Throughout the month of October, Cardiff Rugby will be celebrating the contributions of notable players with African and Caribbean heritage who have pulled on the famous Blue & Black jersey.
Each year in the UK, BHM is used as an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of Black people to British society and beyond. This year the focus is on “Reclaiming Narratives,” marking a significant shift towards recognising and correcting the narratives of Black history and culture.
At Cardiff Rugby we pride ourselves on being an inclusive, diverse and welcoming club for all people of all backgrounds. We remain fiercely committed to championing equality and opportunities for all, while supporting societal change.
Following Steve Ford in this series, is a latecomer to rugby, who finished his career as a duel-code legend.
Gerald Cordle was born in North Church Street in 1960 and went to St Mary the Virgin School and then Bishop of Llandaff.
Throughout his youth, Cordle played football and he barely played rugby until he was 19-years-old.
The odd game from Bishop of Llandaff didn’t lead to anything substantial but when his friend asked for Cordle to turn out for Butetown against Rumney, it proved a life-changing moment.
He scored two tries on his debut to inspire Butetown to a 10-8 victory and cut his teeth playing alongside the likes of Ryan Giggs’ father Danny Wilson.
Cordle soon caught the attention of Glamorgan Wanderers and scored three tries on trial before Cardiff came calling.
He instantly impressed in Blue & Black and made his Rags debut in a team also including Mark Ring. A regular try-scorer and potent attacking weapon for the Rags, Cordle soon got his first team opportunity against Neath.
Recalling that game, Cordle said: “I played against Elgan Rees a Welsh International, Ringo played outside half and we won.
“It was Cardiff’s first win at the Gnoll for 10 years and in the space of 12 months I went from playing with my friends at Butetown to appearing for the Blue and Blacks in front of 10,000-plus every week.
“I was lining up alongside household international names like Terry Holmes, Gareth Davies, Allan Phillips and my first captain – who was the best leader I ever played with – the Cardiff and England legend John Scott. He was simply the straightest talker I have ever met.”
Over the next eight years, Cordle scored an impressive 166 tries in 194 games and won three of four WRU Challenge Cup finals he appears in.
In 1989, he followed the well-trodden path north to Bradford, where he played 132 games and scored 77 tries. He won eight caps for Wales and played once for Great Britain.