Llewellyn salutes Rickard’s landmark

Bristol lock Llewellyn’s amazing Test career lasted from 1989 to 2004 and he overtook Neil Jenkins to take the Welsh cap record up to 92. Yet at Rugby Roma on Sunday 36-year-old Rickard will win her 93rd cap against Italy when Wales Women seek their third win of the Six Nations Championship.

“It is a fantastic achievement to keep playing at the highest level for so long. When you think the Wales Women’s team don’t play that many internationals every year, it shows she has been consistently one of their best performers for more than a decade,” he said. “It takes great dedication to training and you need to be well focused to survive at international level for such a long period of time. Many congratulations to her.”

Charles Newman and Tom Clapp were the early holders of the cap record before the great Arthur Gould, captain of the first Wales side to win the Triple Crown in 1893, set a world record of 27 appearances. Swansea fullback Billy Bancroft soon overtook Gould’s mark, winning 33 consecutive caps, before his club mate Dicky Owen extended the record to 35 between 1901 and 1912.

It took forty-three years for Owen’s tally to be broken. Newport wing Ken Jones had the honour and he also became the world’s most capped player when he reached 44 caps before retiring.

Gareth Edwards surpassed Jones’s total in 1976 and went on to play a world record 53 consecutive internationals before retiring. JPR Williams extended the record to 55 a few years later before Ieuan Evans, Neil Jenkins and finally Llewellyn took full advantage of the glut of games in the new professional era to take it to 72, 87 and 92 caps respectively.

Welsh Rugby Record Cap Holders Succession
Charles Newman (Newport) 10 caps 1881-1887
Tom Clapp (Newport) 14 caps 1882-1888
Arthur Gould (Newport) 27 caps 1885-1897
Billy Bancroft (Swansea) 33 caps 1890-1901
Dicky Owen (Swansea) 35 caps 1901-1912
Ken Jones (Newport) 44 caps 1947-1957
Gareth Edwards (Cardiff) 53 caps 1967-1978
JPR Williams (London Welsh/Bridgend) 55 caps 1969-1981
Ieuan Evans (Llanelli/Bath) 72 caps 1987-1998
Neil Jenkins (Pontypridd/Cardiff) 87 caps 1991-2002
Gareth Llewellyn (Neath/NEC Harlequins/Ospreys/Narbonne) 92 caps 1989-2004

And coming up on Sunday
Louise Rickard (Aberystwyth University/Saracens/Ipswich) 93 caps 1993-2007