St Helen’s ArchivePreserving the past for the future
Item
MD021
Object ID
MD021
Type
Rights Holder
Loan
Provenance
John Davies
Season
Description
Medal, Welsh Champions 1900-01 season. Gold, Swansea 'town' civic 'castle' badge on front. Championship details, Players' name and position inscribed on back. Dimensions: w1" x h13/8" (w3cm x h3.5cm).
Info
This is a medal denoting that forward D. Davies was a member of the Swansea RFC 1st XV who were Welsh Champions for the third successive season in 1900-01. D. Davies was Dai "Mumbles" Davies, so named because another forward in the team held the same name and was known as Dai "Port Tennant" Davies.
The medal itself is of gold with enamel inlay depicting the Swansea town (and club) badge in blue and gold, topped by a crown and flanked by white flags (for the "All Whites"). A banner in red enamel below announces in gold lettering "Swansea Cricket & Football Club". A stylised rugby ball in gold sits at the base of the medal, which is inscribed on the reverse: "Welsh Champions 1900-1901 D. Davies Forward". It is also hall marked as made of gold and produced by Vaughton of Birmingham.
During the 1900-01 season the Swansea 1st XV played 32 matches, winning 28 of them and losing two with two matches drawn. This was the third successive Welsh Championship out of a total of six Championships in seven seasons from 1898-99 to 1904-05 and represents the middle of the club's first 'Golden Era'. Billy Bancroft was captain for the sixth and final time, a club record then. Frank 'Genny' Gordon was his vice-captain and would go on to skipper two further Championship sides in 1901-02 and 1904-05 when Swansea were 'Invincibles'. During the 1900-01 season Swansea had six players capped by Wales - backs: George Davies (E, S & I), Billy Bancroft (E, S & I) and Billy Trew (E & S) and forwards Hopkin Davies (S & I), Bob Thomas (E) and Fred Scrine (I). All six also won representative honours with Glamorgan County as did forward Will Joseph. Forward Will Parker played in all 32 matches and would captain the successful 1903-04 side. Wing Billy Trew and centre Dan Rees were joint top scorers with 19 tries each. Swansea's biggest win was a 36 - 0 victory over Bridgend at St Helen's and the two defeats came against Newport away (7 - 0) and Gloucester away (6 - 3) in the final match of the season.
The owner of this Welsh Championship medal Dai "Mumbles" Davies played 127 matches for Swansea's 1st XV between 1900 and 1907. He had a Welsh trial in 1901 and played in the final trial match of that season, though being unfortunate in not gaining his Wales cap. Dai played in a hugely successful Swansea side and he won Welsh Championship medals in 1900-01, 1901-02, 1903-04, 1904-05 ('Invincibles') and 1907-08, though not completing the last season. Dai also played in two wins over the Stade Français team, in February 1904 in Paris and February 1905 at St Helen's. Dai "Mumbles" Davies' presentation clock as a member of the 1904-05 'Invincibles' is also in the St Helen's Archive collection (see: OT052). Dai was a keen pigeon racer and also a professional boxer of some note, competing as far away as Manchester. He returned to play for the Mumbles club after finishing with Swansea RFC and appeared for them as late as 1910. The Championship medal has been kindly loaned to the St Helen's Archive by "Mumbles" Davies' grandson John Davies, himself a Swansea RFC player at centre (1963-75).
The medal itself is of gold with enamel inlay depicting the Swansea town (and club) badge in blue and gold, topped by a crown and flanked by white flags (for the "All Whites"). A banner in red enamel below announces in gold lettering "Swansea Cricket & Football Club". A stylised rugby ball in gold sits at the base of the medal, which is inscribed on the reverse: "Welsh Champions 1900-1901 D. Davies Forward". It is also hall marked as made of gold and produced by Vaughton of Birmingham.
During the 1900-01 season the Swansea 1st XV played 32 matches, winning 28 of them and losing two with two matches drawn. This was the third successive Welsh Championship out of a total of six Championships in seven seasons from 1898-99 to 1904-05 and represents the middle of the club's first 'Golden Era'. Billy Bancroft was captain for the sixth and final time, a club record then. Frank 'Genny' Gordon was his vice-captain and would go on to skipper two further Championship sides in 1901-02 and 1904-05 when Swansea were 'Invincibles'. During the 1900-01 season Swansea had six players capped by Wales - backs: George Davies (E, S & I), Billy Bancroft (E, S & I) and Billy Trew (E & S) and forwards Hopkin Davies (S & I), Bob Thomas (E) and Fred Scrine (I). All six also won representative honours with Glamorgan County as did forward Will Joseph. Forward Will Parker played in all 32 matches and would captain the successful 1903-04 side. Wing Billy Trew and centre Dan Rees were joint top scorers with 19 tries each. Swansea's biggest win was a 36 - 0 victory over Bridgend at St Helen's and the two defeats came against Newport away (7 - 0) and Gloucester away (6 - 3) in the final match of the season.
The owner of this Welsh Championship medal Dai "Mumbles" Davies played 127 matches for Swansea's 1st XV between 1900 and 1907. He had a Welsh trial in 1901 and played in the final trial match of that season, though being unfortunate in not gaining his Wales cap. Dai played in a hugely successful Swansea side and he won Welsh Championship medals in 1900-01, 1901-02, 1903-04, 1904-05 ('Invincibles') and 1907-08, though not completing the last season. Dai also played in two wins over the Stade Français team, in February 1904 in Paris and February 1905 at St Helen's. Dai "Mumbles" Davies' presentation clock as a member of the 1904-05 'Invincibles' is also in the St Helen's Archive collection (see: OT052). Dai was a keen pigeon racer and also a professional boxer of some note, competing as far away as Manchester. He returned to play for the Mumbles club after finishing with Swansea RFC and appeared for them as late as 1910. The Championship medal has been kindly loaned to the St Helen's Archive by "Mumbles" Davies' grandson John Davies, himself a Swansea RFC player at centre (1963-75).
Keywords
welsh championship, 1900-1901, dai mumbles davies, championship medal,
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