A leek, really?
While the French proudly wear the cockerel on their chest, the English the rose or the Scots the thistle, the Welsh are flanked by... a leek. Legend has it that the leek became the emblem of Wales following a battle with the Anglo-Saxons. Saint David is said to have advised the soldiers to attach leeks to the top of their helmets to blend in with the field of leeks in which they were to do battle. The Welsh jersey also features three ostrich feathers. They evoke the battle of Crécy, during the Hundred Years' War in 1346. Edouard the Black Prince, son of King Edouard III of England, fought against an army vastly superior to his own, but emerged victorious and took the helmet worn by Bohemian King John I. Three ostrich feathers appear on the helmet and become a symbol of victory for the whole of Wales. History was on the march, and although the weapons had been put away, it was indeed with studs and an oval ball that the new dignitaries of the leek would defend the Welsh colors on lawns the world over. And they have been doing so for almost a century and a half..
A century-old history
Throughout its rich history, Welsh rugby has experienced a few lean decades, counterbalanced by golden periods that were enough to forge its legend.
Like its British counterparts, the Welsh team entered the Home Nations Championship (forerunner of the 6 Nations Tournament) in the 1880s, and lifted its first trophy in 1893. This trophy was accompanied by a Triple Crown (a victory over each of the other British teams). But this achievement had no future, and it wasn't until 1900 - the start 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 on home soil. In 1908, they became the first Welsh team to win the famous Grand Slam, an honorary title awarded to the team that beats all its opponents in a single tournament. But until the 1950s, Welsh rugby suffered a long period of drought, despite a few victories in the Tournament (1922, 1931, 1936). After the Second World War, when the competition resumed in 1947, the XV du Poireau celebrated by sharing victory with England. It was an important success, as it heralded a new golden age: over the next ten editions, no fewer than seven titles would fall to the Welsh.
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 figures speak for themselves. After a shared victory in 1964 and two wins 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, since the 1972 edition was not completed due to the troubles in Ireland. In short, an undivided red domination that saw its champion Gareth immortalized by a statue in Cardiff (now on display at St. David's Centre). True to its chaotic history, Welsh rugby began a long decline which plunged it into a deep crisis until the end of the century, despite a fine3rd place finish in the first World Cup in 1987.
A leading nation in modern rugby
Although the foundations laid by New Zealand coach Graham Henry between 1998 and 2001 were slow to bear fruit, Wales returned to success in 2005. That year, the XV du Poireau won the Grand Slam. Led by Shane and Martyn Williams, the Welsh played a seductive, effective and forward-looking game. After three further victories (2008, 2012, 2013), the Welsh are set to complete the Grand Slam in 2019, thanks in particular to the talent of giant Alun Wyn Jones, named the competition's best player. With 38 victories, Wales join England at the top of the Tournament winners' chart. The year was also marked by their4th place finish at the World Cup in Japan, where they beat the French team in the quarter-finals by a single point (20-19) before finishing4th. And, between the two competitions, the XV du Poireau became the first team never to have won the global tournament to climb to the top of the World Rugby rankings. The Welsh are always a force to be reckoned with! Since 2019, and under the era of coach Pivac, the team has experienced a marked decline, finishing5th in the Six Nations tournament in 2020 and 2022, but winning it in 2021... But the coach's disappointing results lead to his replacement by his predecessor Warren Gatland, who has signed a contract until 2027!
A mythical stadium
And what better way to see the fervor that the Red Dragons unleash than by attending a match? In Cardiff, on a match day, the atmosphere around the Millennium Stadium rises just as the players are starting breakfast. Every rugby fan dreams of being there, with a beer in his right hand and a seat in his left, for a decisive match in this splendid setting in the heart of the city. Built for the 1999 Rugby World Cup, in place of the outdated and mythical Arms Park, the Millennium is today a showpiece of technology and one of the largest stadiums in the world with a retractable roof (yes, it does come in handy from time to time!). On match days, some 74,500 boiling-hot spectators push behind their protégés, and 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) intoned at the top of their lungs. Renamed Principality Stadium in 2016 (and for 10 years) after a naming deal with a construction company, it remains the soul of Welsh rugby and a must-see when visiting Cardiff. No rugby matches on the calendar? No hot concert on the program? No excuse, because you can visit the stadium every day. It's a unique visit, for fans and novices alike, as you'll be taken into the bowels of the stadium via the press conference room, the VIP lounge, the changing rooms and the players' tunnel, which leads straight to the "sacred turf"...
