In a rugby union match, each team nominates one of the members of their starting line-up to serve as captain , giving them the responsibility of leading their team and communicating with the referee. Since 1881, the Wales national team has played 722 matches and named 137 captains. Sam Warburton led Wales in the most matches, captaining them 49 times between 2011 and 2016; Warburton also captained Wales to their most victories with 23. The Wales captain to have maintained a 100% record while playing in the most matches is Bleddyn Williams (5) between 1953 and 1955, although Tom Parker captained the side to six wins and a draw between 1921 and 1923. Wales' longest serving captain (albeit not a continuous spell) is their current skipper, Alun Wyn Jones , who first captained the team in 2009. The most recent addition to the list is Jonathan Davies , who led the team against Italy on 9 February 2019 during the Six Nations .[ 1]
Information correct as of 14 March 2019.
#
Player
Club team
Record as captain
Years as captain
1
James Bevan
Cambridge University R.U.F.C.
P1, L1
1881
2
Charles P. Lewis
Llandovery College
P3, W1, L2
1882–83
3
Charles H. Newman
Newport RFC
P6, D2, L4
1884–87
4
H. Joe Simpson
Cardiff RFC
P1, W1
1884
5
Frank E. Hancock
Cardiff RFC
P1, L1
1886
6
Bob Gould
Newport RFC
P1, L1
1887
7
Tom Clapp
Newport RFC
P3, W2, L1
1887–88
8
Arthur Frank Hill
Cardiff RFC
P4, W1, L3
1889–94
9
Arthur J. 'Monkey' Gould
Newport RFC
P18, W8, D1, L9
1889–97
10
William H. Bowen
Swansea RFC
P1, L1
1891
11
Williams H. Thomas (Willie)
Llanelli RFC
P2, W1, D1
1891
12
Williams J. Bancroft (Billy)
Swansea RFC
P11, W7, D4
1898–1901
13
E. Gwyn Nicholls
Cardiff RFC
P10, W7, D1, L2
1902–06
14
Tom W. Pearson
Newport RFC
P1, W1
1903
15
G. Llewellyn Lloyd
Newport RFC
P1, L1
1903
16
William M. Llewellyn (Willie)
Newport RFC
P5, W4, L1
1904–05
17
Richard M. Owen (Dickie)
Swansea RFC
P3, W2, L1
1907–12
18
Williams J. Trew (Billy)
Swansea RFC
P14, W12, L2
1907–13
19
Rhys T. Gabe
Cardiff RFC
P1, W1
1907
20
Arthur F. 'Boxer' Harding
London Welsh
P1, W1
1908
21
George Travers
Pill Harriers RFC
P1, W1
1908
22
Edward Morgan (Teddy)
London Welsh RFC
P1, W1
1908
23
H. Bert Winfield
Cardiff RFC
P1, W1
1908
24
Reggie A. Gibbs
Cardiff RFC
P1, W1
1910
25
Johnnie L. Williams
Cardiff RFC
P1, W1
1911
26
Jack Bancroft
Swansea RFC
P1, L1
1912
27
Tom H. Vile (Tommy)
Newport RFC
P4, W1, L3
1912–21
28
John P. Jones (Jack)
Pontypool RFC
P1, W1
1913
29
Reverend J. Alban Davies
Llanelli RFC
P4, W3, L1
1914
30
Glyn Stephens
Neath RFC
P1, L1
1919
31
Harry Uzzell
Newport RFC
P4, W3, L1
1920
32
Jack J. Wetter
Newport RFC
P3, L3
1921–24
33
Tom Parker
Swansea RFC
P7, W6, D1
1921–23
34
J. M. Clem Lewis
Cardiff RFC
P2, L2
1923
35
Albert Jenkins
Llanelli RFC
P2, L2
1923–28
36
Joe Rees
Swansea RFC
P1, L1
1924
37
Jack Whitfield
Newport RFC
P1, L1
1924
38
W. Rowe Harding
Swansea RFC
P4, W2, D1, L1
1924–28
39
Tom Johnson
Cardiff RFC
P1, L1
1925
40
Stephen Morris
Cross Keys RFC
P1, L1
1925
41
R. Arthur Cornish
Cardiff RFC
P2, W1, L1
1925–26
42
W. Idris Jones
Llanelli RFC
P1, L1
1925
43
Williams J. Delahay (Bobby)
Cardiff RFC
P1, W1
1926
44
B. R. Turnbull (Lou)
Cardiff RFC
P1, L1
1927
45
B. Ossie Male
Cardiff RFC
P3, W1, L2
1927–28
46
Wick C. Powell
London Welsh RFC
P2, W1, L1
1927
47
Ivor E. Jones
Llanelli RFC
P3, L3
1927–30
48
W. Guy Morgan
Swansea RFC
P4, W3, D1
1929–30
49
Harry M. Bowcott
Cardiff RFC
P1, L1
1930
50
Jack Bassett
Penarth RFC
P9, W6, D1, L2
1930–32
51
Watcyn G. Thomas
Swansea RFC
P3, W1, L2
1933
52
John R. Evans
Newport RFC
P1, L1
1934
53
E. Claude Davey
Swansea RFC
P8, W5, D1, L2
1934–37
54
J. Idwal Rees
Swansea RFC
P3, W1, D1, L1
1936–37
55
Wilf Wooller
Cardiff RFC
P4, W2, L2
1937–39
56
Cliff W. Jones
Cardiff RFC
P3, W2, L1
1938
57
Haydn Tanner
Cardiff RFC
P12, W5, D1, L6
1947–49
58
William E. Tamplin (Billy)
Cardiff RFC
P1, W1
1947
59
John A. Gwilliam
Edinburgh Wanderers
P13, W9, D1, L3
1950–53
60
Jack Matthews
Cardiff RFC
P1, L1
1951
61
Bleddyn L. Williams
Cardiff RFC
P5, W5
1953–55
62
J.R.G. Stephens (Rees)
Neath RFC
P6, W5, L1
1954–57
63
W. Rex Willis
Cardiff RFC
P2, W1, L1
1954–55
64
Ken J. Jones
Newport RFC
P1, W1
1954
65
Cliff I. Morgan
Cardiff RFC
P4, W3, L1
1956
66
Malcolm C. Thomas
Newport RFC
P2, L2
1957
67
R.C.C. Thomas (Clem)
Swansea RFC
P9, W5, D1, L3
1958–59
68
R. H. Williams
Llanelli RFC
P1, L1
1960
69
Bryn V. Meredith
Newport RFC
P4, W2, D1, L1
1960–62
70
D. Onllwyn Brace
Llanelli RFC
P2, W2
1960–61
71
Terry J. Davies
Llanelli RFC
P3, W1, L2
1960–61
72
Lloyd H. Williams
Cardiff RFC
P3, D1, L2
1961–62
73
D.C.T. Rowlands (Clive)
Pontypool RFC
P14, W6, D2, L6
1963–65
74
Alun E.I. Pask
Abertillery RFC
P6, W3, L3
1966–67
75
David Watkins
Newport RFC
P3, W1, L2
1967
76
Norman R. Gale
Llanelli RFC
P2, D1, L1
1967–68
77
Gareth O. Edwards
Cardiff RFC
P13, W6, D3, L4
1968–74
78
S. John Dawes
London Welsh RFC
P6, W5, L1
1968–71
79
Brian Price
Newport RFC
P6, W3, D1, L2
1969
80
D. John Lloyd
Bridgend RFC
P3, W3
1972
81
W. Delme Thomas
Llanelli RFC
P1, L1
1972
82
Arthur J. L. Lewis
Ebbw Vale RFC
P3, W2, L1
1973
83
T. Mervyn Davies
Swansea RFC
P9, W8, L1
1975–76
84
Phil Bennett
Llanelli RFC
P8, W7, L1
1977–78
85
Terry J. Cobner
Pontypool RFC
P1, L1
1978
86
T.G.R. Davies (Gerald)
Cardiff RFC
P1, L1
1978
87
John P.R. Williams (JPR)
Bridgend RFC
P5, W3, L2
1978–79
88
Jeff Squire
Pontypool RFC
P6, W3, L3
1980–81
89
Steve P. Fenwick
Bridgend RFC
P3, W1, L2
1980–81
90
W. Gareth Davies
Cardiff RFC
P5, W2, L3
1981–82
91
Eddie T. Butler
Pontypool RFC
P6, W2, D1, L3
1983–84
92
Mike J. Watkins
Newport RFC
P4, W2, L2
1984
93
Terry D. Holmes
Cardiff RFC
P5, W3, L2
1985
94
David F. Pickering
Llanelli RFC
P8, W4, L4
1986–87
95
Richard D. Moriarty
Swansea RFC
P7, W6, L1
1986–87
96
W. (Billy) James
Aberavon RFC
P1, L1
1987
97
Jonathan Davies
Llanelli RFC
P4, W2, L2
1987–88
98
Bleddyn Bowen
South Wales Police RFC
P5, W4, L1
1987–88
99
Robert Norster
Cardiff RFC
P1, L1
1988
100
Paul H. Thorburn
Neath RFC
P10, W1, D1, L8
1989–91
101
Robert N. Jones
Swansea RFC
P5, L5
1989–90
102
Kevin H. Phillips
Neath RFC
P2, W2
1990
103
Ieuan C. Evans
Llanelli RFC
P28, W13, L15
1991–95
104
Gareth O. Llewellyn
Neath RFC
P7, W5, L2
1993–95
105
Mike R. Hall
Cardiff RFC
P3, W1, L2
1995
106
Jonathan M. Humphries
Cardiff RFC
P19, W6, L13
1995–2003
107
Nigel G. Davies
Llanelli RFC
P1, L1
1996
108
I. Scott Gibbs
Swansea RFC
P1, W1
1997
109
R. Gwyn Jones
Cardiff RFC
P5, W4, L1
1997
110
Paul John
Pontypridd RFC
P1, W1
1997
111
Robert Howley
Cardiff RFC
P22, W15, L7
1998–99
112
Kingsley Jones
Ebbw Vale RFC
P1, L1
1998
113
David Young (Dai)
Cardiff RFC
P12, W6, D1, L5
2000–01
114
Mark Taylor
Swansea RFC , Sale Sharks
P4, W4
2000–05
115
L. Scott Quinnell
Llanelli RFC
P7, W2, L5
2000–02
116
Andy P. Moore
Swansea RFC
P2, W2
2001
117
Colin L. Charvis
Swansea RFC , Newcastle Falcons
P22, W11, L11
2002–04
118
Martyn E. Williams
Cardiff RFC , Cardiff Blues
P6, W1, L5
2003–09
119
Gareth Thomas
Celtic Warriors , Toulouse , Cardiff Blues
P21, W9, L12
2003–07
120
Stephen M. Jones
Llanelli RFC , Scarlets
P8 W1 D1 L6
2003–07
121
D. Mefin Davies
Celtic Warriors
P1, W1
2003
122
Michael Owen
Newport Gwent Dragons
P6, W3, D1, L2
2005–06
123
Duncan Jones
Ospreys
P3, W1, L2
2006
124
Dwayne J. Peel
Llanelli Scarlets
P1, W1
2007
125
Gethin Jenkins
Cardiff Blues , Toulon
P5, W2, L3
2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013
126
Ryan P. Jones
Ospreys
P33, W19, L13, D1
2008–10, 2012–13
127
Alun Wyn Jones
Ospreys
P23, W14, L9
2009, 2014, 2017–2023
128
Matthew Rees
Scarlets , Cardiff Blues
P9, W4, L5
2010,2012
129
Sam Warburton
Cardiff Blues
P49, W23, L25, D1
2011–2016
130
Bradley Davies
Cardiff Blues
P2, W1, L1
2013
131
Scott Williams
Scarlets
P1, L1
2015
132
Dan Lydiate
Ospreys
P3, W2, L1
2016–2017
133
Jamie Roberts
Harlequins
P2, W2
2017
134
Taulupe Faletau
Bath
P1, W1
2018
135
Ellis Jenkins
Cardiff Blues
P3, W3
2018, 2021
136
Cory Hill
Dragons
P2, W2
2018
137
Jonathan Davies
Scarlets
P5, W2, D1, L2
2019, 2020, 2021
138
Josh Navidi
Cardiff Blues
P1, L1
2019
139
Justin Tipuric
Ospreys
P6, W3, L3
2019, 2020, 2022
140
Dan Biggar
Northampton Saints
P5, W1, L4
2022
141
Ken Owens
Scarlets
P2, L2
2023
142
Jac Morgan
Ospreys
P5, L1
2023
143
Dewi Lake
Ospreys
P4, L2
2023
144
Dafydd Jenkins
Exeter Chiefs
P1, L1
2023
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