The claim in Friday's Western Mail that Brynteg CS has provided more capped Welsh players than any other school in Wales is badly misplaced according to Rugby World Schools Editor Huw S Thomas, writes Tom Hughes
Thomas, a former Llandovery College master and rugby coach has come up with statistics which show that the Carmarthenshire independent school has produced 47 players that have gone on to play for Wales as opposed to Brynteg's 19.
“Brynteg's record is impressive and they may well lead the field for state schools but Llandovery have contributed far more to the Welsh cause.”
“The 47 players capped between 1881 and 2014 total an incredible 415 caps and eclipses all other schools.”
Thomas made further points to stress the contribution of Llandovery College to Welsh rugby.
The first Llandoverians to play for Wales were Theophilus Aneurin Rees and Edward John Lewis who were both in the first ever Welsh side that played England at Blackheath on 19 February 1881 and since then the Carmarthenshire independent school has supplied Wales with some if its finest talents.
Since the Second World War 15 OLs have pulled on the Welsh shirt, starting with No 8 Rees Stephens (Neath) who gained 32 caps between 1947 and 1957.
Stephens was a British Lion in New Zealand in 1950 and others to tour with the Lions since then have been prop Kingsley Jones (Cardiff), lock Geoff Evans (London Welsh), lock Alun Wyn-Jones (Ospreys), flanker Andy Powell (Blues) and wing George North (Scarlets)
Wyn-Jones has captained Wales as did flanker Gwyn Jones (Cardiff) who sadly had to retire from rugby after a serious neck injury in December 1997 at a time when he looked destined to lead Wales in the 1999 World Cup.
They are just two of seven Llandoverians to captain Wales - the others being C P Lewis, Will Thomas (capped when at school), the Rev Alban Davies, the incomparable Cliff Jones before World War II and Stephens afterwards.
Other schools - Christ College, Monmouth, Cowbridge GS, Neath GS and Brynteg GS - have produced many a fine international but no school in Wales has a record to better the impressive hall of rugby fame that the College has established since 1881.
Old Llandoverians Alun Wyn-Jones and George North started for Wales against England at Twickenham on Sunday March 9 and Rhodri Jones came on as replacement.
Llandoverians capped for Wales 1881-2014 (up to March 10 2014 )
(Club when first capped and date of first cap in brackets)
TA Rees (1881) (Llandovery) 1 cap
EJ Lewis (1881) (Llandovery) 1 cap
CP Lewis (1882) (Llandovery) 5 caps
JH Judson (1883) (London Welsh) 2 caps
FL Margrave (1884)) (Llanelli) 2 caps
LC Thomas (1885) (Cardiff) 2 caps
EP Alexander (1885) (Camb Univ) 5 caps
WH Thomas (1885) (Llandovery Coll) 11 caps
EM Rowland (1885) (Lampeter) 1 cap
AA Matthews (1886) (Lampeter) 1 cap
T Pryse-Jenkins (1888) (London Welsh) 2 caps
WH Howells (1888) (Swansea) 2 caps
G Rosser Evans (1889) (Cardiff) 1 Cap
EH Bishop (1889) (Swansea) 1 Cap
DW Evans (1889) (London Welsh) 5 caps
CB Nicholl (1891) (Llanelli) 15 caps
RL Thomas (1891) (London Welsh) 7 caps
J Conway Rees (1892) (Llanelli) 3 caps
DW Nicholl (1894) (Llanelli) 1 cap
AM Jenkin (1895) (Swansea) 2 caps
HV Watkins (1904) (Llanelli) 6 caps
DGE Davies (1912) (Cardiff) 2 caps
JL Morgan (1913) (Llanelli) 2 caps
J Alban Davies (1914) (Swansea) 7 caps
HG Davies (1921) (Llanelli) 3 caps
JD Bartlett (1927) (London Welsh) 3 caps
GG Jones (1930) (Cardiff) 2 caps
DEA Roberts (1930) (London Welsh) 1 cap
AH Jones (1933) (Cardiff) 2 caps
VGJ Jenkins (1933) (Oxford Univ) 14 caps
CW Jones (1934) (Camb Univ) 13 caps
AM Rees (1934) (London mWelsh) 13 caps
JRG Stephens (1947) (Neath) 32 caps
KD Jones (1960) (Cardiff) 10 caps
TG Evans (1970) (London Welsh) 7 caps
DA Williams (1990) (Bridgend) 2 caps
IL Evans (1990) (Llanelli) 1 cap
JC Quinnell (1995) (Llanelli) 32 caps
RG Jones (1996) (Llanelli) 13 caps
N Thomas (1996) (Bridgend) 9 caps
PJD Rogers (1999) (London Irish) 18 caps
M Jones (2005) (Ospreys) 1 cap
A Wyn-Jones (2006) (Ospreys) 78 caps
A T Powell (2008) (Blues) 23 caps
G P North (2010) (Scarlets) 39 caps
E Phillips (2013) (Scarlets) 3 caps
R P Jones (2013) (Scarlets) 9 caps
RK Green (Neath) toured New Zealand with the Lions in 1908
47 Llandoverians have won between them a total of 415 caps (1881-2013)
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