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With Cardiff Blues drawing Stade Français in this year’s European Challenge Cup, this is perhaps an appropriate time to highlight a couple of recent additions to the Museum. These relate to a Stade Français and Stade Nantais player, Georges Mergault, who led an eventful life and who wrote about his experiences with Cardiff RFC before the First World War. 

There have been many greatest XV teams on social media in current weeks following the ongoing coronavirus lockdown. CF10 Trust and Cardiff Blues have also got in on the act with readers being able to vote for their selections by those names being put forward. It has certainly been entertaining seeing people’s thoughts, and that’s why I was delighted when Cardiff Rugby Museum asked me to put together a greatest XV, but this time look at a greatest team of uncapped players who have graced the field playing rugby for Cardiff.

Long before the days of Bruiser, Cardiff RFC also had its own bear mascot. It was acquired originally for the South Africa tour in 1967 and was described by a player of that era as a “king size teddy bear dressed in full playing kit with a cap and boots and even a number (24) on its back" The bear wore a Keith Rowlands scarf in honour of the captain who was unable to lead his side on that tour as a result of injury. The bear was named “ Shaunee “ though nobody seems to remember why.