Penarth RFC: Welcome Barbarians, farewell Warren Gatland!
The choice of the Penarth seafront Esplanade Hotel as the headquarters of the nomadic club for its South Wales tour is widely credited as the catalyst in making the Seaside Town the host of the Barbarians tour opener on Good Friday. It was rumoured at the time that Ralph Bond Sweet-Escott of Cardiff and Wales, one of the Barbarian FC founders, a Penarth resident and son of Rev Sweet-Escott, had something to do with the decision to choose Penarth as the base for the wandering tribe. This is something we will never know for sure, however, what we will always know is that from 1901, for the following seventy-odd years the Penarth Esplanade Hotel (“The Esp”) became the place the Barbarians called Home. Long before the advent of television the Barbarians exposed the rugby-hungry Wales to a brand of uninhibited running rugby, full of dash and creativity, which may explains, to a large extent, the deep affection of the Welsh public for the Barbarians club and its carefree approach to the game.
The advent of professionalism before the end of the 20th century had all but ended the playing relationship between the Barbarians and their Welsh club hosts including Penarth, but the Corinthian undertones of the Barbarians spirit seemed to have survived the break, shining brightly during the recent public training sessions at the Rec in Penarth, when the players and coaches, both men and women, fraternised with cohorts of local admirers..
Several hundred people, in majority schoolchildren from the Town’s schools, turned up to watch the Barbarians train at Penarth, while over 60,000 fans bought tickets to watch the first ever double-header of the Welsh men and women teams, hosting their Barbarian counterparts at the National Stadium. And in addition to all that there was an opportunity for the country’s passionate rugby folks to say a fond farewell to Warren Gatland, the man who guided Wales for the past 12 years and three world cups, as well as welcome the new man in charge Wayne Pivac.
The game has changed beyond recognition, and for the youngsters in Penarth the Barbarians visit offered a unique opportunity to see, talk and befriend some of the legends of the game, something only their parents and grandparents could do some 30-40 years ago. On the other hand it was hugely rewarding for the players themselves, to rediscover the bond between them and the ordinary supporters, something increasingly absent from today’s highly regulated professional rugby. And then it was the ladies Barbarians, at their first visit to Penarth, warmly welcomed by the locals, enjoying a full-day hospitality provided by the Seaside club, with the food, described by one of the visitors “as absolutely delicious,” prepared by the local firm Wilmores (Charlotte and Matt). The Penarth club Secretary James Docherty presented Gatland with a club tie and a copy of the club history “The Spirit of Penarth” an appropriate memento that it is “the spirit of the game” that counts after all.
To be honest, we at the club are hugely honoured by the visit of all these superstars and their coaches Warren Gatland and Robbie Deans. I must mention the warmth and generosity of Warren Gatland and thank him for the time he spent with the fans, so much that he nearly missed the team bus. He is a real gentleman, a credit to the game and will be sorely missed by all in Wales.” Mr Docherty said.
“The fact that these rugby superstars not only put on such a great show for the kids who turned up in such terrible weather, but then spent time to chat, sign autographs and pose for selfies was a true reflection that the spirit of Barbarians is alive and kicking. I must also say a huge thank you to the staff and parents of Victoria, Albert Road, Cogan, Westbourne, Llandough, Penygarth, St Cyres and Stanwell schools for arranging for the children to be able to enjoy such a wonderful spectacle. In this respect, the arrival of the Barbarian Women’s team in Penarth ads another page to the centennial history of the Baa-baas in Penarth and the fact that the young schoolgirls of Penarth were able to see and talk to these great role models, of the likes of Jo Yapp and Rachel Taylor, will hopefully inspire many of them to pick up the oval ball and enjoy this great game of ours,” Mr Dochety added.
This is how former Wales captain Claud Davey describes the special bond between Welsh rugby and the Barbarians: “My career as a rugby player would not have been complete if I had not played for the Barbarians…” Undoubtedly, the late Barbarians club President Micky Steele-Bodger, would have agreed with him wholeheartedly. Sadly Micky passed away in May, a few months before he was 93. A fair inning one would say, though for some of us, a Barbarian tour without the irrepressible Steele-Bodger in charge doesn’t feel quite right. He was very fond of the Penarth club and made an effort to come to open the club exhibition “Penarth and the Barbarians”, which he described as magnificent. This is what he had to say about the Barbarians Easter tour:
“For us the Barbarians Easter tour was an absolute blessing. There were no international tours at the time, and the Lions tours were quite infrequent, so the Barbarians were the next best thing after the Lions…..There had been nothing like that before in our lives. It was new and exciting. You wanted to be there, and you behaved yourself, because you wanted badly to be invited again. On the other hand, though the standard was very high, there was not so much pressure as it was when playing for England” he said.
