The Rugby Historian

The Final Countdown⏱️

Part 3 of our Wales fly-half blog series is now live on our site. We have a look at the intriguing 21st century story of the Welsh number 10, as Stephen Jones and Dan Biggar battled to keep their starting berths against strong competition from Hook, Priestland and Anscombe. As the build and playing style of the position changed, so too did the type of player who donned the shirt.

As Wales continues to rebuild, the new crop of 10’s must be given the chance to imprint their own brand of play, free from the expectations and baggage of those who went before. Give them a chance, and they will, eventually, come good.

Link to the blog in our bio.🔗

The Joy of Discovery🔍

At the Rugby Historian we love finding new stories to tell, and the Unions Cup is a prime example. The 3rd edition of the tournament is taking place from the 12th to the 18th of July in Bangkok, Thailand, with 7 national sides taking part. The Philippines are the defending champions, having beaten Thailand in the final last year. Singapore and Chinese Taipei also return, while Malaysia, Laos and Guam make their tournament debuts.

The competition is an excellent initiative to grow the XV’s side of the game in South-East Asia, and the expansion for 2026 edition is hugely encouraging. Game time is hard to come by for most teams: Guam last played a Men’s Test match in 2019, while Laos’s last game came in 2017. One hopes this the start of a new chapter in the rugby history of these countries, and that the game continues to blossom in the region.

Part 2: Big shoes to fill.

In part 2 of our blog series on the myth of Wales’s flyhalf, we take a closer look at the men who came after the glory years of the 1970’s. Gareth Davies, Jonathan Davies and Neil Jenkins enhanced the status of the Welsh number 10 jersey, each in their own unique way, and were vital in securing elusive titles in 1979, 1988 and 1994.

Link to the blog in our bio.

Tight at the Trophy top🏆

The race for promotion and the title comes down to this weekend’s games. Who will claim the trophy and move up to the REC? We take a deep dive and see how the games will affect the rankings too.

Link to the video in our bio🎥

Soaring as others fall🦅

Germany clinched their first Rugby Europe Women's Trophy and, in the process, pushed Sweden to its lowest-ever ranking. We review that championship decider plus the five men's games which took place last weekend.

Link to the video in our bio.🎥

Chasing greatness 🇨🇿

Czechia are on fire and are chasing promotion from the Rugby Europe Trophy. Watch our latest video for a quick look at their Rugby History, their current run of wins, and who they will be playing this weekend. We also preview the five other games taking place on Saturday.🗓

The link to the Youtube channel is in our bio.

The myth of the Wales flyhalf🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Part 1: The legend is born.

The Wales number 10 jersey is iconic, but what are the origins of its legendary status? We take a closer look at how Cliff Morgan, David Watkins, Barry John and Phil Bennett all helped to create the myth, and how their individual brilliance steered Wales through choppy waters.

Part 2 is in the works and will be with you soon

Link in bio

Winners and Losers.📈📉

We review how the last month and a half of amazing rugby action have shaped the rankings. From England slipping down 3 places to Portugal soaring up to 14th, the rankings have had a good shake-up.

Watch our latest video🎞

Link in our bio.

It all comes down to this.🏆

Tomorrow is Super Sunday in the Rugby Europe Championship and we are in for a treat. Can Portugal beat the odds and defeat the mighty Georgians? Will Germany avoid a succesive Wooden Spoons?

We preview the last weekend of 2026 REC action on our YouTube channel.

Link in bio.

Video killed the radio star 📹

The first video is up on the Rugby Historian YouTube channel. We preview the final weekend of the 2026 Six Nations, looking at all the fixtures and how they will shape the Rankings one last time.

Follow the link in our bio to watch the video.