"there has only ever been one perfect man, the Lord Jesus, and we killed him. I only missed a putt."
Fields of Praise
Return to the book list for titles beginning with 'f'.
David Smith and Gareth Williams, Fields of Praise : the official history of the Welsh Rugby Union 1881-1981: University of Wales Press, Cardiff 1980 ISBN 0708307663
This is not a review of the book as such but an assessment of its material which is relevant to sport and Christianity.
There is a bizarre reference to playing rugby being referred to "kicking the head of John the Baptist" (Page 6)
Welsh non-conformist attitudes to Rugby in the 1880s were largely determined by its association with drink. Rugby was so discouraged that some players and even hid their kit at the bottom of the garden (Page 6)
No uniform picture of church attitudes to rugby emerges. There were three future Anglican clergymen in the first ever Welsh XV of 1881. Several junior Welsh rugby teams originally werefounded by churches for example, Dowlais St Illtyd's, Penydarren in Merthyr. Yet when the Ystradgynlais club was founded in 1890 there was strong opposition from local clergy. (Page 7) In 1896 the deacons of Linanus Baptist Chapel, Treherbert threatened instant excommunication to anyone connected with Rugby. (Page 126)
One minister is quoted as saying that "if their young and middle-aged men wished to frequent pubs, theatres and football then let them, in the name of the living God, remain outside the Christian pale". (Page 101)
The Welsh revival 1904-5 revival was said to have "singled out rugby as a rival deserving of condemnation". (Page 126) In the wake of Evan Roberts' crusade through the valleys of East Glamorgan in November 1904, Noddfa Chapel Treorchy suddenly found its Sunday School increased by the addition of a "footballers class" which included the captain of Treorchy RFC who had renounced rugby forever. At Ynysybwl the entire team was baptized and all sporting activities were rejected for three years. After hearing Evan Roberts preach at Kenfig Hill, a veteran footballer Jenkin Thomas announced to a startled congregation, 'I used to play full-back the devil now and I'm forward for God'. In West Wales rugby was suspended at Morrison, Penygroes and Crynant for four years. The revival killed off rugby in Evan Robert's home town of Loughor till 1909" (Page 127)
There are reports of players stopping games to go to church, cancelling fixtures, dissolving their teams or transforming them into prayer clubs. (Page 127-8)