Observations About Wales:

first published in   April 2002

Wales Sports Two Victories

March 2, 2002, New York City -- Wales creamed Italy 44 to 20 on St David’s Day Weekend at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. The game was broadcast by satellite on Saturday during a chimerical event taking place at the Harvard Club in New York City. 

The crowd at Millennium Stadium, as captured by television cameras, undulated in its red, white and green immensity during pre-game songs, which included the Welsh National Anthem. All at the Harvard Club rose for the anthem, most sang along. The huge, broadcast faces in the Cardiff crowd looked so happy from the very start and the day seemed so perfect (dry) that it seemed to your reporter that no way could Wales not win. And win they did, scoring within the first minute of the game and never looking back. The names of the day seemed to be, to this first time rugby watcher, Craig Morgan and Stephen Jones. 

Hosts of the event in New York included the Welsh National Assembly, the Wales Tourist Board and the Welsh Development Agency. The event comprised a hearty breakfast, with Mimosas and Bloody Marys; a broadcast of the Wales vs. Italy rugby match; a sing-a-long including “Men of Harlech” and “All Through The Night” with Mari Morgan (who assembles Welsh choirs all around North America by internet) at the piano; a presentation about the Celtic Manor Resort, with endorsement from First Minister Rodri Morgan; and, finally, buffet lunch, which, disappointingly, did not feature sewen, although we were told during the presentation that, when on the menu, this is a fish not to miss. On a sweeter note, the muddy chocolate cake, which was just one of a selection of lunchtime desserts, was excellent.

Sports victories being the theme of the day, the rugby triumph was followed up by a reminder of the news that the Celtic Manor Resort in South Wales near Newport off of the M4 would be hosting the Ryder Cup in 2010; surely another dragon feather in the sporting Welsh cap.