White Gold

Swansea RFC 1872-1887

David Dow

$239.95 $192

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

St David's Press
08 June 2023

British & Irish history; Sports teams & clubs; Rugby football; Rugby Union

A founder member of the Welsh Rugby Union, Swansea RFC is one of Wales' oldest and most illustrious rugby clubs. It was the first to beat the 'big three' touring teams of New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, and enjoyed multiple Welsh Cup and Merit Table successes, over its first 150 years.

Formed in 1872 as an association football team before converting to rugby football in 1874, White Gold tells the fascinating story of the club's first 15 years, when a group of Swansea cricketers established a football club for winter recreation, found a home at St. Helen's and how they created an open, running playing style that quickly became known and revered around the rugby world.

Lavishly illustrated with many previously unpublished photographs, White Gold has been meticulously researched by club historian David Dow and is the most comprehensive study of the early days of rugby in Swansea ever published. White Gold also vividly describes rugby politics both inside and outside of Wales, the social attitudes of the day and how they influenced Welsh rugby and society.

David Dow's comprehensive and definitive study also contains extensive appendices covering all the players, the club's first

internationals, complete fixture lists, club captains and point-scorers of the period.

By: David Dow
Imprint: St David's Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 244mm, Width: 170mm, Spine: 27mm
Weight: 986g
ISBN: 9781904609070
ISBN 10: 1904609074
Pages: 580
Publication Date: 08 June 2023
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Foreword Introduction 1. Football - A friendly kind of fight 2. 1831-73: A Winter Sport for Swansea's Cricketers 3. 1873-74: The Search for a Permanent Home 4. 1874-75: Primrose Field - Football on a Hillside 5. 1875-76: The South Wales Football Club 6. 1876-77: An idyllic ground on Swansea Bay - Football at St. Helen's 7. 1877-78: A rugby cup competition for Wales 8. 1878-79: Neath and Swansea lock horns 9. 1879-80: Success and silverware 10. 1880-81: Metamorphosis - South Wales Football Union to WFU 11. 1881-82: Swansea's first Welsh caps 12. 1882-83: St. Helen's - Wales' first rugby international ground 13. 1883-84: Red to white - Swansea become the 'All Whites' 14. 1884-85: Four three-quarters - A new system 15. 1885-86: Challenged for supremacy - the rise of the District teams 16. 1886-87: Rejuvenation and the 'glorious tin pot' Appendices Bibliography Index

David Dow is the archivist at Swansea RFC. A former official photographer to Ospreys Rugby, he spearheaded the creation of a digital archive at Swansea RFC, in partnership with Swansea University, to protect & promote the unique cricket and rugby collection at St. Helen's.

Reviews for White Gold: Swansea RFC 1872-1887

'an incredible insight into the formation of Swansea RFC: its characters, games played and the evolution of the 'Swansea Style'.' David Richards, Swansea, Wales and British & Irish Lions; 'White Gold describes accurately and entertainingly, the formation and rise of one of rugby's great clubs. The personalities and sometimes bizarre events will fascinate and educate the reader. There is something here for everyone and it is a valuable addition to our knowledge of early rugby in Wales.' Mike Ruddock, Swansea (player & coach), Wales & Ireland U20s (coach)