St Helen’s ArchivePreserving the past for the future
Four (End)
Transcript:
This is part four, and the final part in this short audio trail. This trail has shared the objects chosen for the display put on by students Lewis Douglass and Cosmin Gregor in 2022. Each object and therefore the audio entries attached to them, thus far has shared the story of Swansea RFC’s tour behind the Iron Curtain in 1954. However, this final entry takes us to the following year, the reciprocated tour in 1955.
This object, like the first in this trail, is also a pennant. This pennant was presented to Swansea RFC by the touring Romanian side on the 3rd of September 1955. Unlike the first pennant described, this object has designs on both sides. One side is blue, with a gold circle containing a blue ‘B’ for Bucharest, which is followed by a gold 1955 below it. The reverse is gold with blue text reading ‘Combined Bucharest - Swansea’ when translated. Combined Bucharest is in reference to the team, as neither team the Swansea pack played during their 1954 tour individually toured the UK, but rather a combined side from the Romanian teams across their capital: effectively making it a National XV. The last section of text on the pennant reads the date, interestingly with the nine for September being the only number in Roman numerals.
This touring Romanian side, certainly not affected by a reduction in temperature, won the match versus Swansea 19 - 3. Continuing their own tour they went on to play Cardiff RFC which they lost 3 - 6, as well as Bristol and the Harlequins, where both games ended in a draw.
Despite the game’s completion, the complex political environment saw further developments, as inferred at the start of this trail. Swansea players Dil Johnson and Matty Davies, as well as Davies wife were able to invite Romanian prop Stanislav Luric to an approved dinner where Luric was then able to make away from the house, outside of the knowledge of the communist authorities thanks to aid from MI5. Luric defected, and whilst little to nothing is known about his life after 1955 in the UK, nor why he was of interest to MI5 to begin with, this bookend to the story provides some extra drama to an already eventful two years for the Swansea club’s continuing involvement in rugby at home and abroad.
Playfully, it is the belief of the team here at the St Helens archive that the games played versus Romania in the 50’s led to the groundwork for Romania to beat Wales in the 1980s - twice.
This marks the end of this audio trail sharing the story behind Swansea RFC’s tour behind the Iron Curtain. This trail has also shared the work undertaken by Cosmin Gregor and Lewis Douglass, both on their research write-up and the display they produced. Please do enjoy the photograph(s) on this page of the display as it was at St Helens. Special thanks to both Lewis and Cosmin for their work. And, thank you for listening.