Cardiff Rugby Unveils 150th Anniversary T.S. Donaldson Selby Grogg Cardiff 2026

Key Points

• Cardiff Rugby has officially unveiled a special, limited-edition commemorative Grogg to mark the club’s milestone 150th anniversary season.
• The unique figurine honours Thomas Donaldson Selby (T.S. Donaldson Selby), who served as the first-ever captain of the Blue and Blacks during their inaugural 1876–77 campaign.
• The commemorative piece was created through a collaborative partnership involving Cardiff Rugby, the iconic World of Groggs (The Groggshop), and the Cardiff Rugby Heritage Group.
• Sculpted by Richard Hughes, the figure meticulously depicts Selby wearing the distinctive, historic kit from Cardiff’s first season of rugby.
• The initiative forms a core part of a wider, season-long programme of events and heritage projects scheduled to celebrate a century and a half of rugby at the Arms Park.

Cardiff (Cardiff Daily) June 17, 2026 – Cardiff Rugby has officially launched a limited-edition commemorative Grogg figurine to mark the club’s historic 150th anniversary season, paying tribute to its foundational roots through the likeness of its inaugural captain. The special-edition piece has been developed in close partnership with the world-renowned Pontypridd-based Groggshop and the Cardiff Rugby Heritage Group. Depicting Thomas Donaldson Selby, widely known as T.S. Donaldson Selby, the figure serves as the opening gambit in a broader, season-long schedule of heritage events and commemorative initiatives designed to honour 150 years of rugby history at the iconic Arms Park.

As detailed in the official launch announcement by Cardiff Rugby’s media team, the figurine represents a tangible link between the club’s nineteenth-century origins and its modern-day professional identity.

By replicating the exact visual aesthetic of the club’s first-ever playing kit from the 1876–77 season, the project aims to preserve the foundational legacy of Welsh club rugby for contemporary supporters and historians alike.

Who was Thomas Donaldson Selby and what is his legacy at the Arms Park?

To understand the significance of the release, one must look at the individual immortalised in clay. T.S. Donaldson Selby holds a permanent position in Welsh sports history as the man who captained Cardiff Rugby during its first formal season of competition following the club’s establishment in 1876.

Under his on-field leadership, the team established the competitive framework that would eventually transform Cardiff into one of the most famous and successful club sides in global rugby union history.

According to archival research compiled by the Cardiff Rugby Heritage Group, Selby was instrumental in establishing the early standards of the club, leading the team out in an era when the rules of the game were still evolving.

The new Grogg figure captures Selby in his prime playing years, complete with the distinctively styled kit of the 1876–77 campaign, which differs markedly from the modern professional jerseys seen today, yet carries the foundational DNA of the famous Blue and Black colours.

How did The Groggshop bring this historical rugby figure to life?

The creation of the figurine required months of artistic design and historical cross-referencing, a task handled directly by the master craftsmen at The World of Groggs.

The project was initiated when David Allen, the Chair of the Cardiff Rugby Heritage Group, formally approached the Hughes family at the Pontypridd workshop to propose a centerpiece collectible for the 150th anniversary celebrations.

In an official statement detailing the creative process, Groggshop sculptor Richard Hughes expressed his immediate enthusiasm for the historical brief. Richard Hughes stated that:

“When we were approached by David Allen, Chair of the Cardiff Rugby Heritage Group, to make a special commemorative Grogg for their 150th anniversary, we were delighted and when I saw the images of the subject they had chosen, I was inspired.”

Hughes further detailed how his personal passion for sports history influenced the physical crafting of the piece, explaining that:

“I love history and on seeing the historic first kit worn by Cardiff and their first ever captain T.S. Donaldson Selby, I couldn’t wait to get started.”

What is the intergenerational connection between Cardiff Rugby and the Hughes family?

The collaboration between the rugby club and the legendary pottery workshop is rooted in decades of shared history. The Groggshop, founded by the late John Hughes in 1965, has been documenting the history of Welsh rugby through its distinctive clay figures for over half a century, with Cardiff athletes frequently serving as primary subjects.

Reflecting on his family’s lifelong ties to the club, Richard Hughes noted the deep sentimental and professional association that has linked the two institutions since the mid-twentieth century. Richard Hughes stated that:

“The Groggshop has had a strong connection with Cardiff RFC dating back to the early days of our founding. When my father first started taking me to matches, he was drawn to the Arms Park where we could watch some of the greats of Welsh rugby playing in the famous Blue and Black.”

This enduring relationship ensured that the commission was treated with a high degree of reverence, utilizing traditional sculpting techniques to accurately replicate the textures, fabric weight, and styling of the 1870s kit.

What is the background of Cardiff Rugby’s 150-year heritage and relationship with club memorabilia?

The unveiling of the T.S. Donaldson Selby Grogg comes at a time when Cardiff Rugby is actively reflecting on its place within the global sporting landscape. Established in 1876, the club quickly grew from a local recreational side into a powerhouse of British rugby, famously defeating touring international teams including the South African Springboks and the New Zealand All Blacks over the course of the 20th century. Throughout this transformation, the Cardiff Arms Park remained the spiritual home of the club, serving as a theatre for some of the sport’s most iconic moments.

The tradition of collecting Groggs has long been intertwined with Welsh rugby culture. For generations of supporters, owning a Grogg represents a form of historical curation, with figures of legends like Gareth Edwards, Barry John, and Jonah Lomu becoming highly prized family heirlooms.

The decision by the Cardiff Rugby Heritage Group to commission an image of Selby marks a deliberate shift toward celebrating the pre-modern, foundational era of the club, ensuring that the figures who established Cardiff’s rugby infrastructure are afforded the same cultural recognition as the stars of the television era.

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How will this anniversary development affect Cardiff Rugby supporters and memorabilia collectors?

The introduction of the 150th-anniversary Grogg is poised to directly impact Cardiff Rugby season ticket holders, club historians, and standard sports memorabilia collectors in several distinct ways.

Because the figurine is being produced as a strict, limited-edition run, it will instantly become a high-value target for specialized rugby collectors across the United Kingdom and the wider rugby-playing world, likely driving a competitive secondary resale market once the initial inventory is exhausted.

For the core audience of Cardiff supporters, the release acts as a tangible symbol of institutional stability and pride during a period when the modern professional game in Wales faces ongoing structural and financial evolutions.

By anchoring the club’s identity in its 150-year history, the development reinforces a sense of generational continuity among fans. Furthermore, the public interest generated by the Grogg launch is expected to elevate attendance and engagement for the subsequent heritage exhibitions, lectures, and dinners organized by the Cardiff Rugby Heritage Group throughout the remainder of the anniversary season.