Jerseys
There are well over 100 jerseys in the St Helen’s Archive. The standing of the St Helen’s ground as a major international rugby venue from 1882 to 1954 has enriched the collection with many examples from the representative teams that have played on the famous pitch. The earliest jerseys date from 1891 and there are examples through the years right into the 21st century. The Swansea club’s historical position as a worthy opponent to so many touring teams has endowed the jersey collection with wonderful additions from all over the world, both club and international. Swansea’s touring record abroad stands alongside any club in the world and again the jersey collection has benefitted from the club’s activities abroad.
The large and varied accumulation of jerseys can never be adequately represented in a physical display. Now for the first time, the jersey collection as a whole can be viewed on this website. Some of the earliest examples are now too fragile to bear up to being on display in cabinets. Many of these jerseys have been swapped post-match by renowned players on each team. Some have been gifted by various clubs and unions and others donated by their proud owners or their families. All are recorded here.
The origin numbers on jerseys
Numbering on the back of rugby jerseys began in a haphazard fashion. New Zealand and Queensland wore numbered jerseys in 1897 on the former’s first tour abroad. The arrangement was 1 to 15 starting at the full-back. Match programmes carried the numbers on the team lists to aid spectators’ recognition of the players. Australia quickly followed suit and wore numbers against New Zealand in 1903 and the British Isles tourists in 1904, in the latter case, the number system being reversed and the full-back wearing 15.
The ‘first’ All Blacks again wore numbers on their British tour in 1905 and when they played Wales on 16th December 1905 both teams wore numbers, the Welsh team for the first time. On this occasion both full-backs wore the number 1 jersey. South Africa soon played in numbers and did so on their British tour of 1906.
The system varied as rugby unions tried to outwit pirate match programme producers and make only the official programme worth purchasing. Other variations included the changing of numbers 6 and 7, especially in South Africa and Argentina. With British and Irish national teams having number 8 reserved for the loose head prop and New Zealand using a 15 jersey, no unified system was in place. For a number of years Welsh international jerseys went up to 16, thus avoiding the number 13! In the 1930s letters were also in vogue. The St Helen’s collection sports more than one example of Welsh jerseys with letters on the back.
Clubs followed the international penchant for changing the numbering system, Swansea adopting numbers permanently in the 1930s. Other clubs, notably Bath. Leicester and Bristol adopted different lettering systems. But by 1967 the IRB system of numbers was the adopted standard: Full-back – 15, Three-quarters – 11-14, Outside-half – 10, Scrum-half – 9, back row – 6-8, second row – 4 & 5, front row – 1-3, with replacements from 16-23.
Jersey, Wales, J Idwal Rees - 1938
Jersey, NSW Waratahs - 1908-09
Jersey, Fiji, Rasiosateki Petero - 1964
Jersey, Scotland, Ian Thomason - 1952
Jersey, England, Vic Roberts - 1951
Jersey, Argentina, Carlos Neyra - 1976
Jersey, Ireland, Walter Bornemann - 1960
Jersey, Scotland, Archie Gracie - 1923
Jersey, Ireland, George Stephenson - 1924
Jersey, British Isles, Dai Parker - 1930
Jersey, France, Robert Soro - 1948
Jersey, Italian State Police RFC - 1972
Jersey, AZKG Prague - 1966-67
Jersey, Harlequins - 1970s
Jersey, Chingford RFC Colts
Jersey, Waikato RFC - 1989
Jersey, Cambridge URFC, Rowe Harding - 1924-27
Jersey, Ranji Walker's XV - 1950s
Jersey, Cambridge URFC, Clem Thomas - 1949
Jersey, Swansea RFC - 2002-03
Jersey, Swansea RFC - 2002-03
Jersey, Swansea RFC - 2002-03
Jersey, Swansea RFC - 2003-04
Jersey, Swansea RFC - 2003-04
Jersey, Swansea RFC - 1996-97
Jersey, France, Jean-Pierre Bastiat - 1975
Jersey, Barbarians, Mervyn Davies - 1970s
Jersey, Australia, Alan Skinner - 1969
Jersey, Scotland, Duncan Patterson or Dougie Morgan - 1969-76
Jersey, Ponsonby, NZ - 1963
Jersey, Barbarians - 1970s
Jersey, Natal Rugby Union - Centenary - 1990
Jersey, King Country, NZ - Colin Meads
Jersey, Australia, Enrique Rodriguez - 1984
Polo shirt, Wales Hockey U15s - 1980s-90s
Training Jersey, Ireland, - RWC 2015
Running shirt, Rev. Pete Orphan, Paralympic Games - 2012
Running shirt, Rev. Pete Orphan, 10K Run - 2014
Jersey, Wales, Robin McBryde - 2003
Jersey, British Army RFC - 2016-17
Jersey, NZ Club, Unidentified
Jersey, Maesteg RFC -1990s
Jersey, Matamata College, NZ, Kevin McGill - 1974
Jersey, Wales, Dickie Owen - 1904-10
Jersey, England, 1980 - Paul Dodge
Jersey, France, Didier Cordoniou - 1980
Jersey, Wales, Dai Richards - WRU Centenary 1981
Jersey, South Africa - 1980
Jersey, Romania, Mihai Marghescu - 1983
Jersey, Ireland, Freddie McLennan - 1981
Jersey, Scotland, Jim Renwick - 1981
Jersey, France, Didier Cordoniou - 1981
Jersey, New Zealand, Bruce Robertson - 1980
Jersey, New Zealand Maoris, Steve Pokere - 1982
Jersey, British & Irish Lions, Dai Richards - 1980
Jersey, Fiji, Apenisa Tokairavu - 1973
Jersey, Swansea, Dai Richards - 1985
Jersey, Ireland, Herbert Aston - 1908
Jersey, Midland Counties - 1947-50
Jersey, British Army, John Leleu - 1950
Jersey, England/Wales, Rowe Harding - 1923
Jersey, Ponsonby, NZ - 1974
Jersey, England/Wales, Dai Parker - 1930
Jersey, England, Adrian Stoop - 1911
Jersey, England/Wales, John Faull - 1959
Jersey, President's XV, RFU Centenary - 1971
Jersey, Wales, Phil Llewellyn - 1973
Jersey, Royal Navy Rugby Team, Haydn Mainwaring -1955
Jersey, Swansea RFC - 2006-07
Jersey, Wales, Claude Davey - 1936
Jersey, Wales, Watcyn Thomas - 1933
Jersey, Natal Rugby Union - Centenary - 1990
Jersey, South Africa, Albie Bates - 1969-70
Jersey, South Africa - 1980
Jersey, New Zealand - "Invincibles" 1924
Replica Jersey, New Zealand - 1905
Jersey, New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Jonny Smith - 1945
Jersey, New Zealand, Reuben Collins - 1935
Jersey, New Zealand, Macolm Dick - 1963
Jersey, New Zealand, Ian Kirkpatrick - 1972
Jersey, New Zealand Maoris, Bruce Hemara - 1982
New Zealand Secondary Schools Rugby Union, 1984-85
Jersey, New Zealand, Ron Williams - 1989
Jersey, New Zealand - RWC 2015
Jersey, Swansea RFC - 1984
Jersey, Swansea RFC, Stuart Davies - 1992
Jersey, Wales, Mervyn Davies - 1969-76
Jersey, British & Irish Lions, Mervyn Davies - 1971
Jersey, Swansea RFC, Mervyn Davies - SRFC Rugby Centenary 1973-74
Jersey, Swansea RFC - 1979-91
Jersey, Swansea RFC - 150th Season 2022-23
Jersey, London Welsh, Mervyn Davies - 1968-72
Jersey, Urdd Gobiath Cymru, Mervyn Davies - 1972
Jersey, England, possibly Andy Ripley - 1970s
Jersey, British & Irish Lions, Mervyn Davies - 1974
Jersey, Japan, Oshihiro Murata - 1973
Jersey, France, Felix Lasserre - 1923
Jersey, Wales - Dan Baker - 2013
Jersey, Wales, Dickie Owen - 1912
Jersey, France, Jean Clement - 1923
Jersey, Sydney Rugby Union - 1984
Jersey, Colonna RFC, Italy - 1985
Jersey, Wales, Joe Rees - 1924
Jersey, British Isles, John Faull - 1959
Jersey, England, Tom Voyce - 1924
Jersey Scotland/Ireland, Willie John McBride - SRU Centenary 1972-73
Jersey, France, Jean Barthe - 1957
Jersey, Wales XV, John Faull - 1957
Jersey, Ireland, Willie John McBride - 1975
Jersey, Wales, Dai Samuel - 1891
Jersey, Wales - Japan tour 1975
Jersey, Matamata College - 1974
Jersey, Ponsonby RFC, NZ - 1976
Jersey, Swansea Schools Rugby Union - 1976
Jersey, Australia, Damian Smith - 1992
Jersey, Swansea RFC v Barbarians - 2023
Jersey, Barbarians - SRFC 150th season 2023
Jersey, Sweden, Tour to Wales - 1982
Jersey, Wales, Roger Blyth - 1975
Jersey, Ranji Walker's XV - 1950s
Jersey, Boys' Club of Wales, Owain Bale - 1968
Jersey, Barbarians.
Colin Charvis:1999-2000
Jersey, New Zealand
Richard McCaw: 2003-2004
Jersey, South Africa
Pedrie Wannenburg: 2003-2004
Jersey, Wales, 125th Anniversary
Colin Charvis: 2005-2006
Jersey, Wales
Colin Charvis: 1999-2000
Jersey, Swansea.
Colin Charvis: 1995-1996