also an ex-schoolboys team played with W. Sexton
captain and schoolmaster Oswald Lord as Secretary and, if that was not
enough, a junior (Youth) side started playing. But
from this splendid restart divisions became apparent which were to hinder
the development of the Club throughout the 1920s. The first team began to
be known as St. Peter's C. Y. M. S. and the second team also adopted the
C. Y. M. S. label, although it started to develop as virtually a separate
club. By 1921/22 another team known as St. Peter's United (The Rags) had
formed. Under captain Paddy Whelan they won the A. H. Williams or Spokes
Cup beating St. Paul's 2nds in the final. The Rector, to be even-handed,
entertained them to high tea to which they did full justice.
These
facts and many others have been obtained from the second series of St.
Peter's Parish Magazines which were produced from 1921 to 1930 with Fr.
Cronin, a great rugby enthusiast, as editor. The
C.Y.M.S. side was clearly the most powerful St. Peter's team of the early
1920s with Philip Turnbull JP as Patron and an impressive array of
dignitaries as Vice Presidents. They held a Smoker in August, 1921 which
was recorded as a very successful social event with C. O'Brien on piano
and W. Sullivan on the Bones! In 1921/22 they reached the semi-finals of
the Mallett and Minnie Pride Cups and were second in the league. E. Howe
was captain and J. Kelly vice captain. The 2nd XV with John O'Neill
captain and G. Connell vice captain reached the final of the Lord Ninian
Stuart Cup where they lost to St. Paul's. It was a fine year for the
school team who won 20 and drew 1 of their 22 games. Johnny Ring won a
schoolboy cap (the grandfather of Mark and Paul Ring).
In
1922/23 J. Donovan was captain of the 1st XV with F. Hume his vice
captain, whilst the Lord Mayor, Councillor Turnbull, was Patron, Joe
Cullin and J. Tobin were joint Secretaries and R. O'Keefe Chairman. They
played at Sophia Gardens where they changed under the trees. A Christmas
Tour of Devon was the highlight of the season where they played Sidmouth
in front of a crowd reputed to number 5000. At one stage they dropped the
C.Y.M.S. tag but quickly took it up again. The 2nd XV continued to be
organised as a separate team and even went on a separate tour whilst
another ex-schoolboys side started under the auspices of the 'After Care
Committee'. In
the following year Harry Howe was captain, J. O'Neill Secretary and C. W.
Smith Chairman. The 2nd XV seems to have been defunct this season and a
sign of difficulty was that the C.Y.M.S. had to deny that 'the Society's
rooms are merely receptacles for the manufacture of billiard experts and
cardsharpers!' At times during the season Howe, Tommy Gorman and Martin
Regan all played for Cardiff. The
Club lost a replay to Cardiff Hibernians in the Mallett Cup after winning
the first game only to be instructed to play again by the Cardiff and
District Committee on a technicality. Opponents that year included Dinas
Powys, Roath Road Brotherhood, Pill Harriers, Machen, Loudouns, Bargoed,
Newport Hibernians, Barry, Spillers, Llanishen, St.Mary's C.Y.M.S., Porth,
Longcross, Pontyclun and St. Mary's Canton. The
St. Peter's United team were now led by Tommy Gorman, one of those players
who played for Cardiff during the season, with Paddy Whelan as vice
captain. Daniel Dunn was Secretary and in the Magazine he somewhat
pompously announced that 'his team are equal to any other team as far as
clean football is concerned and are held in high esteem by all teams they
have played'. The United used to meet in the Shamrock Hotel in City Road
and in an early display of commercial acumen were sponsored by the
landlord. However in March 1924 the United joined the C.Y.M.S. en bloc.
This attempt at reconciliation was doomed to failure as the C.Y.M.S. made
clear when they recorded 'continuance of membership will depend largely n
their ability to keep the chief rules at least and not to make the
Society's premises a convenient haunt for just football meetings on
Thursdays'. After such a welcome the United were soon back at the less
demanding Shamrock Hotel. In 1923/24 the United drew in the Lord Ninian
Stuart Cup final against Senghenydd and shared the cup. In
1925 Bernard Turnbull of Cardiff R.F.C. was capped against Ireland. He
became the fifth St. Peter's cap and was to win six in all. In the same
year Johnny Kelleher, who had been at St. Peter's school but was then at
St. Illtyd's, won a schoolboy international cap.
In
1924/25 Dennis McCarthy was the captain of the C.Y.M.S. with Charles
O'Brien and John O'Neill as joint Secretaries. (McCarthy's three sons,
John, Gerald and Tommy were all to play for Cardiff R.F.C. as outside
halves.) Players included M.Cummins, Roland Page, Mike Daly, Tim O'Brien
('Tim the Divil'), G. Howe, John Buttridge and J. Ryan. They travelled to
Ireland at Easter on the 'Moorfowl' a cattle boat and slept on deck with
the cattle in order to make the trip financially possible. They played Dolphin at the 'Mardyke' in Cork before a crowd reputed to be 10,000. Since it was a guarantee game they were delighted, but later found that few had paid to get in, the rest claiming to be unemployed, and the Club lost £17 on the tour in spite of the cheap way of travelling. After a few quiet years, the school team, led by Garry O'Neill, were again dominant and won 19 and drew 1 of their 24 games. The United team again won the Lord Ninian Stuart Cup. In the 1925/26 season the divisions in the St. Peter's rugby fraternity became more apparent. The United team changed its name to St. Peter's Athletic and were joined by some ex C.Y.M.S. players including John Buttridge. Joe Cullen, formerly a C.Y.M.S. Secretary, became the new Athletic Secretary. Tommy Gorman was captain and Paddy Regan vice captain and players included Steve Doubler, C.O'Brien, T.Radmilovic, H. and W.Sullivan, J.O'Brien, J.Donovan, A.Ellery, T.McDonald, W.Davies, Rowland Page and J.Murray. D.Raincy, an uncle of the current generation of Coughlins, was the trainer.
The C.Y.M.S. led by Secretary V. J. F. Smith and captain John O'Neill did not take kindly to this shift of rugby power in the Parish and announced in the magazine 'The club is desirous of making known that they have no connection whatever with an extensively advertised club called St. Peter's Athletic'. The two clubs were involved in a peculiar incident in the Mallett Cup. The strength of the teams was shown by them both reaching the semi-finals of the competition. The Athletic were due to play Grange Baptists and the C.Y.M.S. drew Canton. The Cardiff and District Committee decreed that the semi-finals were to be played on Good Friday 1926. This immediately caused problems for the St. Peter's sides. The C.Y.M.S. wrote to the South Wales Echo stating their objections to playing on a Good Friday on religious grounds but could not resist a P. S. 'We would like to add that the team St. Peter's Athletic has no connection with our club or St. Peter's Parish'. Joe Cullen was stung into replying in kind. Fr. Cronin, who one suspects was amused by it all, published this reply in the magazine 'We desire to contradict the statement made by St. Peter's C.Y.M.S. that we have no connection with St. Peter's Parish. In the first place we claim that we are the original St. Peter's R.F.C. (Post war) having still several players who helped win the gold and silver medals a few seasons ago. The majority of our team are old St. Peter's boys. We certainly have no connection with the C.Y.M.S. We know that they haven't a third of their players who can say they belong to the Parish. Still we quite agree with them in refusing to play their semi-final in the Mallett Cup on Good Friday. We also protested against playing on such a day and 'certainly do not intend to do so.' The refusal of the St. Peter's teams to play received considerable favourable publicity in the local press but incredibly the Cardiff and District Committee refused to alter the date and hence Canton and the Baptists went through to the final by default. In retrospect a final between the St. Peter's teams might have been a heated affair judging by the attitude of the officials. Another ex-schoolboys side with Charlie Walsh captain started in 1925/26.
In
that season the school itself enjoyed a fine year with 21 wins from 22
games and scored 360 points for whilst conceding only 33. Their only
defeat was at the hands of St. Illtyd's but even that was avenged. Their
players included Garry O'Neill (captain), the son of the international
Billy Neill (for some reason Billy had dropped the '0'), John Manley, John
Regan, W.Francis, Pat Downey, W. Hurley, Bernard Mahoney (a cousin of John
Ring), John 'Slogger' Hill, Patsie Manley and Andrew Coughlin. These names
were to occur again and again over the next few years as they began
playing senior rugby for St. Peter's. The crucial school game which
clinched the league title was against St. David's and the Rocks won 9-3
but not before the St. David's outside-half, Tom Regan, had opened the
scoring with a try which was recorded thus: 'This boy introduced a move
which I think is quite new in rugby. He not only deceived our boys but I
think every person on the field!' Sadly the scribe does not detail this
intriguing move but it was surely typical of Tom Regan who led not only
St. David's but also Cardiff Schools and was destined to become the
Chairman of St. Peter's R.F.C. in the Post-war Years. It is interesting to note that the referees in those days were appointed at the Glove and Shears Hotel at the corner of Kingsway and Duke Street before it was redeveloped. The meeting was on each Monday evening and the Hotel acted as the headquarters of the Cardiff and District Rugby Union. The Secretary was Bob John, well known as a rugby administrator. The 1926/27 season opened with a strange note in the Parish Magazine from John Lord the sportsmaster of St. Peter's School. 'A few words are necessary about the prominence given to the school concerning the team turning over to the Northern Union code. Here again we have the press making a mountain out of a mole heap. The supposed offer of £50 to be granted to the school for equipment, etc. was never made except in jest. It is true that the subject of playing the Northern Union code was discussed with me but even the gentleman speaking knew that unless it could be done by all schools in the Union it would simply be a failure.' That such a thought could have even crossed the mind of the worthy sportsmaster must have brought a few of the old officials near to heart attacks! The matter was quickly buried and never mentioned again. The school side was to win the league for the second year in succession.
The C.Y.M.S. side of 1926/27 was 'but a shadow of the highly successful team of last year'. James Cummins was captain when they again reached the semi-final of the Mallett Cup where they lost to Canton. The St. Peter's Athletic team seemed to have disappeared in the mid to late 1920s. However another team was formed in 1926/27 which was to grow into the eventual heirs of the St. Peter's rugby tradition. This was a new ex-schoolboys side. Their first meeting was at St. Peter's Guildhall on 8th September 1926, under the chairmanship of Kevin Turnbull. Turnbull was playing with Cardiff R.F.C. by then like his brothers but he bought the team jerseys, knicks and boots - a most generous gesture which typified the continuing involvement and interest of the Turnbull family in St. Peter's rugby. J.R. (Jack) Donovan was secretary and Fr. Hickey had much to do with the initial organisation before he was posted elsewhere even as the team was being formed. Bernard Mahoney was captain and the players were those who had featured in the successful school sides of previous seasons. They included Garry O'Neill, J.Manley, T.Kenefick, Alee Grist, P.McCormack the full back, and W.Barrett and Walsh in the forwards. They were giving much away in age and weight so the early matches were difficult which prompted a stoic note in the Magazine 'Our boys are going strong; the team is as enthusiastic as ever. They are taking hard knocks from older and heavier XVs and their experiences are making the boys a manly and sportsmanlike lot.' However they began to win more games as the season progressed. They even had a good run in the ex-schoolboys cup losing in the final to a team organised by Cardiff Rugby Supporters. They played the C.Y.M.S. junior side no less than three times - 'Greek meeting Greek'. After losing the first game, they won the second and the C.Y.M.S. clearly determined to put the upstarts in their place arranged a decider which the ex-schoolboys won 14-5 - 'the smaller, though cleverer side, prevailed against height, weight and brawn'. No team likes to be described in the latter terms and by the following season the younger C.Y.M.S. juniors had joined the ex-schoolboys in the first act of consolidation. The C.Y.M.S. decline continued into 1927/28 a year when the President was F.W.Lewis, Vice President Alderman Turnbull, Chairman John O'Neill, Treasurer J.Cummins and Secretary J.T.Mahoney. The captain was J.Hurley. The ex-schoolboys elected Alec Grist as captain and new names appeared in the results including Con Manley and Steve Hurley. They announced their intention of eventually dropping the ex-schoolboys title and becoming St. Peter's R.F.C. (no C.Y.M.S., no United, no Athletic!). Finance was a problem and there was an emotional appeal by Fr. Cronin for help for Jack Donovan. Kevin Turnbull's jerseys were recorded as being sadly the worst for wear. Nevertheless there was no lack of commitment and the team even attracted a large crowd of 'joiliers' including schoolboys. They played at Sophia Gardens where they changed under the trees. At
the end of the season a special side was raised by the C.Y.M.S. to play a
traditional match against St. Helens, Barry and, perhaps in recognition of
the way things were going, it included several of the ex-schoolboys and
was captained by Harry Howe who was to join Cardiff R.F.C. the following
year.
The 1928/29 season was the last one when the C.Y.M.S. raised regular teams and gradually the ex-schoolboys took over the rugby role in the Parish. J.O'Neill was captain and players included John 'Slogger' Hill, Bernard Mahoney. Steve Hurley, Jack Simmonds, D.'Spike' Leahy, P.McCormack, Garry O'Neill, T.Kenefick, Alec Grist (who joined Cardiff Romilly later that year), J.Fenton and a formidable forward Walkamer. Jack Donovan remained as Secretary. It was arranged for the side to change in the back of the Packet and Pea Shop in Quay Street. Although this must have been an improvement to the Sophia Gardens trees, it involved a long walk and merely emphasized the lack of facilities in those years. It is interesting to note that there was a soccer team as well as baseball and cricket sides in the Parish in the 1920s.
In 1929/30 the 'ex-schoolboys' had dropped the title and, as St. Peter's R.F.C., were the only side in the Parish. John Lane was Chairman, Joe Cullen returned as Secretary and Steve Hurley became captain. Garry O'Neill played for Cardiff that year but returned by the end of the season. Sadly, at the age of 18, it was his final season as he fell victim to a tragic illness from which he died four years later. An anonymous gift of a new set of jerseys was received. The team, free of the squabbles which had beset St. Peter's sides for the past decade, improved rapidly and won the Ninian Stuart Cup after a strange incident. They were due to play Cardiff Crusaders (the old St. Paul's) in the final at the Barracks Field and turned up to find a huge crowd present but no opponents. They duly 'claimed' the Cup but the Cardiff and District Committee ruled that there had been some misunderstanding and another date was arranged. St. Peter's won by a solitary try scored by Con Manley but only after they stopped a certain try by the Crusaders. The Crusaders half-back, 'Tupper' Carey, played with his shorts held up by a tie. 'Tupper' broke through and was about to score when he was 'tackled' by Steve Hurley who caught hold of the end of the tie. Fortunately for 'Tupper's' modesty but not for his team's cup chances, the tie did not break and the half-back fell inches short of the line. In February 1930 a new ex-schoolboys team was formed consisting of St. Peter's and St. Joseph's former pupils. Although it started as St. Peter's 2nds it soon adopted the ex-schoolboys title. Pat Doran was the captain.
The school team of 1929/30 won the Championship again with 18 wins and 2 draws out of 20 games. They were led by J.O'Shea with Tom Holley as vice captain. Tom was later to play for both St. Peter's and Cardiff and eventually after the war was to become one of the best known trainers in rugby. O'Shea and Holley together with Huntley and O'Keefe played for the Cardiff Schools team. This was not an unusual feature as the Magazine notes that a 'Cardiff Schools team would hardly be complete without at least one St. Peter's representative. A sports critic described them as Cardiff's great rugby school.' Less glowing comments were received after the key match with Herbert Thompson school, which was a ding-dong battle, which proved to be one of the fastest and most exciting seen on Sophia Gardens. A draw was a fair reflection of play but 'unfortunately our opponents were not satisfied with the result and a protest was sent to the Schools Union claiming a replay on account of spectators!' The following year the school experienced the sort of play which was to make a Welsh club famous in recent years when they won 'a somewhat gruelling encounter with Pontypool, St. Alban's by a rather doubtful try'. The A.G.M. of 1930 indicated how strong the Club was becoming and a fine array of dignatories were elected. The President was the captain of Cardiff, B.R.Turnbull, the Patron was the Archbishop, and the Vice Presidents were Fr. Fennell, Fr. Cronin, Alderman F.H.Turnbull, Councillor O.C.Purnell, M.J.Turnbull, T.Traccy, John Keane, J.Crowley, W.H.Hill, J.Kingston, F.Hurdidge, Captain J.J.Williams, Dr. McSweeney, Dr. Buist, J.O'Neill and J.A.Lashford. Val Smith was Chairman, J. Fenton Treasurer, and once again Joe Cullen Secretary. Con Manley, a centre, became captain for the following three seasons. The ex-schoolboys side was very successful for a season or two and, when old enough, several of its members formed the first St. Joseph's R.F.C. team.
The Club won the Mallett Cup in 1930/31 to reach the top of Cardiff and District rugby. There was a feeling that the 1930s could become a golden era for St. Peter's perhaps the best since the 1890s and it was reinforced when the Mallett Cup was won again in 1931/32. The hat-trick was almost achieved by Manley's team the next year but the Club was beaten by a single point after a late penalty goal had snatched victory for an improving Spillers team. The 1933/34 season was memorable in that Maurice Turnbull was capped twice by Wales against England and Ireland. It is often forgotten that this brilliant sportsman who achieved so much for Welsh cricket was also a rugby international. He became the sixth St. Peter's cap. Readers will have noted that the Turnbulls had never forgotten their roots and had supported St. Peter's R.F.C. through thick and thin and there was considerable satisfaction in the Parish at Maurice's achievement. In 1933 Joe Cullen junior, the son of the long serving St. Peter's Secretary, became the third boy to win a schoolboy cap direct from St. Peter's. Con Manley retired in 1933 and was replaced as captain by wing Jack 'Anzac' Simmonds. The 1933/34 season became infamous for a dramatic event which was to change the course of the history of St. Peter's R.F.C. In the latter stages of the Mallett Cup St. Peter's met Grange Baptists. Having won the Cup in two of the previous three seasons, St. Peter's were firm favourites. However the Baptists played heroically and won narrowly. Disgruntled, St. Peter's protested to the Cardiff and District Committee that the Baptists had played a well known local character at outside half, Jack Cookley, who had been a rugby league professional a year or two before and who had contributed decisively to the Baptist's victory. The Cardiff and District Committee's decisions in the inter-war years were often 'interesting' as the 1926 Good Friday incident related earlier illustrates. However St. Peter's must have been astonished when the District not only banned the Baptists sine die for playing a professional but also banned St. Peter's for knowingly playing against him! Apparently there had been some debate in the St. Peter's ranks about whether to protest at all on sporting grounds and one can imagine the reaction of those who had been in favour of silence when the District decision was announced. The author remembers his father who was playing with the Baptists at the time relating this tale. Apparently the District were quite fond of banning clubs and it was not the first time they had resorted to this ultimate deterrent. The Baptists simply reformed under another name in the following season and whilst admiring their nimble footedness it is sad to note the Grange Baptists R.F.C., a famous name in the inter-war years, never appeared again. For St. Peter's no such change could be contemplated and after protest the Club was advised to wait a few years before appealing again. It is difficult to imagine such a decision being made today let alone not rescinded. The players dispersed to other clubs including St. Joseph's and Spillers. What might have been a glorious period of the 1930s came to a premature end.
The Baseball Club was left to carry the Parish sporting honours in the late 1930s. In 1935 they reached the semi-final of the South Wales Echo Cup and in 1936 they were undefeated in the League and runners-up in the Echo Cup. The following year they won the Cup (against Cardiff Villa) with Bill Mannings as captain. In 1939 Des Walsh won a schoolboy cap in the only ever Baseball Schools international. After the war Des was to play for St. Peter's before moving on to Grange Albion from where he was capped for Wales. It is not known whether the Rugby Club ever officially appealed against the ban in the late 1930s. Soon matters of a more serious kind over the English Channel began to occupy everyone's attention and rugby football was set aside as the country went to war again. Technically the ban may never have been lifted except by implication when the Club was accepted for membership of the District Union after the war. I am sure that the members of the 1986 District Committee will see the funny side of this when this tale is revealed to them.
Chapter 5A
New Start (1948 to 1960)
It took a little while for St. Peter's to reform after the war. The break from 1934 had been too long and all the old officials and players were no longer in evidence. Also many of the players were not demobbed until 1946 and even 1947. The baseball team began playing again in 1947 as a photograph in the book shows but it was not until 6th June, 1948 that a meeting attended by 25 was held at the old St. Peter's Scout Hall to restart the Rugby Club. The Rector, Fr. Holman, was present and was elected President with John Lane, one link with the pre-war days, as Vice President. Jim Spillane became the Chairman, Bill Callaghan Secretary and Tom Keane Treasurer. Someone proposed that each playing member donate two clothing coupons in order to help with the purchase of kit. Rugby administrators the world over know how difficult it is, to collect money from certain players and the intriguing variation of collecting specious clothing coupons proved too much for the new elected officers. Pleas were still being made for the coupons months later. Fr. Holman, yet another priest who was a rugby enthusiast, stated that he was prepared to rent a ground for the Club an offer which was accepted gratefully. In a way he was ahead of his time as the following years were to show. The Club decided to meet every month - a democratic habit which may well have put a lot of strain on the officials who changed rapidly in the next two years. The early meetings were dominated by talk of insurance (everyone was in favour and kept passing resolutions to that effect until the cost of it was discovered) and finance.
In September, 1948 Ken Waite was elected as the first post-war captain and selected Bernard Twomey as his vice captain. Although this was the first season, a 2nd XV was formed but struggled to raise a team on many of the weekends. T. Martin was elected as its captain in November. A Youth team was also formed with schoolmaster Tom Riley as the Secretary. Their exuberance was such that they were soon asked to train at the gym on a different night to the seniors. In 1949 the main officials all changed at the Annual General Meeting. John Daly, Senior, became Chairman, Des Keegan Secretary, and Gerry McCarthy Treasurer. Daly's sons were all playing while Gerry McCarthy was to become the Chairman of Old Illtydians in later years. Ken Waite was elected captain for the second season with Peter Nolan as vice captain. A. Martin was 2nd XV captain with L. Norman as vice captain. The Youth team captain was J. Doubler. However both Secretary and Treasurer had to resign due to pressure of work during the season. The new Treasurer was Albert Tyler who was to become a tower of strength on the Committee for well over a decade. He was able to report a modest profit in 1949/50 which brought the Club's balance to £68/4/11, a figure which gradually declined over the next few seasons! Waite's team began well with 7 wins (against Tongwynlais, Old Cantonians, Rhydfelin, ROF, Newport HSOB, Lysaghts and Cardiff Exiles) a draw (Cardiff HSOB) and two defeats (St. Clare's and Old Howardians) but found it difficult to maintain the pace. Hence early results were mixed and the winning habit that had been prevalent throughout the Club's history proved elusive. Fr. Holman, true to his word, purchased a ground in Llanishen and great efforts were made to make it fit for use. Drainage was installed by the players but dressing rooms proved more difficult to erect. Bill Callaghan obtained an old large army hut with a view to it becoming the dressing rooms. It was transported to Cardiff and stored at the Scout Hall. Planning permission was sought to erect it at the ground but it floundered on the opposition of a local Councillor. Sadly the hut was to remain at the Scout Hall and decay. The Club had no home at the time since the C.M.S. (Catholic Men’s Society) premises in Richmond Road did not become available until 1951. Fr. Holman, ever anxious to help, offered the use of the Scout Hall but this venue lacked one essential ingredient - beer! The Church Bazzar in those days of shortages was a major event and lasted all week. It was held in the School and Fr. Holman, worried about vandals or burglars, had the bright idea of asking the Rugby Club to provide volunteers to sleep at the school and protect the various goods. The Club agreed and all went well until the final Saturday night. The usual two volunteers had increased to six for Saturday and they took with them not just a few beers to smooth away the hours but enough to cause a brigade of the Chinese army to fall about! By the early hours they were making so much noise and havoc that they woke the nuns in the adjoining Heathfield House School. The next day they were admonished by Fr. Holman who was mortified that his beloved Rugby Club had been let down. It would not do to reveal the names of the offenders especially as today they are the most respectable and solid of citizens. The Club played on the Glider Field in the early years but the lack of suitable changing facilities was a handicap. When matches were arranged with St. Alban's, Pontypool and St. Mary's, Bristol a special effort was made to change at Roath Park and bus the players to the Glider Field. Since the sides had travelled further than most, a meal was provided at the Royal Cafe at a cost of two shillings and six pence per head. It is interesting to note that although the former team no longer exists, the St. Mary's team, like St. Peter's, has prospered and become one of the most formidable sides in Bristol.
Peter Nolan was captain in 1950/51 when no game was won before Christmas as a series of narrow defeats took place. After a players meeting when they analysed the various faults of the team (everyone blamed everyone else), all the games after Christmas were won. The Secretary was Paul Widlake but he was replaced by Bernard Twomey in January. An annual subscription of ten shillings was set which is much larger in real terms than today. However the impact of such financial support was diminished when it was revealed at the next Annual General Meeting that only 16 members had paid the subscription in full! Whilst some of the players would have been of dubious spiritual value to anyone, the Club was to provide the Church with three priests and a monk from among its ranks of this era. One of the stalwarts of this time was Irish prop Ted Reavy a forward intent on creating havoc. On the rare occasions that he had the ball in his hands, his one tactic was to put his head down and charge at the opposition goal line. In one such surge he ran straight into a goalpost and was knocked unconscious. He soon recovered to play on but the post was never quite the same. On another occasion Ted injured an arm when he collided against a line of small concrete posts at the side of the pitch of Cambrian Colliery but he continued to play on with his customary zeal only to find after the game that he had broken his arm. A
proposal that non Catholic members be allowed to join was defeated in July
1950 by 14 votes to 11. In true Vatican style the embarrassing vote was
never rescinded, but was promptly ignored. The 1950/51 season was also
when demands were made that the Committee proceed with the building of the
dressing rooms at Llanishen. A unanimous resolution was passed to that effect but it was already clear that it was financial muscle and not resolutions that was needed. The financial position was illustrated by the fact jerseys were washed by the players themselves which led to complaints about non uniform appearance at matches and some players using jerseys for training. Some of the more crafty players were accused of acquiring more than one jersey. When it was suggested that jerseys be collected and washed after every game, the Treasurer reminded members of the cost and these peculiar jersey arrangements were to persist throughout the 1950s. Bill Callaghan attempted to change the system by purchasing a washing machine but some players complained that it was installed in his home and it had to be returned!
The Annual General Meeting of 28th June 1951 was held at the Ruperra Hotel, Shakespeare Street. The Chairman was not present and Bernard Twomey, the Secretary, suggested the appointment of a temporary Chairman until elections took place later in the meeting. The members agreed and Mr. J. B. Twomey, the Secretary's father, was elected. He was confirmed in office a few minutes later and his other son schoolmaster Dennis Twomey was elected captain to complete the dominance of the Twomeys that season. John Twomey, known to everyone as 'Boss', was to remain unchallenged as Chairman until his death twelve years later. He was to give the rugby club the sort of continuity it needed and his drive and good humour were to lead the club through a series of ever improving seasons. 'Boss' Twomey also became President of the C.M.S. which was just establishing itself in premises at No 9 Richmond Road opposite the Church. The Rugby Club began to use the premises as their headquarters and were to remain there for over 30 years until their own Club- house was opened in 1982.
In 1951/52 the Youth team broke new ground by visiting Cork. There was an article in the Cork Examiner extolling and exaggerating their virtues - four Youth internationals etc. The officials in the party were the Youth Secretary, Bill Callaghan, Tom Keane, and Harry and Stan James. Stan later became a Councillor and has served for many years. Matches were played against Cobh Pirates and Christian Brothers Cork. The first was an epic and the Pirates, fearful of St. Peter's strength after the press reports, had imported some over-age players. St. Peter's won 5-3 with a Brian Drane try which was converted from the touch line by a tiny scrum half who caused some amusement among spectators when he came forward to take the conversion and made little effort to prepare for it. The smiles turned to gasps of surprise as the ball sailed over the post. The scrum half was Bernard 'Slogger' Templeman, but more of him later. The success of Callaghan's team in 1951/52 and the following season in particular was a turning point for the Club. The improvement in the ranks of the seniors followed as the youth players graduated to senior rugby, a pattern which was to be repeated many times in recent years. In 1952 Peter Nolan was elected as Secretary and, together with John Twomey as Chairman and Albert Tyler as Treasurer, gave continuous service for the next several years. It was something which had been lacking in the past and it helped to achieve a gradual improvement in the Club's results. However in 1952 the numbers were such that there was considerable debate as to whether a 2nd XV could be formed. In the previous seasons it had been difficult to fulfil the fixtures. Frank Maria was elected captain for 1952/53 and Norman Harris, who had joined from Cathays H.S.0.B., became 2nd XV captain.
Maria's team suffered a series of broken limbs to Jim MacClancey, Tom Keane, Pat Dacey and Steve Edwards and early results were again disappointing. They finished with 11 wins from 29 games with 154 points for and 245 against. However these results were better than those achieved in the previous three seasons. Norman Harris gradually formed the 2nd XV into a reasonable unit and in spite of the fears of not being able to raise a team a total of 24 games were played, Harris appearing in all of them, with 7 wins and 2 draws, 100 points for and 301 against. Dennis Norman, the Club Vice Chairman of today, made his first appearance as a flying wing scoring 10 tries. There was a feeling that things were improving and it was not taken as a bad omen when the 1st XV photograph failed to come out! The 1952/53 Youth side, in spite of losing Dennis Norman, Pat Dacey, Peter Stone and Norman Thomas to the seniors, had a fantastic season losing only four matches. They completed the double over Newport and lost 5-6 against Cardiff in the last few minutes. A major reason for their success was 'Slogger' Templeman who.had scored 189 points by February when a Football Echo article said it would be a travesty of justice if he did not get a Youth cap. In fact he was not even selected for a trial and nor was any other St. Peter's player, a great disappointment in view of the side's results. However five of them played for the District team - 'Slogger', Brian Drane, Jim Sweeney, Pat Doyle and Charlie Brown.
'Slogger' was soon to depart for Penarth R.F.C. where he became their mainstay for many seasons. He was a great sevens specialist and will be remembered for his contributions in the early years of the Snelling Tournaments, where under his direction Penarth would normally do well. 'Slogger' never altered his apparently casual style of goal kicking and was hugely successful. He became the first St. Peter's man to play for the Barbarians in the late 1950s against the East Midlands and he returned to play one final season with St. Peter's before retiring. In the 1953/54 season John Price was selected for a Youth trial and Johnny Evans the season after. Regrettably the elusive first Club Youth cap was still awaited and the tendency for some of the best players to join the Cardiff Youth team continued. Frank Maria moved on in 1953 to enjoy a distinguished career with Glamorgan Wanderers and in recent years he has been the Cardiff and District Youth Secretary and served on the Welsh Youth Rugby Union. In 1953/54 the Club began playing on Blackweir although changing had to take place at the nearby Maindy Stadium. Nevertheless this represented a very significant improvement in the Club's facilities. The ground at Lianishen was rarely used and the changing rooms never built. Eventually the Parish sold it in the 1960s and today at Usk Road it has become the home of Llanishen R.F.C. Fr. Holman would probably have been disappointed but the time had not been ripe for his ambitious plans. Frank Johnston became captain in 1953/54 and Bernard Sheils 2nd XV captain. Bernard Twomey became Fixture Secretary which was the first time one had been officially elected. Bernard was revived that season when he had to leave the field with a back injury received when playing prop. The trainer was Johnny Howe, one of the pre-war players, but he had nothing suitable for a bad back in his bag. Fortunately Johnny had a bottle of his wife's cough mixture in his pocket which he applied liberally to the offending back. Bernard, thinking he had been treated with the best that medical science could supply, returned to the fray and it is rumoured that a cough he had suffered from for weeks mysteriously disappeared. A
discussion at the 1953 Annual General Meeting on insurance was adjourned
and Peter Nolan ruefully noted in the minutes that 'it could have gone on
for hours'. Early results in 1953/54 were poor but the side enjoyed a fine
run after Christmas and finished:
Dennis Norman scored 13 tries, a new post war record. The
2nd XV had their best season since the war:
A tour to Cork took place at Easter with Sundays Wells and Old Presentation College the hosts. Although finance remained a problem the tour was partly financed by the magnificent sum of £180 raised from 'football doubles'. Maurice Bingham senior and Bill Callaghan were running the youth team that season. In 1954/55 Dennis Twomey was captain for the second time with Jim MacClancey 2nd XV captain. The first team won more than they lost for the first time since the war with 13 wins and 3 draws from 28 games scoring 156 points whilst conceding 128. It was to be a landmark and in spite of ever improving fixture lists the 1st XV have won the majority of their fixtures for all seasons except one ever since. It also returned the Club to the sort of success it had been used to prior to the war. The 2nd XV won 10 and drew 2 out of 23 games with 124 points for and 136 against. The Youth won 12 and drew 2 from 22 games with 112 points both for and against. The reader will note the relatively low number of points scored in those days. There always seemed to be sufficient experience in all teams to keep scores down when up against it and no doubt the old rules helped. The highlight of the season had been the return visit of Sundays Wells from Cork. For the first time the Club began to provide barmen on a rota basis for the C.M.S. premises. This was to be a valuable source of income for the Club for several seasons although it was hardly an efficient way of running a bar. It gave rise to a whole series of incidents and tales as inexperienced barmen tried to serve from barrels which were kept in the bar itself. Without proper temperature control the Hancocks Home Brew could vary from the beautiful to the explosive. A pattern of marks on the bar ceiling illustrated occasions when the barrels 'blew' as they were spoiled. On one famous occasion a barrel almost emptied as it was tapped leaving two soaked barmen, a crowd of amused customers and a problem to explain to the stock taker. The small sums the Rugby Club received for running the bar were well earned. In spite of the apparently primitive conditions there were many days when the C.M.S. premises were well attended particularly on Sunday nights in the era when the public houses were not open. On the many nights when the Home Brew was 'on song' it was a marvellous pint and St. Peter's men never forgave the brewers for supposedly changing the beer years later. In the early 1950s a series of boys won schoolboy international caps. In 1950 Connie O'Brien played for Wales at scrum half and in 1952 Phil Smith, then at St. Illtyd's, was capped as a wing forward. In 1954 Michael McCarthy was capped on the wing and the following year his brother Tommy and Bruno Carpanini, the brother of the current Treasurer Mario, were capped. Most of these players were to join the senior Club a few years later.
In 1956 the education system changed and St. Peter's School became a junior school with the boys leaving for the new Lady Mary High School after the age of eleven. In 1957 Tony Canham became the first of several schoolboy internationals who travelled the path from St. Peter's School to Lady Mary. However the change meant that the name of St. Peter's School could no longer feature directly when a boy was capped. Hence the seven St. Peter's boys caps up to 1955 will never increase: 1908 Arthur Callus 1922 Johnny Ring 1933 Joe Cullen 1950 Connie O'Brien 1954 Michael McCarthy 1955 Tommy McCarthy 1955 Bruno Carpanini | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
