The Llandaff club was formed as a village club in 1876 reputedly at the instigation of Cambridge graduate Illtyd Thomas who became captain to be followed a little later by an Oxford blue-1 Watkins, who, in 1881 played in the first Welsh team to play England. The club colours of Oxford and Cambridge blue are thought to have resulted from such forbears.

Amongst the earliest clubs in the Welsh rugby union, Llandaff played most of the clubs existing in South Wales at that time, and in 1891/92 won the big trophy of the day--The South Wales Challenge Cup which was the forerunner of the present SWALEC Cup, and a photograph of the winning team is among several from those early days that grace the lounge of the new club house.

From its inception, the club has played on the Bishops field, firstly changing in local hostelries, then between the wars, the bishop farmstead on the field was converted into dressing rooms. By this time, the club had somehow lost it's WRU status (rumoured due to late resumption after the 1914-18 war and the failure to pay the subscription on time!!) and did not regain it until 1948. At about this time the Old Llandafian cricket pavilion was removed adjacent to the dressing rooms and converted into refreshment and committee rooms. In the early 60's the church required the club to demolish both buildings and for a season or so, the club sojourned in the Old Pound next to the Bishops Castle in the corner of high street. Then in September 1963, having purchased a freehold site at the oldmill on Western Avenue, next to the Bishop's field, we built the present club house. It was extended a few years later and re-built and re-designed in 1991.

Always amongst the foremost of clubs in the new development Llandaff were pioneers in youth, Junior and mini rugby and were the first WRU club to tour the USA in 1968 and 1970, the first to tour Botswana and play in South Africa after the ban was lifted in 1993.

In 2003-04 the club captured the Five South-East title, while in the Welsh Cup they have gone close to tumbling a higher club.

In 1972 they lost 16-0 at Bridgend and in 1983 it was Pontypridd 16-3, but the closest was on their Bishop’s Field pitch, when they held Ebbw Vale to 9-9 after 80 minutes in season 1977-78. International referee Meirion Joseph ruled a deliberate knock-on in injury time and Vale No 8 David Fryer placed the winning goal. Yet, Llandaff scored the only try when centre Bernard Green (now the club secretary) gave that magnificent wing Tony Lynch a sniff of the Vale line 80 metres away and he made it. Lynch went on to proudly wear the New Zealand rugby shirt in a match against Wales at the Arms Park. It was against all the stars – Edwards, Bennett, Barry John, Dawes, JJ, JPR and Gerald Davies.

“It was a film,” grinned Lynch. “Old Scores was the name and though Waka Nathan, Ian Kirkpatrick, Sid Going, Graham Thorne and Alex Wyllie played, they needed others, so myself and two former Llandaff captains – Ian Miles and Mike Hennessey – ‘played’ for the All Blacks. The game was a draw and we were paid!”

The first international produced by the club was an almost unknown Oxford University student and half-back Leonard Watkins, who played in the very first Wales game in 1881 against England. Watkins was born in Abergavenny. schooled at Sherborne, but somehow played for Llandaff, though he emigrated to Argentina and died there at the age of 42 in 1901.

Founded in 1876 by ex-graduates of Oxford and Cambridge Universities, they are the oldest club in Cardiff having been formed a few months before Cardiff RFC. The colours of Oxford and Cambridge blue also reflect the club’s origin and they won the old South Wales Challenge Cup.#

Several internationals were to start at Llandaff, such as Frank Trott and Rex Willis to the most recent, wing Chris Czekaj. Willis, a great scrum-half, was a 1950 Lion, yet the uncapped Howard Poole was a Lion in 1930, though little is known of his life.

The club runs Three senior sides, a youth team and in addition, mini and junior section sides from under-sevens to 16s. The latter section has been very successfully run by Ron Jenkins for many years.

The senior club coach is Steve Facey (Former Uwic 1st Team Captain, who is assisted by Nicky Roberts. The 2011 - 2012 Club captain is Chris Woodman who, with many other senior players, has come through the club’s junior and youth sections.

The officers are president Nigel Perris, chairman Alan Thomas and treasurer Gary Witchell with Bernard Green as secretary and fixture secretary and all are former players.

Llandaff have always toured and in the past they have visited USA twice, Canada three times and South Africa and are hoping to tour Argentina in 2012.

Among many great club officials of the past were Jack Weslake-Hill and Dennis Cottam while hooker Terry Gooding became an Olympic boxing representative.