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Sport

Yes Cymru propose alternative crests for WRU that ditch the three feathers

By David Owens
The alternative YesCymru logos

Yes Cymru have released three new alternative designs for the Welsh Rugby Union - that ditch the Prince of Wales three feathers.

The independence group issued the new designs, which they believe are more 'Welsh' as opposed to a symbol of the British monarchy, to gauge feedback from users on social media.

Welsh Independence group YesCymru has created three new alternative crests for the Welsh Rugby Union that ditches the Prince Of Wales feathers for something more “Welsh” as opposed to a symbol of the British Monarchy - what do you think? pic.twitter.com/eWjgglK1vf

— Rucked Magazine (@rucked_mag) October 29, 2021

The new designs issued to coincide with today's match between Wales and the All Blacks in Cardiff, show a leek, a daffodil and a harp.

Yes Cymru said: "These are some initial ideas and we've asked for suggestions for a new motto. Good to know what people's opinion's are on this issue.

[mid-content-banner]

Goat, sheep, SuperTed, Mr Urdd

"We're looking at everyone's comments and we'll be producing new designs based on feedback in time for the next game."

This is what the current WRU crest looks like.

Understandably, there was lots of feedback on social media, with mixed reviews for the designs.

Many suggested a dragon would be an obvious replacement, some backed a goat or a sheep as an alternative to the three feathers, while one person even suggested SuperTed and then there was this...

Definitely worth considering 🤣🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 https://t.co/MS4RqXOZcU

— YesCymru 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (@YesCymru) October 29, 2021

So what do you think?

Let us know.

 


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45 comments

GW Atkinson

I used to love wearing my Wales rugby shirts until I found out what those feathers represent. Not buying a Welsh rugby top until they change it so i'll just stick to the footy shirt which doesn't represent everything I am opposed to.

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Steve Duggan

Sorry mate, the 3 feathers do not represent Wales they represent oppression, poverty and colonisation.

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j humphrys

Telyn, diolch!

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Cai Wogan Jones

But that is THE national symbol of Ireland. Must be the leek, the daffodil or the dragon. However, the proposed daffodil emblem is too close to the symbol for Hong Kong (?) So needs some modification.

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j humphrys

Shamrock for Ireland, Cai?

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Leigh Richards

And about time too! Well done Yes Cymru 👏

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Gareth Cemlyn Jones

Hen amser cael gwared ar y ddelwedd ffiaidd imperialaidd Brydeinig

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Glyn

Yn wîr iawn

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Eifion

It's an odd one this, it wasn't until much later in life that I understood what the the feathers meant after seeing it be used by an english cricket team. Without doubt it should be changed, I think we're mature enough to move away for being Uncle Tomos's and being branded with this symbol of our conquers.

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Barry Pandy

Perhaps that should be Uncle Tafs.

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Welsh_Siôn

Or Wncwl Dic Sion Dafydd ...

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hdavies15

The old FWA "eryr" symbol had a lot going for it. Can't find it in my stock of emojis !!

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Jack

I agree we should be open to new ideas about Welsh rugby's image it portrays. And I do want to give them credit for trying to be original, rather than just going for a dragon like the football. But these particular designs... Yeah maybe back to the drawing board!

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Mr Williams

I really like this idea. About time we ditch the three feathers, which is a symbol of who others would like us to be rather than who we are.

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Welsh_Siôn

I once met a Frenchman who was convinced that the 'three feathers' were actually the leek. 'L'equipe du poireau' he kept on referring to the Welsh XV. No amont of my saying otherwise could shake this belief. Maybe it's time to grant him his wish. I mean, which other country sports (sorry!) a badge for its national team based on a foreign powers Principality ... which itself was stolen from the Counts of Luxembourg by Edward, the Black Prince?

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Jack

"which other country sports a badge for its national team based on a foreign powers" - Well the flags of Australia and New Zealand have the Union flag on them, so I guess there is that. But imo these are definitely overdue a redesign (like Canada got). NZ really missed a trick a few years ago.

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Welsh_Siôn

Agreed - but do the Ozzies and Kiwis have the UJ on their rugby shirts? Thought not. PS No one thought of making the logo bilingual or removing the 'WRU' bit?

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Y Cymro

I've never understood the Three Feathers emblem being used on our Rugby shirts? In Football we use the world"s oldest standard being the Y Ddraig Goch. It oozes ancient Welsh Mythology and projects our history of native Celtic warrior people. But with Rugby, being our most successful national sport, use this white feather dirge. And we all know the connotations of receiving a white feather, or three, don't we. The three feathers is a Germanic heraldry with the German 'Ich Dien' on meaning 'I serve', which is as Welsh as Prince Charles is, or to give his real name, Charles Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. I rest my case. Our history is vast, the oldest on this island, but we suffer this ongoing national slight? The Royal Crest of Llewellyn the Great was the four lions rampant. It was a standard also used by Owain Glyndwr. If we don't use Y Ddraig Goch should use this as it has immense Welsh pedigree being used in battle.

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Dale McElwee

"The three feathers is a Germanic heraldry with the German ‘Ich Dien’ on meaning ‘I serve’, which is as Welsh as Prince Charles is, or to give his real name, Charles Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. I rest my case." What is the problem with Germany? Jesus. You don't want the English Royal family. Then you all complain that they are really German. The you want to rejoin the EU.

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CapM

National emblem = the Leek so not really a contest only what design to choose. Lady Charlotte Guest's alternative emblem the Daffodil could be on the women's team shirt if they'd prefer. The current Ken Dodd's Tickling Stick emblem is long overdue the red card.

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Kerry Davies

Why go too far from what exists? Use the Eryr Gwyn, White Eagle of Snowdonia.

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Dale McElwee

You changed that from "Free Wales Army".

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Crwtyn Cemais

Dw i'n cytuno - mae angen symbol Cymreig, gan NAD yw'r tair pluen gwyn yn Gymreig o gwbl; maent yn symbol herodrol tywysog Lloegr o'r 4ydd ganrif ar ddeg sef mab hynaf Edward III. Adwaenid y tywysog: 'The Black Prince' . O'r tri cynnig gan Yes Cymru, baswn i'n dewis yr un yn y canol - mae'n hawdd ei adnabod fel blodyn Cennyn Pedr, tra bod yr un ar y chwith yn awgrymu Cennyn Pedr sydd wedi COLLI ei flodyn! Mae'r un ar y dde yn rhy debyg i delyn Iwerddon - yn enwedig gan fod 'na lythyren fras 'I' ar ochr chwith y ddelwedd sydd hefyd yn awgrymu Iwerddon/Ireland. ~ I agree with this - a Welsh symbol is needed, given that the 3 white feathers are NOT Welsh symbols at all; they are an heraldic symbol of an English Prince of the 14th century namely the eldest son of King Edward III. The Prince was known as 'The Black Prince'. Of the three designs suggested by Yes Cymru, I would choose the one in the centre - you can easily recognize it as a Dafffodil flower, whilst the one on the left looks like a Daffodil whose flower has been chopped off (!) and the one on the right resembles an Irish harp too much and the capital letter 'I' on the right of the design suggests the 'I' of Ireland.

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M Greenway

What a load of crap. Show that emblem anywhere in the rugby playing world and they know it’s Wales. They don’t think that it is a political emblem forced onto a downtrodden people. Being Welsh I certainly don’t think I am downtrodden. An insult to all the great Welsh players who have worn the feathers.

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CapM

"They don’t think that it is a political emblem forced onto a downtrodden people." The RFU chose the Red Rose as their emblem, the SRU chose the thistle as their emblem, the IRU chose the shamrock as their emblem. All three plants being the national emblems of their respective countries. Then the WRU chose a German emblem and motto adopted by an heir to the throne of England. There must have been reasons - sycophancy, lack of confidence, an inferiority complex, ignorance and others none of which were admirable rather than directly being "downtrodden".

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Steve Duggan

Interesting, so we were not conquered? The current Prince of Wales is not an English prince imposed upon us? We chose to be in the UK? Our language and culture was not targeted for elimination by Westminster for centuries? We have equal status with England? We are as rich as the South East of England and London? History says otherwise mate, if you are Welsh you and your country have definitely been downtrodden.

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Gafan

"We" were conquered so long ago that no-one in Wales today can claim not to have some form of English ancestry. So don't pretend like we're a separate race of downtrodden serfs, Steve. We're mongrels, just like everyone else.

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In reply to Gafan

Steve Duggan

Mate, my 28th great great grandfather was William the Conqueror ! Even further back my ancestry, like yours, was African. So yes I'm a mongrel and I am well aware of that. However, I was born in Wales and I am Welsh that is all that matters now. You can't deny we were a conquered people, regardless of whether that was 700years ago or yesterday. Besides if what you say is correct - we are all mongrels so forget about your national identity - why were so many countries of the empire so desperate to become Independent ? Identity, it matters mate and that includes our identity in Wales too.

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In reply to Gafan

j humphrys

See current Oxford map of British dna.

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Charles Coombes

None of these. The two on the right suggest Yorkshire and Eire. The one on the left is ...... not Welsh. Back tonthe drawing board!

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j humphrys

Once again, the Irish have the shamrock, albeit demonstrated by our dear Dewi St, to represent the trinity, thus the beautiful green of Ireland.

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j humphrys

Alzheimers strikes, I mean Padrig of course, doh!

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defaid

The leek looks like three feathers. The daffodil looks like a rose. The harp is kind of... taken. How about a great big red dragon?

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CapM

Change the WRU badge to a leek. Instant promotion of leeks, farmers have a new income, use them as biofuel for new bus services, plant them on coal tips to stabilise them, serve up cawl cennin to the homeless. That'll solve all our problems. A stupid statement? Well you started it.

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Gafan

Not managed to rebut any of their points, though, have you? New YesCymru slogan "Let them eat nationalism". I can just see Liz Saville Antoinette saying that...

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CapM

Maybe you and Dim problem find it difficult to consider (in this case) the issue of the WRU's brand without abandoning any thoughts you might gave on weightier issues affecting Cymru doesn't mean others are similarly limited.

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Sian Ifan

We are at a stage in our history where we wish to express to the world that we are a strong and confident nation with our own unique heritage and history so, why on earth would the WRU wish our rugby players and supporters to sport a badge made up of the 'Ich Dien' feather duster, which expresses our loyalty to another country and its royalty? Our last native Prince was Tywysog Owain Glyndŵr, a leader chosen and crowned at our own Cymric Parliament at Machynlleth and his royal Coat of Arms was the 4 Lions Rampant - as seen flying on flags all over our nation today. One of our greatest rygby stars, Grav (Ray Gravell) was one of Tywysog Owain Glyndŵr's biggest admirers and would proudly wear his coat of arms in a cloth badge form, badge and tie at every opportunity afforded to him so, would it not be a fitting tribute to Grav if his much loved 4 Lions Rampant symbol was adopted by the WRU as a logo and also, would this not be a great way to express to the world that we are a strong and confident nation in our own right with with the blood of great warrior leaders running through our veins. REPLY  

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Dale McElwee

Llanelli's greatest warrior was Steadman

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Barry Pandy

How about the royal standard of Owain Glyndŵr Y Draig Aur Owain Glyndŵr - Owain Glyndŵr - Wikipedia

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j humphrys

Ooh, you tempt me away from my Telyn!

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Mick Tems

I'll vote for Y Ddraig Goch.

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CapM

That would be red on red.

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Barry Pandy

An invisible dragon!

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Barry Pandy

Perhaps the dragon isn't such a good idea - the WRU are such sycophants they would probably opt to use the white english dragons so that they can suck up to their english masters. Unless of course they use the golden dragon of Owain Glyndŵr.

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Rhosddu

O'r tri cynllun YesCymru, ydy'r cenhinen y gorau, dw i'n meddwl; gyda URC uwchben WRU (enw dwyieithog).

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Perhaps the dragon isn't such a good idea - the WRU are such sycophants they would probably opt to use the white english dragons so that they can suck up to their english masters. Unless of course they use the golden dragon of Owain Glyndŵ...

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