St Helen’s ArchivePreserving the past for the future

BZ005

Blazer

Swansea RFC Memorabilia Community Interest Company

Mervyn Davies

1975-1976

Blazer, single breasted in black cloth with two buttons. Badge on left breast pocket shows WRU Prince of Wales feathers in a red shield. A second shield is quartered with the motifs of the English, Scottish, Irish and French rugby unions. "WRU XV" sits at the top right corner of the pocket and "1976" at the lower left corner, indicating this to be a Welsh Grand Slam blazer.

This is a blazer from Wales Grand Slam season of 1976. Wales beat England 21 - 9, Scotland 28 - 6, Ireland 43 - 9 and France 19 - 13. Three Swansea players were in the Welsh pack for all four championship matches. They were Geoff Wheel, Trefor Evans and Mervyn Davies, the Welsh captain. This blazer belonged to Mervyn Davies who played 38 times for Wales between 1969 and 1976. Davies captained the Welsh side in 1975 when they were five nations Champions and again in 1976 when they won the Grand Slam and he was presented with this blazer. Mervyn Davies accumulated two Grand Slams and 3 Triple Crowns during an international career cut tragically short when he suffered a brain haemorrhage in a Welsh Cup semi-final for Swansea against Pontypool. Having played on the successful 1971 and 1974 'Lions' tours, Davies would surely have been captain for the 1977 'Lions' tour to New Zealand. This blazer represents the last great success of one of Wales' most successful players and captains and and a legendary player with the British & Irish Lions. the blazer was presented to the Swansea club by Mervyn after his career had ended.

blazer, grand slam, mervyn davies, 1975-1976