Known history of international and club head coaches/directors of rugby in the home nations in the professional era

BATH

1978-94 - Jack Rowell (English)

1994-96 - Brian Ashton (English)

1997-2000 - Andy Robinson (English)

2000-02 - Jon Callard (English)

2002-03 - Jack Rowell

2003-05 - John Connolly (Australian)

2006 - Brian Ashton

2006-11 - Steve Meehan (Australian)

2011-12 - Ian McGeechan (Anglo-Scottish)

2012-13 - Gary Gold (South African)

2013-present - Mike Ford (English)

BRISTOL

1989-90 - Colin McFadyean (English)

1990-93 - Rob Cunningham (Scottish)

1993-96 - Brian Hanlon (New Zealander)

1996-98 - Alan Davies (Welsh)

1998-2000 - Bob Dwyer (Australian)

2000-02 - Dean Ryan (English)

2002-03 - Peter Thorburn (New Zealander)

2003-09 - Richard Hill (English)

2009-11 - Paul Hull (English)

2011-13 - Liam Middleton (Zimbabwean)

2013-present - Andy Robinson (English)

GLOUCESTER

1987-93 - Keith Richardson (English)

1993-95 - Barrie Corless (English)

1995-99 - Richard Hill (English)

1999-2002 - Philippe Saint-Andre (French)

2002-05 - Nigel Melville (English)

2005-09 - Dean Ryan (English)

2009-12 - Bryan Redpath (Scottish)

2012-14 - Nigel Davies (Welsh)

2014-present - David Humphreys (Irish)

HARLEQUINS

late 1970s-92 - Dick Best (English)

1992-94 – Bob Templeton (Australian)

1994-95 - Keith Richardson (English)

1995-98 - Dick Best

1998-2000 John Gallagher (Anglo-New Zealander)

2000-01 - Zinzan Brooke (New Zealander)

2001-02 - John Kingston (English)

2002-05 - Mark Evans (Anglo-Welsh)

2005-09 - Dean Richards (English)

2010-present - Conor O'Shea (Irish)

LONDON IRISH

1994-96 - Clive Woodward (English)

1996-98 - Willie Anderson (Irish)

1998-2001 - Dick Best (English)

2001-03 - Brendan Venter (South African)

2003-05 - Gary Gold (South African)

2005-08 - Brian Smith (Australian-Irish)

2008-12 - Toby Booth (English)

2012-15 - Brian Smith

2015-future - Tom Coventry (New Zealander)

SALE

1992-96 - Paul Turner (Welsh)

1996-99 - John Mitchell (New Zealander)

1999-2001 - Adrian Hadley (Welsh)

2001-04 - Jim Mallinder (English)

2004-09 - Philippe Saint-Andre (French)

2009-11 - Kingsley Jones (Welsh)

2012-present - Bryan Redpath (Scottish)
 

WASPS

1995-2002 - Nigel Melville (English)

2002-05 - Warren Gatland (New Zealander)

2005-11 - Shaun Edwards (Anglo-Irish, head coach)

2005-09 - Ian McGeechan (Anglo-Scottish, director of rugby)

2011-present - Dai Young (Welsh)

BORDERS

1997-98 - Rob Moffat (Scottish)

1998 - merged with Edinburgh

2002 - reformed

2002-04 - Tony Gilbert (New Zealander)

2004-07 - Steve Bates (Welsh-English)

2007 - disbanded

EDINBURGH

1996-98 - Bob Easson (Scottish)

1998-2000 - Ian Rankin (Scottish)

2000 - Bob Easson

2000-05 - Frank Hadden (Scottish)

2006-07 - Lynn Howells (Welsh)

2007-09 - Andy Robinson (English)

2009-11 - Rob Moffat (Scottish)

2011-13 - Michael Bradley (Irish)

2013-present - Alan Solomons (South African)

GLASGOW

1997-99 - Keith Robertson (New Zealander)

1999-2002 - Richie Dixon (Scottish)

2002-03 - Kiwi Searancke (New Zealander)

2003-06 - Hugh Campbell (Scottish)

2006-12 - Sean Lineen (New Zealand-Scottish)

2012-present - Gregor Townsend (Scottish)

NORTH & MIDLANDS of SCOTLAND (CALEDONIA)

1991-98 - Ian Rankin (Scottish)

1998 - merged with Glasgow

CARDIFF

1989-92 Alan Phillips (Welsh)

1992-95 - Alex Evans (Australian)

1995-99 - Terry Holmes (Welsh)

1999-2001 - Lyn Howells (Welsh)

2001-02 - Rudy Joubert (South African)

2002-11 - Dai Young (Welsh)

2012-14 - Phil Davies (Welsh)

2014-present - Mark Hammett (New Zealander)

LLANELLI

1982-2006 - Gareth Jenkins (Welsh)

2006-08 - Phil Davies (Welsh)

2008-12 - Nigel Davies (Welsh)

2012-14 - Simon Easterby (Anglo-Irish)

2014-present - Wayne Pivac (New Zealander)

Merit Table era in Anglo-Welsh rugby (far from complete)

Before the introduction of a national league system for the 1987-88 season (and, to a lesser extent, the more comprehensive John Smith's Merit Table system introduced for the 1985-86 season) the only way of calculating the best-performing teams each year were the merit tables. Some were official RFU and WRU tables; the most important ones otherwise were the Sunday Telegraph and Daily Mail tables. Listed below is all the data currently available to me: please comment or contact me with any further information.

Sunday Telegraph English-Welsh Merit Table winners: 1964-65: London Scottish, 1967-68: London Welsh, 1969-70: Bedford, 1970-71: London Welsh, 1971-72: Bristol, 1972-73: Coventry/Moseley (both claim it), 1976-77: Newport, 1980-81: Bridgend, 1981-82: Gloucester, 1982-83: Pontypool, 1983-84: 1st Pontypool/5th Bath, 1984-85: Pontypool, 1985-86: Bath, 1987-88: 1st Leicester/10th Bath, 1988-89: 2nd Bath

Daily Mail Anglo-Welsh Merit Table winners: 1976-77: Moseley, 1978-79: 1st Bridgend/2nd Bath, 1982-83: Swansea

RFU Merit Table
1979-80: Bath

Sunday Telegraph English Merit Table winners: 1963-64: London Scottish, 1964-65: London Scottish, 1965-66: Bristol, 1966-67: London Welsh, 1967-68: London Welsh, 1968-69: London Welsh, 1969-70: Coventry, 1970-71: London Welsh, 1971-72: Bristol, 1972-73: Coventry, 1973-74: Bristol, 1974-75: Rosslyn Park, 1975-76: Northampton, 1976-77: Moseley, 1977-78: London Welsh, 1978-79: London Welsh, 1979-80: Leicester, 1980-81: Leicester, 1981-82: Gloucester, 1982-83: Coventry OR Gloucester, 1983-84: Wasps, 1984-85: Bath, 1985-86: Leicester OR Bath, 1987-88: n/a OR Leicester

Daily Mail English Merit Table winners: 1982-83: Gloucester

WRU Merit Table winners (results between Welsh clubs): 1973-74: Swansea, 1975-76: Pontypridd, 1977-78: Maesteg, 1978-79: Maesteg, 1979-80: Swansea, 1980-81: Swansea, 1982-83: Swansea

Western Mail Welsh Championship winners (results by Welsh clubs against all first-class opposition):
1894-95: Newport, 1895-96: Newport, 1896-97: Llanelli, 1897-98: Cardiff, 1898-99: Swansea, 1899-1900: Swansea, 1900-01: Swansea, 1901-02: Swansea, 1902-03: Newport, 1905-06: Cardiff, 1906-07: Cardiff, 1908-09: Cardiff, 1909-10: Neath, 1910-11: Neath, 1911-12: Newport, 1913-14: Pontypool, 1919-20: Newport, 1920-21: Pontypool, 1921-22: Newport, 1922-23: Newport, 1923-24: Aberavon, 1924-25: Aberavon, 1925-26: Aberavon, 1926-27: Aberavon, 1927-28: Llanelli, 1928-29: Neath, 1929-30: Abertillery, 1930-31: Llanelli, 1931-32: Pontypool, 1932-33: Llanelli, 1933-34: Neath, 1934-35: Neath, 1935-36: Cross Keys, 1936-37: Cardiff, 1937-38: Cardiff, 1938-39: Cardiff, 1946-47: Neath, 1947-48: Cardiff, 1948-49: Cardiff, 1950-51: Newport, 1952-53: Cardiff, 1954-55: Cardiff, 1955-56: Newport, 1957-58: Cardiff, 1958-59: Pontypool, 1960-61: Aberavon, 1961-62: Newport, 1962-63: Pontypridd, 1963-64: Bridgend, 1965-66: Bridgend, 1966-67: Neath, 1967-68: Llanelli, 1968-69: Newport, 1969-70: Bridgend, 1970-71: Bridgend, 1972-73: London Welsh/Pontypool (both claim it), 1973-74: Llanelli, 1974-75: Pontypool, 1975-76: Pontypridd, 1976-77: Llanelli, 1977-78: Pontypridd, 1978-79: Pontypridd, 1979-80: Swansea, 1980-81: Swansea, 1981-82: Cardiff, 1982-83: Swansea, 1983-84: Pontypool, 1984-85: Pontypool, 1985-86: Pontypool, 1986-87: Neath, 1987-88: Pontypool, 1988-89: Neath, 1989-90: Neath, 1990-91: Llanelli

Sunday Telegraph Welsh Merit Table winners:1970-71: London Welsh, 1971-72: London Welsh, 1983-84: Pontypool, 1984-85: Pontypool, 1986-87: Neath, 1987-88: Pontypool

Whitbread Welsh Merit Table winners (no Cardiff, South Wales Police or Tredegar until 1987-88): 1971-72: London Welsh, 1976-77: Newport, 1977-78: Maesteg, 1980-81: Swansea, 1988-89: Llanelli

RFU Northern Merit Table winners: 1976-77: Gosforth, 1980-81: Gosforth, 1981-82: Wakefield (first Yorkshire-based winners), 1982-83: Sale, 1983-84: West Hartlepool

Sunday Telegraph Northern Merit Table winners: 1967-68: Harrogate, 1971-72: Gosforth, 1972-73: Gosforth, 1973-74: Gosforth, 1974-75: Fylde, 1976-77: Gosforth, 1984-85: Waterloo, 1987-88: Wakefield

RFU Midland Merit Table winners (9 team table, at one stage in the 70s consisted of; Bedford, Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester, Moseley, Northampton, Nottingham, Nuneaton, Rugby): 1976-77: Moseley, 1977-78: Bedford, 1979-80: Leicester, 1980-81: Leicester, 1981-82: Leicester, 1982-83: Leicester, 1983-84: Leicester, 1984-85: Nottingham, 1985-86: Stourbridge

RFU South West Merit Table winners (6 team table, consisting of; Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Gloucester, Plymouth Albion, the winners of previous season's Cornwall Senior Cup): 1976-77: Exeter, 1977-78: Exeter, 1978-79: Gloucester, 1979-80: Bristol, 1980-81: Bristol, 1981-82: Bristol, 1986-87: Bath

Sunday Telegraph South West Merit Table winners (table did not include Bath, Bristol, Gloucester, Lydney or Stroud): 1977-78: Exeter, 1984-85: Plymouth Albion, 1987-88: Plymouth Albion

Bass Merit Table (southwestern 16 team table from 1979, consisting of 16 from; Avon & Somerset Police, Barnstaple, Bridgwater, Cheltenham, Clifton, Devonport Services, Exeter, Exeter Univ, Lydney, Penryn, Plymouth Albion, St Ives, St Luke's Coll, Stroud, Taunton, Torquay, Weston-super-Mare)

RFU London Merit Table winners: 1976-77: London Irish, 1979-80: London Irish, 1981-82: London Irish, 1982-83: London Scottish, 1983-84: Harlequins

Winners of major British sevens tournaments

Melrose Sevens:
Hawick: 1887, 1888, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1900, 1901, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1919, 1922, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1933, 1946, 1953, 1955, 1966, 1967
Gala: 1884, 1890, 1891, 1903, 1932, 1937, 1959, 1964, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1977, 1981, 1994, 1999
Melrose: 1883, 1885, 1889, 1931, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1975, 1997, 1998, 2011
Watsonians: 1905, 1906, 1907, 1914, 1926, 1935, 1936, 1996
Heriot's FP: 1923, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1954, 1957, 1958
Kelso: 1978, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989
Jedforest: 1899, 1902, 1904, 1974
Stewart's FP/Stewart's Melville FP: 1920, 1956, 1979
Edinburgh Accies: 1928, 1930, 1949
Boroughmuir: 1963, 1976, 2002
Royal HS: 1921, 1934; London Scottish: 1962, 1965; Loughborough Colleges: 1968, 1969; Stellenbosch University: 2004, 2005; Saracens: 2012, 2013; Glasgow: 2014, 2015.
Tynedale: 1886; Edinburgh City Police: 1941; Rosslyn Park: 1951; Cambridge University: 1960; Edinburgh Wanderers: 1973; French Barbarians: 1983; Harlequins: 1987; Randwick: 1990; Irish Wolfhounds: 1991; Bay of Plenty: 1992; Co-Optimists: 1993; Manly: 1995; Nawaka: 2000; Barbarians: 2001; Sale: 2003; Newcastle: 2006; University of the Free State: 2007; Scottish Thistles: 2008; University of Johannesburg: 2009; Hamilton (SAf): 2010; Edinburgh: 2016.

Middlesex Sevens: (ceased after 2011)
Harlequins: 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1933, 1935, 1967, 1978, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2008
Richmond: 1951, 1953, 1955, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1983
London Welsh: 1930, 1931, 1956, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1984
London Scottish: 1937, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1991
St Mary's Hospital: 1940, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946
Wasps: 1948, 1952, 1985, 1993, 2006
Loughborough Colleges: 1959, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1976
Rosslyn Park: 1947, 1950, 1954, 1981
Barbarians: 1934, 1997, 1998
Blackheath: 1932, 1958; St Luke's College: 1957, 1969; Penguins: 1999, 2000; Army: 2001, 2004; Samurai: 2010, 2011
Sale: 1936; Metropolitan Police: 1938; Cardiff: 1939; Cambridge University: 1941; Nottingham: 1945; Heriot's FP: 1949; Stewart's Melville FP: 1982; Western Samoa: 1992; Bath: 1994; Leicester: 1995; Wigan (RL): 1996; Bradford (RL): 2002; Northampton: 2003; Gloucester; 2005; Newcastle: 2007; London Irish: 2009.

Snelling Sevens: (ceased after 1995)
Newport: 1954, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1985
Cardiff: 1955, 1966, 1969, 1972, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1983, 1984
Bridgend: 1968, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1980, 1987
Llanelli: 1960, 1971, 1973, 1979, 1988
Swansea: 1982, 1989, 1991, 1995
Neath: 1964, 1970; Newbridge: 1990, 1992
Ebbw Vale: 1958; Glamorgan Wanderers: 1986; South Wales Police: 1993; Bath: 1994.

Traditional playing colours of Welsh clubs

REGIONAL SIDES
Glamorgan - navy jerseys with white bands, navy shorts
Monmouthshire - sky jerseys, black shorts

BIG FOUR CLUBS
Cardiff (Glamorgan) - sky & black hooped jerseys, black shorts
Newport (Monmouthshire) - black & gold hooped jerseys, black shorts
Swansea (Glamorgan) - white jerseys & shorts, black socks
Llanelli (Carmarthenshire) - red jerseys, white shorts

OTHER MAJOR TEAMS
Bridgend (Glamorgan) - blue jerseys with white bands, white shorts
London Welsh (England) - red jerseys, white shorts
Neath (Glamorgan) - all black, white trim
Pontypool (Monmouthshire) - red, white & black hooped jerseys, white shorts
Pontypridd (Glamorgan) - black jerseys with white bands, black shorts

OTHER FIRST CLASS CLUBS
Aberavon (Glamorgan) - red & black hooped jerseys, white shorts
Abertillery (Monmouthshire) - green & white hooped jerseys, white shorts
Cross Keys (Monmouthshire) - black & white hooped jerseys, black shorts
Ebbw Vale (Monmouthshire) - red, white & green hooped jerseys, white shorts 
Glamorgan Wanderers (Glamorgan) - sky & white hooped jerseys with black bands, black shorts
Maesteg (Glamorgan) - black jerseys with gold bands, black shorts
Newbridge (Monmouthshire) - sky & black hooped jerseys, black shorts
Penarth (Glamorgan) - blue jerseys, white shorts
South Wales Police (Glamorgan) - red jerseys, white shorts, navy socks
Tredegar (Monmouthshire) - black jerseys with red hoop & white bands, black shorts 

OTHER TEAMS
Abergavenny (Monmouthshire) - maroon & gold hooped jerseys, black shorts
Bangor (Caernarfonshire) - green & black hooped jerseys, black shorts
Bedwas (Monmouthshire) - black & white hooped jerseys, black shorts
Blaenavon (Monmouthshire) - black & white hooped jerseys, black shorts
Bonymaen (Glamorgan) - red & black hooped jerseys, black shorts
Caerphilly (Glamorgan) - green & white hooped jerseys, black shorts
Carmarthen (Carmarthenshire) - red, amber & black hooped jerseys, black shorts
Dunvant (Glamorgan) - red & green hooped jerseys, black shorts
Haverfordwest (Pembrokeshire) - blue jerseys, navy shorts
Llandovery (Carmarthenshire) - red & white hooped jerseys, navy shorts
Pembroke (Pembrokeshire) - red jerseys, white shorts
Pembroke Dock (Pembrokeshire) - black & white hooped jerseys, black shorts
Pontarddulais (Glamorgan) - black & gold hooped jerseys, black shorts
Tonmawr (Glamorgan) - green & white hooped jerseys, black shorts
Treorchy (Glamorgan) - black & white hooped jerseys, black shorts

--- n.b. - socks of colours listed in jerseys and shorts unless stated.