What's become of all the famous Welsh rugby clubs after everything changed

Once, the story goes, Penarth RFC’s forwards were packing down for a scrum when one of their number started singing — as you do.

A team-mate joined in and before long the entire Seasiders’ eight were operating in perfect harmony: baritones, tenors, bass, the lot. Supporters that night were treated to the sight and sound of a singing scrum. Had Harry Secombe featured at tight-head prop the picture would have been complete.

For sure, rugby life was taken less seriously by some in those days.

Finding the much-loved Wales rugby players who disappeared off the radar

But then leagues were introduced in 1990 and everything changed. The question was what would Penarth do with their musical set-piece? And how would others fare?

And how have they coped since?

MARK ORDERS takes a look at what’s become of some of the clubs who made up the old Western Mail Unofficial Welsh Club Championship.

A great old club to start, five-times winners of the unofficial Welsh club title, they were renowned as a team who played flowing rugby but they also had a tradition for tough, hard forward play. Few took liberties with Aberavon packs that contained the likes of Billy Mainwaring, Max Wiltshire and flanker Omri Jones. A copper known as Om the Bomb, Jones was said to have been “as hard as anthracite”.

The onset of leagues in Wales found the Wizards a shade down on their luck — they had finished 17th in the unofficial Welsh championship and so had to make do with a place in the new set-up’s second tier rather than in the top flight. Within two seasons they had won promotion. But professionalism changed everything and Aberavon were unable to seriously compete for top honours before the game went regional.

The club had a brush with relegation from