Our History

The Middle Years: 1925-1950
(Written as 'The Middle Years' in July 1975)

Who could be better at relating the history of the club through the middle years than Elwyn Jones who is now the steward of our club? Elwyn holds the distinction of having captained the club for five seasons. This is a record he proudly shares with Des Jones who did such valuable services to the club both as a player and committeeman. Elwyn's career with the first team started in the season1924/25 when he played two games under the captaincy of Ike John.

The years that followed through to the 1930's were very hard indeed. Following the general strike occurring in 1926 this predominantly mining area was in a very depressed state. Despite the shortage of money they managed somehow to keep the game alive. During the time there was just one league in the Swansea and District Rugby Union and Waunarlwydd fielded one team through this period. To quote Elwyn, "Nothing very significant happened as far as rugby was concerned and particularly as far as Waun were concerned!" This was hardly surprising as everyone was too pre-occupied struggling to exist.

Under Will Bidder in the early thirties the team started to come good. On the strength of this the club in 1933 made its first application for membership of the Welsh Rugby Union. This was the season when William Henry Griffiths was captain. Their case for membership was not very strong and inevitably they were turned down. We were at this time surrounded by clubs of W.R.U. status, and not surprisingly we were considered a nursery to these clubs.

Players seeking to improve the standard of their rugby joined teams such as Loughor, Penclawdd, Gowerton and Gorseinon. Even though Waunarlwydd won no honours in the 30's it is reputed (Elwyn was definite about this) that the club in the late thirties had the finest three-quarter line in the clubs history. The players were:- Full Back, Ken Jones; Wings, Haydn Davies, Aubrey Watts and Elvet Holbrow; Centres, Vernon Clarke and Ronnie Perkins; Inside half, Ronnie WaIters; Outside half Elwyn Jones. Yes! Elwyn was there and we will take his word that they were the greatest.

Through these years Will Bidder was the chairman, Tommy Crocombe the secretary, and Evan Jones the treasurer. Mention of Evan Jones necessitates relating how fortunate the village was when he brought his family from Treorchy in 1915. His sons Brin, Jim and Les have all tried to emulate their father and provide a great service to the club. His daughter Evelyn, Elwyn's wife, is now the stewardess of our club.

It is obvious that the club survived the troubled years because of men like Evan Jones.