St Helen’s ArchivePreserving the past for the future
Item
White Gold - Swansea RFC 1872-1887
Object ID
White Gold - Swansea RFC 1872-1887
Type
Rights Holder
David Dow
Provenance
David Dow
Season
Description
White Gold - Swansea RFC 1872-1887 - book by David Dow
Info
“White Gold – Swansea RFC 1872-1887”, David Dow (St David’s Press, Cardiff, 2023).
White Gold is a tour de force of sporting history, describing in great detail, the beginnings of rugby football in Swansea and South Wales. White Gold tells the fascinating story of a collective of Swansea’s industrialists' chosen leisure activities, and their role in shaping not just sport, but Swansea itself. It tells us of the very beginnings of cricket, and how these enthusiastic cricketers established an association football club for their Winter recreation! It tells the story of football codes dividing, the formation of the FAW, and the governing body that would eventually become the WRU. This book is a wonderful story of camaraderie and determination, and the pages in this book bring these Victorian characters to life. Find out where Swansea RFC played before St Helen’s was established as a permanent home, and learn of the very beginnings of many of our biggest rivalries on the field, including seven games against Neath in one season!
David Dow’s meticulous research has unearthed long-forgotten stories from the very beginning of rugby in Wales. Many of the themes echo rugby headlines we will all be familiar with throughout our lives. This is a wonderful social history of some remarkable men, that created a rugby side that would become the envy of many, and end up being one of the most famous club sides in the world, when decades after the stories in this book end, Swansea would become the first club side to beat the ‘big three’ touring sides, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. David Dow is head of the Archive Team at St Helen’s. This book was published to coincide with Swansea RFC’s 150th anniversary. It’s beautifully illustrated with both B&W and colour photos. There are detailed appendices, and the book covers 450 pages. The St Helen’s Archive is amongst the best catalogued around the globe.
To purchase a copy please use the following link! For overseas purchases, please send us a message. We are happy to post overseas, but there will be a further cost.
White Gold is a tour de force of sporting history, describing in great detail, the beginnings of rugby football in Swansea and South Wales. White Gold tells the fascinating story of a collective of Swansea’s industrialists' chosen leisure activities, and their role in shaping not just sport, but Swansea itself. It tells us of the very beginnings of cricket, and how these enthusiastic cricketers established an association football club for their Winter recreation! It tells the story of football codes dividing, the formation of the FAW, and the governing body that would eventually become the WRU. This book is a wonderful story of camaraderie and determination, and the pages in this book bring these Victorian characters to life. Find out where Swansea RFC played before St Helen’s was established as a permanent home, and learn of the very beginnings of many of our biggest rivalries on the field, including seven games against Neath in one season!
David Dow’s meticulous research has unearthed long-forgotten stories from the very beginning of rugby in Wales. Many of the themes echo rugby headlines we will all be familiar with throughout our lives. This is a wonderful social history of some remarkable men, that created a rugby side that would become the envy of many, and end up being one of the most famous club sides in the world, when decades after the stories in this book end, Swansea would become the first club side to beat the ‘big three’ touring sides, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. David Dow is head of the Archive Team at St Helen’s. This book was published to coincide with Swansea RFC’s 150th anniversary. It’s beautifully illustrated with both B&W and colour photos. There are detailed appendices, and the book covers 450 pages. The St Helen’s Archive is amongst the best catalogued around the globe.
To purchase a copy please use the following link! For overseas purchases, please send us a message. We are happy to post overseas, but there will be a further cost.
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