The George Morgan Young Player Trust – Keeping a Great Legacy Alive

For almost two decades, the George Morgan Young Player Trust has been quietly making a difference to young sportspeople, teams, schools and communities across the Mid District and beyond.

Established by the Mid-District Rugby Union in memory of George Morgan, a former President of the Welsh Rugby Union and one of the great servants of Mid District rugby, the Trust was created with a simple but important purpose – to give young people opportunities through sport.

Over the years that has meant providing playing kit and equipment, supporting improvements to facilities, helping schools and clubs and providing assistance to talented young sportspeople pursuing their ambitions.

While Rugby Union will always be at the heart of the Trust, its work has extended far beyond the rugby field, with young people involved in sports including judo, cheerleading and archery among those to have benefited.

Behind everything the Trust does remains the name of a man whose contribution to rugby stretched from the communities of the Mid District to the international stage.

George Morgan – A Great Servant of Welsh Rugby

George Morgan was a hugely respected figure within Welsh rugby.

Born in Caerphilly in 1938, his roots were firmly planted in the Mid District and particularly at Senghenydd RFC, where he served as a player, Secretary and later President.

His contribution to rugby administration grew considerably.

George represented District C on the Welsh Rugby Union General Committee for many years and became an enormously respected figure within both the Mid District and the national game.

His standing eventually saw him become President of the Welsh Rugby Union for the 1987/88 season.

It proved to be a memorable year for Welsh rugby, with Wales winning the Triple Crown before touring New Zealand during the summer of 1988.

But George’s influence stretched well beyond Wales.

He became known throughout the international rugby community through his work as a Liaison Officer for international touring teams visiting Wales, with his personality and ability to look after visiting parties making him a popular figure with teams from across the rugby world.

One of the most fascinating chapters of his rugby life came in 1986, when George was Tour Manager on Wales’ first tour to the South Seas, taking the national side to Fiji, Tonga and Western Samoa.

It was an extraordinary rugby journey for someone whose roots remained so firmly planted within his local community.

Despite the positions he held and the places rugby took him, George never lost that connection with grassroots rugby.

Following his passing in January 2004, the rugby community was determined that his contribution should not be forgotten.

The Trust Is Established

The George Morgan Young Player Trust was subsequently established by the Mid-District Rugby Union in George’s memory.

The Trust’s own historical records trace its beginnings to 2008, with Brian Marshall, Howard Rose, Gordon Williams and Graham Hill subsequently described in Trust records as founding trustees.

The organisation later became a registered charity – Charity No. 1129472.

Although established by the Mid-District Rugby Union, an important principle was that the Trust would operate independently while maintaining strong links with the District.

Those links remain an important part of its identity today.

But perhaps most importantly, the Trust was not created simply to preserve George Morgan’s name.

It was created to continue something that George believed passionately in – giving young people opportunities through sport.

What the Trust Was Created to Do

The Trust exists primarily to promote and develop sport for people under the age of 21.

Its objectives allow it to support young people through equipment, clothing, facilities and other assistance that enables them to participate in Rugby Union and other sports.

It can also support pupils and students at schools, academies and places of higher education, encouraging participation in sport, physical education and healthy recreation.

While Rugby Union naturally remains central to the organisation because of George’s background and the Trust’s relationship with the Mid District, its remit has always been wider.

Trust records specifically confirm that applications can be made on an individual or team basis and that applications are welcomed from sports outside rugby, with archery recorded as one successful example.

At its heart, therefore, the George Morgan Young Player Trust is about three things:

Young people. Opportunity. Sport.

The Communities We Serve

Historically, the Trust has concentrated much of its work within the geographical area represented by the Mid-District Rugby Union.

That encompasses communities across Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr, Lower Powys and the former Rhymney Valley area of Caerphilly County Borough.

These are communities where rugby clubs and other sporting organisations often play an enormous social role.

The Trust recognised from the outset that helping a junior team, school or individual sportsperson was about considerably more than providing a jersey or a piece of equipment.

It was about providing an opportunity to participate.

An opportunity to develop.

And, in some cases, an opportunity to see just how far sporting talent could take someone.

Supporting Our Rugby Clubs

Over the years, the Trust has been privileged to support numerous clubs, junior sections, Youth teams and schools.

Surviving records provide only a snapshot of the assistance given throughout the Trust’s history.

Among those appearing within Trust records are Beddau, Bedlinog, Bargoed, Deri, Gilfach Goch, Llantwit Fardre, Mountain Ash, Nelson, Penygraig, Pontypridd, Senghenydd and Ystrad Rhondda, together with Lewis School Pengam.

Assistance has covered a wide range of needs.

Junior and Youth teams have received help with playing kit and training equipment. Clubs have received assistance with facilities used by their younger players, while the Trust has also stepped in where exceptional circumstances have created difficulties for clubs or individuals.

Trust records, for example, show support for Nelson, Senghenydd and Penygraig with playing kit, Pontypridd Minis & Juniors with training equipment, Mountain Ash with facilities for its junior pitch and Deri in assisting a partially sighted player.

Each application may be different, but the principle behind the decision remains the same:

Will this help a young person participate in or progress through sport?

More Than Rugby

One of the clearest examples of the Trust’s reach beyond Rugby Union is the story of Ruby Holifield.

Trust records show that Ruby received support connected with Wales Cheerleading, helping with transport and kit.

Ruby’s subsequent achievements demonstrate exactly why supporting young sportspeople can be so worthwhile.

In 2024, Ruby, then aged 16, was selected to represent Wales at the ICU Junior World Cheerleading Championships in Orlando, Florida.

More than 40 young women had reportedly trialled for the Welsh squad, with only 20 ultimately selected.

Ruby was also due to compete in Orlando with RSD Legends at the IASF competition.

From a young sportsperson pursuing an ambition within the Mid District to representing Wales on the world stage, Ruby’s story provides a wonderful example of the type of journey the George Morgan Young Player Trust was created to support.

 

Another outstanding example is Oliver Barratt.

Trust records show that Oliver, through a connection with Llantwit Fardre RFC, received support as he pursued his ambitions in judo, helping him on his journey towards becoming a Commonwealth Junior Judo Champion and competing on the European stage.

Oliver went on to establish himself as an international judoka.

The Church Village athlete progressed through the sport, represented Great Britain internationally and earned selection for British Judo’s Elite Development Squad.

His achievements have included success at British level and a European Under-23 silver medal.

His journey subsequently took him to another major milestone when he was selected to represent Wales at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games in the -100kg category.

It is difficult to find a better illustration of what the Trust is about.

The George Morgan Young Player Trust cannot take credit for the dedication, sacrifice and talent required for an athlete to reach that level.

That belongs to Oliver, his coaches and those closest to him.

But the Trust can be proud that, at an important stage of that journey, it was able to provide a helping hand.

That is exactly what George Morgan’s legacy is intended to achieve.

Supporting Different Sporting Dreams

Ruby and Oliver are not isolated examples of the Trust looking beyond Rugby Union.

Historical records confirm that the Trust has previously supported a young person involved in archery.

Earlier correspondence describes an international archer studying at a local university and competing in European tournaments, while later Trust documentation specifically identifies archery as an example of a successful application.

Although surviving records located to date have not allowed the Trust to confidently identify that individual by name, their story remains another important part of its history.

There is also the example of the partially sighted young player associated with Deri RFC, where the Trust helped provide suitable rugby balls to assist their participation.

These stories demonstrate something fundamental about the charity.

The Trust carries the name of one of Welsh rugby’s great servants, and rugby will always be central to its identity.

But the young person comes before the sport.

Building a Strong Trust

The Trust’s surviving records provide a fascinating insight into the volunteers who have helped carry George’s legacy forward.

By the Annual General Meeting of August 2018, Brian Marshall was Honorary Chairman, Gordon H. Williams Honorary Treasurer and Gordon Adams Honorary Secretary.

They were joined by trustees Graham Hill, Gwyn George, Rhys Ryland and Alex James.

Brian Marshall and Graham Hill are particularly important names in the Trust’s story, having subsequently been described in Trust records as founding trustees going back to 2008.

Those individuals, together with the trustees and officers who followed them, have ensured that George’s name has continued to make a difference long after his passing.

The Annual Dinner

The George Morgan Young Player Trust Annual Dinner became one of the major occasions in the Mid District rugby calendar.

On some occasions the event attracted around 400 guests, with the majority of the clubs within the Mid-District Rugby Union represented.

The Dinner was never simply about fundraising.

It became an opportunity to bring the rugby community together, celebrate its history, recognise outstanding personalities and generate the support necessary for the Trust to continue helping young people.

Over the years, clubs, businesses, sponsors, advertisers, supporters and individuals have all contributed to its success.

Molson Coors has held a particularly important place in that story, with Trust records describing the company as a major supporter since the charity’s inception.

The Dinner has also benefited from the generosity of many individuals from the wider sporting community.

One Trust Dinner document, for example, records Welsh football international Aaron Ramsey providing items for auction and notes his own upbringing and education within the Mid District.

Every sponsor, table, raffle prize, auction item and person attending has ultimately contributed to the same objective – allowing the Trust to continue supporting young people.

Celebrating Mid District Greats

The Dinner also became associated with the Mid-District Rugby Union Hall of Fame.

Over the years, some outstanding figures from Welsh rugby have been recognised.

Names recorded among the Hall of Fame include Cliff Morgan, Neil Jenkins, Martyn Williams, Richard Parks, Brian Price, Russell Robins and Tommy David.

Historical correspondence also records an occasion when former Wales internationals Steve Fenwick and Gethin Jenkins were to be inducted, with former Scotland international prop Iain ‘The Bear’ Milne appearing as guest speaker.

It gave the evening a particularly appropriate balance.

While the Trust was generating support to provide opportunities for the next generation, the Hall of Fame celebrated those from the Mid District who had already reached the highest levels of the game.

The Golf Day

Alongside the Annual Dinner, the George Morgan Young Player Trust Golf Day has become another important part of the Trust’s calendar.

It has brought together rugby clubs, businesses, sponsors and friends of the charity for an enjoyable day while helping the Trust continue its work.

The Dinner and Golf Day have both become important occasions in their own right.

But ultimately their purpose is much bigger than the events themselves.

They allow the Trust to say yes when a young person, team or club needs help.

A Family Connection

The Morgan family’s continued involvement has provided another important link between George and the charity bearing his name.

George’s son Huw Morgan served for many years as the Trust’s Honorary Solicitor and has remained closely associated with its work.

His other son, Jonathan Morgan, was awarded an OBE in the 2018 New Year’s Honours for services to Disability Sport Wales.

That family connection adds something particularly special to the story.

The Trust is not simply an organisation which adopted George Morgan’s name.

It grew from a rugby community that knew him, worked alongside him and wanted the values he represented to continue.

Coming Through Covid

Like grassroots sport everywhere, the Trust faced an unprecedented interruption during the Covid-19 pandemic.

When trustees were finally able to hold an overdue AGM in June 2021, it represented an important moment in getting the organisation moving again.

The meeting also marked the beginning of a period of transition.

Brian Marshall indicated his intention eventually to retire as Chairman, while changes were also taking place in other officer positions.

Jamie Willis subsequently became Honorary Secretary, helping provide continuity as the Trust emerged from the pandemic.

A Changing of the Guard

In September 2022, Brian Marshall again expressed his wish to stand down as Chairman.

His fellow trustees accepted his decision and invited Gwyn George to succeed him, with Jamie Willis continuing as Secretary.

Following the resignation of founding trustee Graham Hill, Lyn Jones, President of Bedlinog RFC, was invited to become a trustee.

It marked an important changing of the guard.

Brian Marshall had played an enormous role in establishing and developing the charity, while Graham Hill had also been there from its earliest days.

People changed, but the purpose did not.

New trustees picked up the responsibility carried by those before them and continued the work.

A Special Relationship with the Mid District

One of the defining features of the George Morgan Young Player Trust remains its relationship with the Mid-District Rugby Union.

The Trust was established by the District in George’s memory.

It subsequently developed into an independent charitable organisation, but the two have maintained strong links ever since.

That relationship is much more than administrative.

The clubs and communities of the Mid District are where George spent so much of his rugby life.

They are also where many of the young people subsequently supported by the Trust have begun their own sporting journeys.

The Trust therefore provides a bridge between two generations.

It remembers someone who gave an enormous amount to Welsh rugby while providing opportunities for young people who are only beginning their own sporting stories.

A Trust Unique in Welsh Rugby

An early description of the organisation made a striking statement:

“The Trust is unique in Welsh Rugby.”

There is good reason for that sense of pride.

It is an organisation established by a District Rugby Union in memory of one of its great servants, but created to do something practical for future generations.

It remembers the past by investing in the future.

And although its roots are unquestionably in rugby, the stories of Ruby Holifield, Oliver Barratt and the young archer demonstrate that George Morgan’s sporting legacy now stretches beyond the game to which he devoted so much of his life.

Keeping George Morgan’s Legacy Alive

Much has changed since the George Morgan Young Player Trust was established.

Trustees and officers have changed.

Rugby has changed.

The financial pressures facing clubs, young sportspeople and their families have changed.

But the principle at the heart of the Trust has remained remarkably consistent.

Opportunity. Participation. Development. Community.

George Morgan spent a lifetime serving rugby.

He represented his club and his district before ultimately serving Welsh rugby at the highest administrative level.

He welcomed international teams to Wales and travelled the rugby world, yet remained deeply connected to the communities from which he came.

The Trust bearing his name ensures that connection continues.

Every youngster who pulls on a kit the Trust has helped provide…

Every team able to train using equipment or facilities it has helped support…

Every young sportsperson given an opportunity to travel and compete…

Every club given a helping hand…

And every Ruby Holifield or Oliver Barratt able to take another step towards representing their country…

…represents another small part of George Morgan’s legacy.

The Annual Dinner, Golf Day, sponsors, trustees, clubs, volunteers and supporters are the means by which it happens.

The young people are the reason it happens.

And that remains perhaps the greatest tribute of all to George Morgan:

A lifetime spent serving sport has become a legacy that continues creating opportunities for the next generation.