The WWRU Championship
In 1929, the 21 clubs in membership of the newly formed West Wales Rugby Union competed for just one trophy, the Championship Shield. The name of the trophy's donor was never recorded and the honour of being its first ever winners went to Ammanford with Penclawdd as runners-up.
Our Championship spanned sixty five glorious years of competitive rugby envied by all other leagues where rugby was played on a competitive basis. There was no apathy here in West Wales with grounds full to capacity and sometimes overflowing when two top teams played against each other, or local adversaries like Hendy and Pontarddulais, Tumble and Pontyberem, Seven Sisters and Crynant or Penclawdd and Gowerton met on the field of play.
Yet in sixty five years no fewer than twenty eight clubs have had the honour of being crowned West Wales League Champions. twenty seven are present day members, plus Cwmavon winners in 1949 but no longer in membership.
Tumble and Seven Sisters have enjoyed five wins apiece, Crynant, Hendy and Kidwelly are four times winners, closely followed by Cwmllynfell, Llandybe, Loughor and Penclawdd with three successes.
Back to back championship winners include Llandybie (1932 and 1933), Cwmllynfell (1959 and 1960), Kidwelly (1965 and 1966), Seven Sisters (1967 and 1968), Hendy (1978 and 1979) and Tumble (1984 and 1985) but Crynant hold the record of the greatest number of consecutive wins with three in 1955, 1956 and 1957.
Our thanks must go to our sponsors of the Championship over a period of many tears, Three of the main sponsors were Watney Mann, Ushers and Welsh Brewers whose generous support kept the WWRU flag flying high above the rest of the WRU's competitive League Structures.