Wales national rugby union team

The 1895 Wales team before playing England in the Home Nations Championship

Rugby union took root in Wales in 1850, when Reverend Rowland Williams became Vice-Principal at St David's College, Lampeter, and introduced the sport there.[1] Wales played their first international match on 19 February 1881; organised by Newport's Richard Mullock and captained by James Bevan, they played against England, losing by seven goals, one drop goal and six tries to nil (82–0 in modern scoring values).[2][3] On 12 March 1881, the Welsh Rugby Union was formed at The Castle Hotel, Neath.[2] Two years later, the Home Nations Championship – now the Six Nations Championship – was first played, but Wales did not register a win.[4][5][6] However, rugby in Wales developed and, by the 1890s, the Welsh had introduced the "four three-quarters" formation – with seven backs and eight forwards instead of six backs and nine forwards – which revolutionised the sport and was eventually adopted almost universally at international and club level.[7]

Wales' 1905 team that defeated New Zealand

With the "four three-quarters" formation, Wales won the Home Nations Championship for the first time in 1893, winning the Triple Crown in the process.[7] Wales next won the Championship in 1900, heralding the first "golden age" of Welsh rugby, which was to last until 1911.[8] They won two more Triple Crowns in 1902 and 1905,[9] and were runners-up in 1901, 1903 and 1904.[6]

In 1906, Wales again won the Home Nations Championship,[9][lower-alpha 1] and later that year played South Africa for the first time. Wales were favourites to win the match,[10] but South Africa dominated in the forwards and eventually won 11–0.[11][12] Two years later, on 12 December 1908, Wales played the touring Australians, who they defeated 9–6.[13]

In 1909, Wales won the Home Nations Championship and then, in 1910 – with the inclusion of France – the first Five Nations. In 1911, Wales took the first Five Nations Grand Slam, winning all their matches in the tournament.[9][lower-alpha 2] It would be nearly 40 years before they achieved a Grand Slam again.[9] England's defeat of Wales at Cardiff in 1913 was Wales' first home loss to one of the Home Nations since 1899, and their first home loss to England since 1895.[14] The Great War came in 1914 and rugby was suspended for the duration.

A scrum in the Wales victory over New Zealand's Original All Blacks in 1905

When Wales faced New Zealand at Cardiff Arms Park in late 1905, they had not lost at home since 1899.[15] This New Zealand team – referred to as The Original All Blacks – was the first of the southern hemisphere national teams to visit the British Isles,[16] and were undefeated on their tour up to that point, having already beaten England, Ireland and Scotland.[17][lower-alpha 3] Before the match, New Zealand team performed a haka (a Māori posture dance); the 47,000-strong crowd responded with the Welsh national anthem – Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau ("Land of My Fathers") – the first time a national anthem had been sung before a sporting fixture.[18] Wales wing Teddy Morgan scored a try to give Wales a 3–0 lead, before New Zealand's Bob Deans claimed to have scored a try, only to be dragged behind the goal-line before the referee arrived. The referee awarded a scrum to Wales and the score remained unchanged; Wales won 3–0.[19] The loss was New Zealand's only defeat on their 35-match tour.[20]

Wales playing France during the 1922 Five Nations Championship

The post-First World War years marked a decline in Welsh rugby. An industrial recession struck the country, and hurt South Wales in particular. Welsh international results in the 1920s mirrored the performance of the economy: of their 42 matches, they won only 17, with three drawn.[21] Half a million people emigrated from Wales to find work elsewhere during the depression;[22] this included many Welsh rugby union internationals, who moved to the professional code of rugby league.[23] Between 1923 and 1928, Wales managed only seven victories – five of them against France. However, even France managed to defeat Wales that decade, achieving their first victory in 1928.[24] Welsh selection policy reflected the upheavals of the mid-1920s. In 1924, 35 different players were selected for Wales' four matches, with a different captain for each, and only Edward Watkins in the backs and Charlie Pugh in the forwards playing in all four matches.[21]

A resurgence of both economy and rugby union followed in the 1930s and, in 1931, Wales won their first championship for nine years. That year, for the first time since the First World War, Wales retained the same side for two consecutive matches when they faced England and Scotland.[25] Then, in 1933, captained by Watcyn Thomas, Wales defeated England at Twickenham.[26] In 1935, Wales beat the touring New Zealand side 13–12, with Haydn Tanner making his first appearance. Although the Five Nations Championship was suspended during the Second World War,[lower-alpha 4] Wales did play a Red Cross charity match against England at Cardiff in 1940, losing 18–9.[28]

After the Second World War, Wales played a New Zealand Army team (the Kiwis) in 1946, losing 11–3.[29] The Five Nations (suspended during the war) resumed in 1947, when Wales shared the title with England. Although Wales suffered their first home defeat to France in 1948,[30] they won their first Five Nations Grand Slam since 1911 in 1950.[9] The next year, they lost 6–3 to the touring South Africans, despite dominating in the line-outs.[31] They achieved another Grand Slam in 1952,[9] followed by a 13–8 win over New Zealand in 1953.[32] In 1954, St Helen's in Swansea (a Welsh international venue since 1882) hosted its last international and Cardiff Arms Park officially became the home of the Welsh team.[33] In 1956, Wales again won the Five Nations, but they did not regain the title until 1964 and did not win it outright until 1965.[9]

Wales playing Argentina at Estadio GEBA in September 1968

Wales conducted their first overseas tour in 1964, playing several games and one test in South Africa.[34] They lost the test against South Africa in Durban 24–3, their biggest defeat in 40 years.[35] At the WRU annual general meeting that year, the outgoing WRU President D. Ewart Davies declared that "it was evident from the experience of the South African Tour that a much more positive attitude to the game was required in Wales ... Players must be prepared to learn, and indeed re-learn, to the absolute point of mastery, the basic principles of Rugby Union football".[36] This started the coaching revolution. The WRU Coaching Committee – set up in the late 1950s – was given the task of improving the quality of coaching and, in January 1967, Ray Williams was appointed Coaching Organiser.[37] The first national coach, David Nash, was appointed in 1967 to coach Wales for the season, but resigned when the WRU refused to allow him to accompany Wales on their 1968 tour of Argentina.[38] Eventually, the WRU reversed their decision, appointing Clive Rowlands to tour as coach. Of the six matches, Wales won three, drew two and lost one.[39]

Wales enjoyed a second "golden age" in the 1970s,[40][41][42] with world-class players such as Gareth Edwards,[42] J. P. R. Williams, Gerald Davies,[42] Barry John,[40] and Mervyn Davies[43] in their side. Wales dominated Northern Hemisphere rugby between 1969 and 1979, and managed an incredible winning record, losing only seven times during that period.[40] Wales toured New Zealand for the first time in 1969, but were defeated in both matches. In the second test, which they lost 33–12,[44] New Zealand fullback Fergie McCormick scored 24 points; a record at the time.[45]

In 1970, Wales shared the Five Nations with France, and recorded a 6–6 draw against South Africa in Cardiff.[46] The following year, Wales recorded their first Five Nations Grand Slam since 1952. Using only 16 players in four games,[47] the 1971 side achieved their most notable win of the tournament in their victory over Scotland;[48] after a last-minute try by Gerald Davies that reduced Scotland's lead to 18–17, flanker John Taylor kicked a conversion from the sideline described as "the greatest conversion since St Paul" to give Wales a 19–18 win.[49] Wales contributed more players than any other team to the British Lions side that toured New Zealand that year. Those Lions became the only ones to win a series over New Zealand.[50]

In the 1972 Five Nations Championship, Wales and Scotland refused to travel to Ireland at the height of the Troubles after receiving threats, purportedly from the Irish Republican Army.[51] The Championship remained unresolved with Wales and Ireland unbeaten. Although the Five Nations was a five-way tie in 1973, the Welsh did defeat Australia 24–0 in Cardiff.[52]

Wales next won the Five Nations outright in 1975, and in 1976, Wales won their second Grand Slam of the decade. Just like the first in 1971, they used only 16 players over their four matches.[53] They repeated the feat in 1978 and, in the process, became the first team to win three consecutive Triple Crowns.[54] Following their final Five Nations match of 1978, both Phil Bennett and Gareth Edwards retired from rugby.[42]

Wales hosted New Zealand at Cardiff Arms Park in November 1978, losing 13–12 after a late penalty goal by the replacement New Zealand fullback, Brian McKechnie.[55] The penalty was controversial because New Zealand lock Andy Haden had dived out of a line-out in an attempt to earn a penalty. Haden later admitted that he and Frank Oliver had pre-agreed this tactic should they find themselves in difficulties.[56][57] Referee Roger Quittenton was criticised by the press for failing to notice the dive, but he later stated that the penalty had been given against Welsh lock Geoff Wheel for jumping off the shoulder of Oliver.[58] Quittenton later said, "Haden's perception is that his dive secured the penalty. That is a load of rubbish".[57] Wales then went on to win the 1979 Five Nations with a Triple Crown.[9]

New Zealander Graham Henry coached Wales to their first test win over South Africa in 1999.

In 1980, the WRU's centenary year,[59] Wales lost 23–3 to New Zealand in Cardiff, with the All Blacks scoring four tries to nil.[60] Wales won two matches in the Five Nations Championships of both 1980 and 1981,[61] and in 1983 were nearly upset by Japan, winning 29–24 at Cardiff.[62] In 1984, Australia defeated Wales 28–9 at Cardiff Arms Park.[13]

Wales achieved only one win in 1987's Five Nations before contesting the inaugural Rugby World Cup.[61] Wales defeated Ireland in their crucial pool fixture,[63] before defeating England in the quarter-finals.[64] They then faced hosts New Zealand, who won 49–6, but beat Australia in the third place play-off game to claim third.[65] The next year Wales won the Triple Crown for the first time since 1979, but heavy defeats on tour to New Zealand later that year saw the end of a number of Welsh players' careers, as several converted to rugby league.[59]

Welsh rugby reached a nadir when Wales suffered their first Five Nations Championship whitewash; they had upset England in 1989 to avoid losing all their Championship matches that season,[66] but in 1990, Wales were defeated in all four Five Nations' matches for the first time, before almost doing the same the following year.[67] The 1991 World Cup saw further frustration, when Wales were upset by Samoa in their opening match.[68] A second group-stage loss, by 38–3 to Australia, eliminated Wales from the tournament.[69]

After winning two Five Nations games in 1992, and one in 1993,[70] Wales won the Championship in 1994 on points difference.[9] But without defeating one of Australia, New Zealand or South Africa during the inter-World Cup period, and again losing all four of their matches at the 1995 Five Nations Championship, Wales was not considered a major contender for the 1995 Rugby World Cup.[69][71] At the 1995 World Cup, after comprehensively beating Japan, Wales lost to New Zealand; this meant that they needed to defeat Ireland to qualify for the quarter-finals. Wales lost 24–23 and so failed to progress beyond the pool stage for the second time,[72] and later that year Kevin Bowring replaced Alec Evans to become Wales' first full-time coach.[73]

Record defeats of 51–0 to France and 96–13 to South Africa, prompted the WRU to appoint New Zealander Graham Henry as coach in 1998.[74][75] Henry had early success as coach, leading Wales to a 10-match winning streak; this included Wales' first victory over South Africa, a 29–19 win in the first match played at the Millennium Stadium.[74] Henry was consequently nicknamed "the Great Redeemer" by the Welsh media and fans, a reference to the opening line of Cwm Rhondda, a popular song among Welsh rugby fans.[75][76] Hosting the 1999 World Cup, Wales qualified for the quarter-finals for the first time since 1987, but lost 24–9 to eventual champions Australia.[77] A lack of success in the Five and Six Nations (Italy joined the tournament in 2000), and especially a number of heavy losses to Ireland, led to Henry's resignation in February 2002; his assistant Steve Hansen took over.[74][75]

During Hansen's tenure, the WRU implemented a significant change in the structure of the game domestically. Regional teams were introduced as a tier above the traditional club-based structures in 2003, and the five (later four) regional sides became the top level of domestic professional rugby in the country.[lower-alpha 5][78][79] At the 2003 World Cup, Wales scored four tries in their 53–37 pool stage loss to New Zealand,[80] before losing in the quarter-finals to the eventual tournament winners, England, despite outscoring them by three tries to one.[81]

Michael Owen takes a line-out.

Coached by Mike Ruddock, Wales won their first Grand Slam since 1978 and their first Six Nations Grand Slam in 2005. A late long-range penalty from Gavin Henson gave them victory over England in Cardiff for the first time in 12 years,[82] and after victories over Italy, France and Scotland, they faced Ireland in front of a capacity crowd at the Millennium Stadium where Wales' 32–20 victory gave them their first Championship since 1994.[83] Later that year, they suffered a record home loss, 41–3 to New Zealand.[84]

Ruddock resigned as head coach midway through the 2006 Six Nations,[85] where Wales finished fifth, and Gareth Jenkins was eventually appointed as his replacement.[86] Jenkins led Wales through the 2007 World Cup, where they failed to advance beyond the pool stage after losing their final game 38–34 to Fiji, thanks to a Graham Dewes try.[87] Jenkins subsequently lost his job,[88][89] and Warren Gatland, a New Zealander, was appointed as his successor.[90]

Wales faced England at Twickenham for Gatland's inaugural match as coach and their first match of the 2008 Six Nations. They had not defeated England there since 1988, and went on to win 26–19. They eventually won all their matches in the Championship, conceding only two tries in the process, to claim another Grand Slam.[91] Later that year, Wales defeated Australia 21–18 in Cardiff, but then started a six-year, 23-game winless streak against the southern hemisphere nations of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.[92]

2008-2019 Wales coach Warren Gatland

At the 2011 World Cup, Wales reached the semi-finals for the first time since 1987, but lost 9–8 to France after captain Sam Warburton was sent off.[93] The two teams met again in March 2012, with Wales needing a win to claim their third Six Nations Grand Slam in eight years, which they did with a 16–9 victory.[94] This was followed immediately by an eight-match losing streak that was eventually broken during the 2013 Six Nations,[95] where Wales retained the Championship for the first time since 1979.[96] Wales reached the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Cup at the expense of hosts England, before losing 23–19 to South Africa.[97] Wales also achieved a fourth Grand Slam in 14 years and their first in seven years in the 2019 Six Nations.[98]

Wales reached the top spot in the men's World Rugby Rankings in August 2019, holding the position for two weeks.[99] They went on to top their pool at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, winning all their pool matches for the first time since the inaugural tournament in 1987,[100] and ultimately reached the semi-finals before they were knocked out by eventual champions South Africa;[101] Wales lost to New Zealand in the bronze final and finished fourth in the tournament.[102]

In July 2018, it was announced that then-Scarlets coach Wayne Pivac would succeed Gatland as Wales coach following the 2019 Rugby World Cup.[103] Pivac's first match in charge was a match against a Barbarians side coach by Gatland in November 2019.[104] Despite winning Pivac's first full international in charge in the 2020 Six Nations against Italy, Wales only recorded two other wins all year, finishing fifth in both the Six Nations and the Autumn Nations Cup. 2021 saw highs and lows. Wales won their fourth Six Nations title of the last decade, though they fell short of winning the Grand Slam at the death of their final match against France in Paris.[105] They faced Argentina in a 2 match test series, in which they drew the opening game and Wales lost in the second game 11-33. That autumn, Wales opened with losses to New Zealand and South Africa before beating Fiji and Australia.

Wales slumped to a fifth place finish in the 2022 Six Nations Championship, their sole win coming at home against Scotland. In the final week of the tournament, Wales lost to Italy 21–22, their first ever home loss to the Italians.[106]

They then embarked on a tour to South Africa over the summer. Wales narrowly lost the first test, losing 32–29 after a late penalty from Springbok outside half Handre Pollard.[107] The following week, Wales secured their first ever win on South African soil, winning 12–13 in Bloemfontein.[108] South Africa won the final test, and secured a 2–1 series win.

Wales compete annually in the Six Nations Championship, which is played against five other European nations: England, France, Ireland, Italy, and Scotland. The Six Nations started as the Home Nations Championship in 1883, as a contest between the four component nations of the United Kingdom. Wales first won it in 1893, when they achieved a Triple Crown.[4][7] Wales have won the tournament outright 28 times, and shared 12 other victories.[157] Their longest wait between championships was 11 years (1994–2005). Wales first won a Grand Slam in 1908 – although France did not officially join the Five Nations until 1910 – and their first Six Nations Grand Slam in 2005.[4][158] Their most recent Grand Slam was won in 2019 with victory over Ireland on the final day of the Six Nations tournament. Their most recent Triple Crown was won in 2021 with victory over England in the third round of the Six Nations tournament.

A scrum between Wales and Australia at the 2011 Rugby World Cup

Wales have contested every Rugby World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1987.

The 1987 tournament was Wales' most successful; they won all three pool matches and their quarter-final, before losing to the All Blacks in the semi-finals. They then faced Australia in the third place play-off match, which they won 22–21.[65]

In the next two tournaments in 1991 and 1995, Wales failed to progress beyond the pool stage, winning just one match in each tournament.[69][72] They also became the first co host nation to not make it out of the pool stage in 1991.

Both the 1999 and 2003 tournaments were more successful, with Wales qualifying for the quarter-finals both times. Wales hosted the event in 1999 and topped their pool only to lose to eventual winners Australia in the quarter-finals.[77][159]

In 2003, they finished second in their pool behind the All Blacks,[80] and faced England in the quarter-finals. They lost to England, the eventual champions, 28–17. Wales conceded 17 penalties, and their lack of discipline proved costly.[81]

In the 2007 World Cup, Wales again failed to progress from the pool stage. After a loss to Australia, and two wins against Japan and Canada, they faced Fiji for a place in the quarter-finals.[87] The game started poorly for Wales who were behind 25–3 at half-time. They fought back to lead by three points with six minutes remaining, but Fiji then scored a try to win 38–34 and eliminated Wales from the tournament.[88]

At the 2011 World Cup, Wales reached the semi-finals for the first time since 1987. Playing the semi-finals against France, Wales lost 9–8, in a game overshadowed by the 18th-minute sending off of Wales' captain Sam Warburton for a dangerous tackle against Vincent Clerc.[93]

At the 2015 World Cup Wales were in the same pool as Australia, England, Fiji and Uruguay. They finished second in the pool behind Australia and ahead of hosts England. South Africa defeated Wales in the quarter-finals.

In the 2019 World Cup Wales were in pool D with Australia, Fiji, Georgia and Uruguay. They won all their group matches to finish top of the pool. After defeating France in the quarter-finals, they lost to the eventual tournament winners South Africa in the semi-finals.

Men's World Rugby Rankings Top 20 as of 31 October 2022[160]
Rank	Change*	Team	Points
1		Ireland	090.03
2		France	089.41
3		South Africa	089.00
4		New Zealand	087.64
5		England	086.25
6	3	Australia	082.08
7	2	Wales	081.28
8	1	Argentina	081.21
9	3	Scotland	080.51
10		Japan	077.39
11		Samoa	075.75
12		Fiji	075.08
13		Georgia	074.51
14		Italy	073.29
15		Spain	069.27
16		Tonga	067.79
17		Romania	066.33
18		Uruguay	065.97
19		United States	065.17
20		Portugal	065.08
21		Chile	061.24
22		Hong Kong	061.03
23		Canada	060.99
24		Namibia	060.56
25		Russia	058.06
26		Belgium	055.97
27		Brazil	055.23
28		Netherlands	053.69
29		Poland	053.03
30		Germany	052.79
* Change from the previous week
Wales's historical rankings
See or edit source data.
Source: World Rugby[160] Graph updated to 8 August 2022

When the World Rugby Rankings were introduced in October 2003, Wales were ranked 8th.[lower-alpha 6] They rose to 7th in June 2004, before falling back to 8th in November that year. Following a Grand Slam win in the 2005 Six Nations, they rose to a ranking position of 5th. They fell to 9th by June 2006, and, after rising back to 8th by September, fell to 10th after the 2007 World Cup. A second Six Nations' Grand Slam in 2008 propelled them to 6th in the rankings, but following losses to South Africa in the mid-year and end-of-year internationals Wales slipped to 7th. Wales climbed to 4th after a win over Scotland in their first match of the 2009 Six Nations. They slumped to 9th in 2010 but rose back to 4th after their fourth place in the 2011 World Cup.[161] Since then, Wales have ranked the majority of the time among the top six teams. They reached 2nd during the 2015 Rugby World Cup,[162] before hitting top spot for the first time on 19 August 2019, after winning 15 of their last 16 games.[163]

Wales have won 398 of their 766 Test matches.[164][165] Their biggest Test defeat was a 96–13 loss to South Africa in 1998, and their largest victory was a 98–0 defeat of Japan in 2004. Their record for most tries in a match is 16, scored against Portugal in 1994 – they also scored 102 points in this match, more than in any other Test. Wales' record for consecutive Test wins is 14, and for consecutive losses is 10.[165]

Below is table of the representative rugby matches played by a Wales national XV at test level up until 28 July 2022.

Opponent	Played	Won	Lost	Drawn	Win %	PF	PA	+/−
Argentina	20	13	6	1	65%	536	445	+91
Australia	44	13	30	1	29.54%	702	1032	−340
Barbarians	10	4	6	0	40.00%	306	280	+26
Canada	13	12	1	0	92.31%	528	219	+309
England	138	60	66	12	43.48%	1735	1886	−151
Fiji	13	11	1	1	84.61%	396	185	+211
France	102	51	48	3	50%	1539	1486	+53
Georgia	3	3	0	0	100.00%	74	20	+54
Ireland	133	70	56	7	52.63%	1629	1576	+53
Italy	31	27	3	1	87.1%	1061	483	+578
Japan	10	9	1	0	90.00%	526	159	+367
Namibia	4	4	0	0	100.00%	171	69	+102
New Zealand	36	3	33	0	8.33%	407	1164	−757
New Zealand Natives	1	1	0	0	100.00%	1G	0G	+1G
New Zealand Services	1	0	1	0	0.00%	3	6	−3
Pacific Islanders	1	1	0	0	100.00%	38	20	+18
Portugal	1	1	0	0	100.00%	102	11	+91
Romania	8	6	2	0	75.00%	342	96	+246
Samoa	10	6	4	0	60.00%	235	180	+55
Scotland	128	75	50	3	58.59%	1778	1373	+405
South Africa	40	7	32	1	17.5%	642	1019	−377
Spain	1	1	0	0	100.00%	54	0	+54
Tonga	9	9	0	0	100.00%	301	108	+193
United States	7	7	0	0	100.00%	305	86	+219
Uruguay	2	2	0	0	100.00%	89	22	+67
Zimbabwe	3	3	0	0	100.00%	126	38	+88
Total	769	399	340	30	51.89%	13626	11963	+1663

On 18 October 2022, Wales named a 35-man squad for the Autumn Nations Series.[166]

Bradley Roberts was added to the squad on 25 October 2022, replacing the injured Dewi Lake.[167]

Head coach: Wayne Pivac

• Caps and clubs updated 5 November 2022

Player	Position	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Club/province
Ryan Elias	Hooker	(1995-01-07) 7 January 1995	31	Scarlets
Ken Owens	Hooker	(1987-01-03) 3 January 1987	88	Scarlets
Bradley Roberts	Hooker	(1996-01-04) 4 January 1996	2	Dragons
Tomas Francis	Prop	(1992-04-27) 27 April 1992	66	Ospreys
Rhodri Jones	Prop	(1991-12-23) 23 December 1991	21	Dragons
Dillon Lewis	Prop	(1996-01-04) 4 January 1996	42	Cardiff
Nicky Smith	Prop	(1994-04-07) 7 April 1994	42	Ospreys
Gareth Thomas	Prop	(1993-08-02) 2 August 1993	14	Ospreys
Sam Wainwright	Prop	(1998-05-07) 7 May 1998	2	Saracens
Adam Beard	Lock	(1996-01-07) 7 January 1996	38	Ospreys
Ben Carter	Lock	(2001-01-23) 23 January 2001	6	Dragons
Alun Wyn Jones	Lock	(1985-09-19) 19 September 1985	154	Ospreys
Will Rowlands	Lock	(1991-09-19) 19 September 1991	22	Dragons
Taulupe Faletau	Back row	(1990-11-12) 12 November 1990	92	Cardiff
Dan Lydiate	Back row	(1987-12-18) 18 December 1987	68	Ospreys
Josh Macleod	Back row	(1996-10-27) 27 October 1996	0	Scarlets
Jac Morgan	Back row	(2000-01-21) 21 January 2000	3	Ospreys
Tommy Reffell	Back row	(1999-04-27) 27 April 1999	4	Leicester Tigers
Justin Tipuric (c)	Back row	(1989-08-06) 6 August 1989	87	Ospreys
Christ Tshiunza	Back row	(2002-01-09) 9 January 2002	3	Exeter Chiefs
Dane Blacker	Scrum-half	(1998-07-06) 6 July 1998	0	Scarlets
Kieran Hardy	Scrum-half	(1995-11-30) 30 November 1995	15	Scarlets
Tomos Williams	Scrum-half	(1995-01-01) 1 January 1995	37	Cardiff
Gareth Anscombe	Fly-half	(1991-05-10) 10 May 1991	33	Ospreys
Sam Costelow	Fly-half	(2001-01-10) 10 January 2001	1	Scarlets
Rhys Priestland	Fly-half	(1987-01-07) 7 January 1987	53	Cardiff
Joe Hawkins	Centre	(2002-06-11) 11 June 2002	0	Ospreys
George North	Centre	(1992-04-13) 13 April 1992	106	Ospreys
Nick Tompkins	Centre	(1995-02-16) 16 February 1995	24	Saracens
Owen Watkin	Centre	(1996-10-12) 12 October 1996	34	Ospreys
Josh Adams	Wing	(1995-04-21) 21 April 1995	42	Cardiff
Alex Cuthbert	Wing	(1990-04-05) 5 April 1990	52	Ospreys
Rio Dyer	Wing	(1999-12-21) 21 December 1999	1	Dragons
Louis Rees-Zammit	Wing	(2001-02-02) 2 February 2001	20	Gloucester
Leigh Halfpenny	Fullback	(1988-12-22) 22 December 1988	96	Scarlets

Eighteen Welsh internationals have been inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.[168] One Welsh player, Shane Williams in 2008, has been awarded World Rugby Player of the Year (formerly known as the International Rugby Board Player of the Year).[169]

See List of Wales national rugby union team records; and List of Wales national rugby union players for a sortable list containing player caps and tries

Former Wales forward Colin Charvis scored 22 tries for his country, the most ever by a forward.

Neil Jenkins was the first rugby player to surpass 1000 Test points. He holds several Welsh records, including the most points scored for Wales with 1049, the most successful penalty kicks for Wales with 248, and the Welsh record for most points in a single Test match with 30.[170][171] The record for drop-goals for Wales is held by Jonathan Davies with 13.[172]

Shane Williams is Wales' record try-scorer with 58 tries. Williams is also Wales' record try-scorer in Six Nations Championships with 22 and the Rugby World Cups with 10.[173] Colin Charvis' 22 tries is the all-time Welsh record for a forward, and was the world record for tries by a forward until 2011.[174]

Alun Wyn Jones is the nation's most capped player with 154 Welsh caps. Six other players have earned 100 caps or more: Gethin Jenkins, Stephen Jones, Gareth Thomas, Martyn Williams, George North and Dan Biggar.[175] The record for most matches as captain is held by Alun Wyn Jones with 52.[176] The record for the most consecutive appearances is held by Gareth Edwards who played all 53 of his matches for Wales consecutively between 1967 and 1978.[170] Edwards is also Wales' youngest ever captain at the age of 20.[43]

The youngest player ever capped for Wales is Tom Prydie, who made his debut in Wales' 2010 Six Nations finale on 20 March 2010 against Italy at age 18 years, 25 days, beating the record set by Norman Biggs in 1888.[177][178] Prydie is also Wales' youngest try-scorer, scored against South Africa in June 2010, overtaking the record that Tom Pearson set on his debut in 1891.[179] Winger George North, aged 18 years 214 days, overtook Pearson's record as the youngest Wales player to score a try on debut in November 2010.[180]

The following Welsh players have been inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame: