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.
Next up in the series is Steve Ford – a player of mixed race background, who had been banned from rugby for life but remains the club’s all-time top try-scorer and sits in the Hall of Fame.
Ford was born in Cardiff in 1965 and played for Rumney High School and Rumney RFC, while he was growing up in the city. He played for Rumney seniors in 1983, and made his Cardiff debut against South Wales Police in April 1985, in the same match where Mike Rayer took his bow.
However, soon after his world was turned upside down as a result of what he refers to as his “little walkabout up north”.
Ford had played two trial matches at Leeds, following his brother Phil, up north.
Although he never appeared in a competitive fixture, the WRU deemed it an act of professionalism and suspended the speedster for life.
It was the campaigning of Rumney official Dave Escott, for some two years, that got the suspension overturned and he returned to union and the Blue & Blacks in 1988.
He returned to action with a try against Aberavon and played 234 times, scoring 198 tries over the next 10 years.
His try scoring record eclipsed the previous figure of 184 tries by the great Bleddyn Williams and the record breaking try came in the Swalec Cup tie against Dinas Powis in 1997 when Ford scored a staggering five tries.
Ford won eight Welsh caps (scoring two tries) and was a member of the Welsh squads that played in the 1991 and 1995 Rugby World Cup.
His final game for Cardiff came against the old enemy – a 38-15 victory against Newport – in the WRU Challenge Trophy.
He remains the club’s record try-scorer to this day, and remains a regular on the terraces, while his son Luke also played 57 times across six seasons with the Rags.