Wales Dragonhearts are the representative side of the Welsh domestic league system. All players who play in the community game in both north and south Wales are eligable for selection.
The Dragonhearts used to enter the Conference or Community Four Nations tournament and were the most successful side in the history of this competition. They played annually against their England, Scotland and Ireland counterparts from 2002-2013.
Now the Dragonhearts play representative matches against England, the Celtic Nations and touring sides.
A “Welsh Clubs XIII” was first conceived as far back as 1909 when players from the inaugural Welsh domestic competition was selected. They faced and beat the touring Kangaroos 14-13 in Merthyr Tydfil.
Then in 1950, a “South Wales XIII” which was a side again selected from local Welsh clubs who played in a domestic league at the time, took on Wigan, and then a touring Italy side.
The next time a domestic representative side was thought about was in the 1980s when “Wales Amateurs” were formed and they played foreign opposition for the first time when Moscow Spartak toured and the home side won 28-10 in what was described as a “historic and memorable match” played at St Helen’s in Swansea.
A year later, they played against Wales Students at Swansea’s St Helens ground in 1991 played before the first team beat Papua New Guinea 68-0.
The modern day Wales A side’s first ever international was in May 1994 when they were so close to beating England Amateurs, but went down 14-10 at the Morfa Stadium in Swansea. This game may not have sent shockwaves around the country and did not receive the publicity that later “A” internationals did, but did produce a new star. Jason Lee was promptly signed by Warrington and ended up playing seven times for the full Welsh national side, scoring four tries in the process whilst David Williams, also in first side, played for Wales against USA in 1995 and also played professionally for South Wales RLFC in 1996.
Lee and Williams were just the first two of many players from the Wales “A” or “Dragonhearts” side to turn professional. From 2002-2010, Wales fielded over 130 players with 27 of them eventually playing professional rugby league. Future professionals Aled James, Gareth Honor, Richard Singleton and Pete Moore lined up in the first Home Nations competition side that beat Scotland 40-22 in Glasgow alongside former Gateshead Thunder player Stuart Singleton.
Dean Scully, Darren Ryan, Richard Johnston, Neil Davies, Damien Hudd, Paul Morgan, Neil Dixon, Lloyd O’Connor, Karl Hocking, Marcus Sainsbury, Grant Epton, Carle Ellis, David James, Christiaan Roets, Tom Burnell, Lee Williams, Elliot Kear, Ashley Bateman, Steve Parry, Gil Dudson, Jamie Murphy, Shaun Owens were the other Dragonhearts players from that decade who went on to play professional rugby league in some shape or form. Others have followed.
Plus the future Wales Rugby Union star Richard Hibbard played one game for the Dragonhearts, coming on as a substitute in the 28-18 win over England in 2003 in his native Aberavon, while a year later, Tom Brown, who went on to play with Cardiff Blues, took to the field in the 56-12 win over Ireland at the old Cardiff Athletics Stadium before winning his lone full international cap against Scotland in Glasgow a few months later.
Full Community Four Nations Results – go to the results section for full reports on Wales matches
2002
15 June – Scotland 22 Wales 40 at Glasgow
16 June – Ireland 10 England 32 at Dublin
20 July – Scotland 8 England 58 at Glasgow
21 July – Wales 52 Ireland 20 at Penarth
18 August – Ireland 70 Scotland 10 at Belfast
15 September – England 18 Wales 28 at Cheltenham
2003
21 June – England 28 Scotland 20 at Haworth RLFC, York
28 June – Ireland 32 Wales 28 at Dublin
27 July – Wales 48 Scotland 22 at Brewery Field, Bridgend
27 July – England 34 Ireland 14 at Cheltenham
9 August – Scotland 48 Ireland 20 at Queens Park, Glasgow
14 September – Wales 28 England 18 at Aberavon RFC
2004
15 May – Wales 56 Ireland 12 at Cardiff Athletics Stadium
13 June – Scotland 26 England 28 at Hamilton RFC
3 July – Scotland 26 Wales 34 at Glasgow
3 July – Ireland 28 England 24 at Clontarf RFC, Dublin
22 August – Ireland 16 Scotland 24 at Navan RFC
12 September – England 32 Wales 34 at Coventry Bears
2005
12 June – Wales 70 Scotland 8 at Brewery Field, Celtic Crusaders
2 July – England 8 Ireland 26 at Halifax RLFC
16 July – Ireland 10 Wales 18 at Terenure College, Dublin
23 July – England 16 Scotland 17 at New River Stadium, London Skolars
14 August – Scotland 44 Ireland 16 at Glasgow
11 September – Wales 32 England 36 at Brewery Field, Celtic Crusaders
2006
Saturday 15 July – Ireland 23 England 44 at Terenure College RFC, Dublin
Saturday 3 June – Ireland 38 Scotland 30 at St Marys RFC, Limerick
Sunday 16 July – Scotland 16 Wales 22 at Glasgow
Sunday 13 August – Scotland 14 England 46 at Glasgow
Saturday 19 August – Wales 10 Ireland 24 at Brewery Field, Celtic Crusaders
Sunday 10 September England 30 Wales 26 at Featherstone Rovers RLFC
2007
Saturday 16 June – Wales 44 Scotland 30 at Cardiff Demons
Saturday 23 June – England 22 Ireland 28 at Leigh Centurions
Saturday 14 July – Ireland 16 Wales 16 at Carlow
Saturday 14 July – England 42 Scotland 40 at Gateshead Thunder
Saturday 11 August – Scotland 18 Ireland 28 at Glasgow Hawks
Sunday 19 August – Wales 39 England 18 at Blackwood Bulldogs
2008
Saturday 21 June – Scotland 20 Wales 62 at Glasgow
Sunday 6 July – Wales 32 Ireland 24 at Porthcawl
Sunday 20 July – England 8 Wales 24 at East Riding RLFC, Hull
Saturday 26 July – Ireland 26 Scotland 28 at Dublin
Saturday 16 August – Scotland 26 England 24 at Edinburgh
Saturday 6 September – Ireland 36 England 24 at Tullamore
2009
Saturday 13th June
Wales Dragonhearts 42 England Lionhearts 4 at Brewery Field, Celtic Crusaders
Scotland Bravehearts 22 Irish Wolfhounds 30 at Edinburgh
Saturday 11th July
Wales Dragonhearts 32 Scotland Bravehearts 12 at Blackwood
England Lionhearts 28 Irish Wolfhounds 12 at Broughton Park, Manchester
Saturday 8 August
Irish Wolfhounds 28 Wales Dragonhearts 26 at Dublin
England Lionhearts 24 Scotland Bravehearts 40 at Staines RFC
2010
Sunday 13th June – Wales Dragonhearts 34 Ireland Wolfhounds 8 at The Gnoll, Neath
Sunday 13th June – Scotland Bravehearts 34 England Lionhearts 32 at GHA Rugby Club, Glasgow
Saturday 10th July – England Lionhearts 34 Wales Dragonhearts 30 at Somerset Vikings RLFC
Saturday 10th July – Ireland Wolfhounds 6 Scotland Bravehearts 10 at Terenure
Saturday 14th August – Ireland Wolfhounds 12 England Lionhearts 44 at Limerick
Saturday 14th August – Scotland Bravehearts 35 Wales Dragonhearts 22 at Edinburgh
2011
Saturday 25th June – England Lionhearts 30 Scotland Bravehearts 22 at Stanningley
Saturday 2nd July – Ireland Wolfhounds 22 Wales Dragonhearts 54 at Limerick
Saturday 16th July – Wales Dragonhearts 34 Scotland Bravehearts 22 at Caerphilly RFC
Saturday 16th July – England Lionhearts 12 Ireland Wolfhounds 26 at Hemel Hempstead
Saturday 6th August – Wales Dragonhearts 30 England Lionhearts 24 at Caerphilly RFC
Saturday 13th August – Scotland Bravehearts 26 Ireland Wolfhounds 8 at Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
2012
Saturday 23rd June – Ireland Wolfhounds v Scotland Bravehearts at Malone – postponed, not replayed
Saturday 23rd June – England Lions 56 Wales Dragonhearts 8 at Leigh Sports Village
Saturday 21st July – Scotland Bravehearts 48 England Lions 14 at Falkirk
Saturday 21st July – Wales Dragonhearts 28 Ireland Wolfhounds 26 at Bonymaen RFC
Saturday 6th August – Ireland Wolfhounds 0 England Lions 38 at Bruff RFC
Saturday 13th August – Scotland Bravehearts 36 Wales Dragonhearts 16 at Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
2013
Sunday 14th July – Wales Dragonhearts 0 England Lions 54 at South Wales Scorpions RLFC, Neath
Saturday 3rd August – Ireland Wolfhounds 14 Wales Dragonhearts 48 at Limerick
Saturday 10th August – Scotland Bravehearts 38 Ireland Wolfhounds 26 at Sunnyside
Friday 23rd August – England Lions 52 Ireland Wolfhounds 0 at Hemel
Saturday 24th August – Wales Dragonhearts 64 Scotland Bravehearts 18 at Colwyn Bay
Saturday 15th September – England Lions 94 Scotland Bravehearts 0 at Wath Brow Hornets
2014 – Celtic Cup
Sunday 10th August – Scotland Bravehearts 18 Wales Dragonhearts 16 at Aberdeen
Saturday 16th August – Ireland Wolfhounds 44 Scotland Bravehearts 10 at Ashbourne
Saturday 23rd August – Wales Dragonhearts 22 Ireland Wolfhounds 28 at Colwyn Bay
