According to Premiership Rugby statistics, no fewer than 169 players have made their debut in the Anglo-Welsh Cup competition [as of November 2016].
Despite it becoming more of a lottery on who plays in it over the last few years, with some sides using it as a developmental competition and others targeting it as a chance of silverware. The benefits are clear in the quality and respect it holds, as the ‘birthplace of rugby stars’.
Our writer Robert Rees firstly looks at three players who have made their debut through the tournament, and gone on to bigger, better careers. He then breaks down the competition now, and what the future looks like for the Anglo Welsh Cup tier of rugby in the UK.
Anglo Welsh Cup; birthplace of rugby stars
Luke Wallace
The Harlequins flanker made his Quins debut against London Irish, and has talked about how it developed him as a player. Nine years on from that match, he’s a regular starter for one of England’s top teams and has played nearly 130 times for them. Scoring 15 tries in the process.
Wallace may not have reached the heights of the others on this list, but sealing your spot in an elite Aviva Premiership squad for the biggest part of a decade, is no mean feat and deserves just a much credit.
The highlight of his career was his selection for England in the squad to face the Barbarians in the summer of 2014. Although he is yet to get capped in a full International, it proves his quality was recognised by the national setup. And thus, establishes that the Anglo Welsh Cup was a good platform in which to develop players from.