The Wheels Religion of Welsh Rugby

First topic message reminder :

It's something of a cliche, the link between Rugby and Religion in Wales. 

When Max Boyce wrote his song about the England Trip in the 70's Welsh fans could sing hymns and they could sing arias. Hands up who knows what an aria is...?

Even then though Max sang about "10,000 Instant Christians". The fans sang the hymns of their childhood, but had turned their back on the religion which gave them that cultural resource.

In the industrial era Christianity boomed in Wales. The Methodist Revival of the early 1900s saw Rugby clubs temporarily disbanded as players forsook "chwant peldroed" or "the lust for football". A century later it is unimaginable that Christianity could hold such sway over sporting matters.

That Rugby is often claimed to be a quasi religion is a source of pride for many in Wales. There is one parallel between Religion and Rugby that may not sit easily with Welsh fans if they thought about it though.

An Independent Minister I knew had a theory. He called it "Wheels Religion". It was a simple theory, most people practised it. The only times they attended chapel was on wheels; a buggy to be Christened, a car to be married and a hearse to be buried. In order for them to be given those privileges of course, others had to keep the doors of the chapel open in between.

Around 12,000 people attend Regional Rugby matches in Wales in any given week of the season. Almost 70,000 will watch Wales in the Millennium Stadium in the 6 Nations. There were 250,000 visitors to Cardiff for the France game, but the Stadium was not full for the Italy game. The Stadium is rarely full for the Autumn Internationals, unless New Zealand are playing. The fans who watched Sam Warburton raise the championship trophy and his team celebrate a Grand Slam are the people who may claim Rugby as their Religion, but can 12,000 true believers keep the doors of Welsh Rugby open for them in between their trips to Cardiff?

So the next time you fancy a day out at the Millennium Stadium, remember the theory of Wheels Religion. As a referee (or firebrand preacher) might say, it's time to use it or lose it. 

Welsh population centres (source Wikipedia)

1 Cardiff 292,150 Cardiff B
2 Swansea 169,880 Swansea O
3 Newport 116,143 Newport D
4 Rhondda 59,602 Rhondda Cynon Taf B*
5 Barry 50,661 Vale of Glamorgan B
6 Cwmbran 47,254 Torfaen D*
7 Llanelli 46,357 Carmarthenshire S
8 Neath 45,898 Neath Port Talbot O
9 Wrexham 42,576 Wrexham G
10 Bridgend 39,429 Bridgend O
11 Port Talbot 35,633 Neath Port Talbot O
12 Pontypool 35,447 Torfaen D*
13 Aberdare 31,619 Rhondda Cynon Taf B*
14 Caerphilly 31,060 Caerphilly D*
15 Merthyr Tydfil 30,483 Merthyr Tydfil B*
16 Colwyn Bay 30,269 Conwy G
17 Pontypridd 29,781 Rhondda Cynon Taf B*
18 Rhyl 24,889 Denbighshire G
19 Shotton/Hawarden 24,751 Flintshire G
20 Penarth 23,245 Vale of Glamorgan B

*"Valleys" towns
Blues Region B
Dragons Region D
Ospreys Region O
Scarlets Region S
GC1404 Region G

See the problem?

The population of the "non represented" Valleys is scattered over a decent sized area with a number of smaller centres without any one dominating (The Rhondda is a number of towns and villages in reality)

Glass, Wikipedia is wrong, the official population of Merthyr Tydfil is 55,000. I would also wager all the other figures are not accurate either. If you need to know more about Merthyr Tydfil, try this link:-

http://www.reference.com/browse/Merthyr+Tydfil&

This is the more up to date and more official fact about my town. Also, Merthyr is supposed to be in the Blues region not the Ospreys.

Population changes by the second so you will never have an accurate figure, but your figure is for the County of Merthyr not the town! The table is a good indication of the position and it doesn't change the fact that the Valleys Region will face major problems of its own and cause problems for the other four regions. A bolt on won't work, the whole regional structure would need to be revamped. You can try and sell that one to a fickle rugby public if you want.

Glas, I think you might mean borough as Merthyr is not a county, it is in a county though, which is the county of Mid Glamorgan, which also includes, Aberdare and Pontypridd two towns of which you mention above, I as think that the Rhondda is in Mid Glam as well and although you quoted their population as 59,000 I think they are closer to the 75,0000 mark. As I said wikipedia is so far from accurate with not just the population of Welsh towns and cities but on most other subjects as well. If you add up all your populations you have up there it is nowhere near the three and a half to four million people who live in Wales, and I know that you have not included every village and town, but they are some of the main ones so there must be a lot of scattered towns about Wales with big populations you have not cared to mention otherwise wikipedia's facts do not add up. I can confidently tell you that the population of Merthyr and it's surrounding villages that all come under the Merthyr borough (Nelson, Treharris, Bedlinog, Quackers yard, Aberfan, Merthyr Vale, Trelewis) and where ever else I have not mentioned is around the 55,000 mark perhaps a little more, but I am not going to argue over this because it has nowt to do with rugby.

It has everything to do with rugby. The geography and population patterns of the valleys are almost unique. Every valley has its it's rivalries with its neighbours and within the valley. Remember the games between Ponty and Treorci? The only thing that binds you is your grievance against the WRU. If they give in to you then that goes. What will bind you then? The top three population centres are the focal points of regions. All are within easy reach of the valleys, most of you travel there to work.

Population of Anglesey 68,400 Region G

Right, now RGC1404 is a different kettle of fish. I thought the WRU should have put Wrexham in the top flight when they started leagues as a development hub for the North. I think a subsidised North Wales team should be in the Premiership and have a draw of under 20 internationals annually who could be called up by the regions. If the whole shooting match is rearranged (as is being mooted by KPMG on behalf of the WRU) then regional status for the North has to be considered.

Look if you want to talk rugby and not populations, why not think about this idea that I mooted about on here before, as I am fed up of the biased Irish refs in the Rabbo. Why not pull out of it altogether and do our own thing. This is what I suggested. A unique premier Welsh league with about 3 to four teams from each region play out a shortened league home and away and at the end of that season the players who have earned their place can represent their region in an end of season Welsh region type of six nations. The player who have earned their place in these regions could then be considered for Welsh honours, and could represent their regions in the following seasons HC. If we were to have 4 or 5 regions then that would be more or less sell out games 4 or 5 sell out games for each region at the end of the season, rather than the pitifull one man and his dog we get against the Connachts and the Airioni's of this world. It would not dilute the quality as the players would have to put in stand out performances to be able to represent their regions for the "finals" tournement at the end of the season.

Because the premiership was dying on its harse before regions. We can't go back. Cross border to one extent or another is necessary. The default setting of Welsh domestic rugby was Anglo-Welsh for over a century to 1990. Like it or not we can not sustain professional rugby internally. The Rabo is the least bad option. We should work on making it a competitive league.

Then sort out the dodgy Irish refs then.