Wales National Rugby Union Team

Wales are one of the European teams that compete in the annual Six Nations Championship. In fact, Wales’ Six Nations record dates back more than a century; they were one of the founding teams in the original Home Nations Championship (1883-1909, 1932-1939).

Wales won their first Home Nations in 1893, a decade after the tournament began. Fifteen years later, they achieved their first Grand Slam in 1908. Then, in 1909, Wales retained their Six Nations title and again claimed the Grand Slam.

To date, the Wales rugby team boasts one of the best Six Nations records of all-time. The Wales Six Nations squad regularly outplays their competitors. In total, Wales have won 28 outright titles and enjoyed 11 shared wins. Additionally, Wales’ Six Nations record also includes 12 Grand Slams and 22 Triple Crowns. 

Throughout the competition, Wales have proved their prowess as a Six Nations powerhouse. The formidable Wales Six Nations team of the 1960s and 70s claimed 11 titles, eight of which were outright victories. In recent years, the Wales Six Nations squad won six titles and four Grand Slams between 2005 and 2021.

Wales at the Rugby World Cup

Although they have appeared at every tournament, Wales have never won the Rugby World Cup. Wales’ best Rugby World Cup result was in 1987, when the team finished in third place. Their other notable finishes came in 2011 and 2019, when they came in fourth. 

In 1987, the Wales squad secured their third-place finish after they defeated Australia 22-21 in the Bronze Final. In 2011, Wales took fourth place after they were defeated by Australia – the Wallabies won the match 21-18. They repeated this result in 2019, when they were defeated 40-17 by New Zealand. 

In contrast, Wales’ worst Rugby World Cup finishes occurred in 1991, 1995 and 2007, when the squad failed to progress from the pool stage. They secured better finishes in 1999, 2003, 2015 and 2023, when Wales reached the quarter-finals.