The club we see today is not what it was years ago. In fact the club today arises as a result of 3 mergers.
The first merger was between Swansea HC (mens) and arch rivals Oystermouth HC (mens) in 2001. In 2005 Swansea Bay HC as it became known, started a ladies section adding 2 ladies teams and junior teams to the already existing 4 mens teams and several boys youth age groups. The second merger took place in 2012, when Swansea Bay HC came together with Swansea Ladies HC to form Swansea City HC. Finally in 2018 Swansea City HC merged with Swansea University to create Swansea Hockey Club that we have today
The original Swansea HC (mens) has records going back to 1890 and International records show we had representatives selected to play for Wales in 1899. Throughout the years the original club can be proud of having well over 40 players that have come through its ranks and gone on to play for Wales. In fact we have produced a few GB internationals with Graham Dadds, precious chairman, having won a Bronze medal at the Helsinki Games in ’52. And whilst in their off seasons from Glamorgan, Malcom Nash (he of the Garfield sobers 6-sixes fame), and the great Pakistan Cricket Majid Khan played for the club!!
Swansea Mens were the first Welsh cup winners in 66/67, and first ever South Wales League winners in 76/77. We were also the first Welsh Men’s club to win a European Tournament in 95 out in Zagreb
Oystermouth also have been around a while and records can be found dating them back to 1902, when they were part of Oystermouth Athletic Club. In 1925 they were formed as a club in their own right. They have produced a number of Welsh Internationals in their time (2 of whom whilst representing the club as well as a number who were capped whilst representing other Clubs) and have also had league and cup success over the years.
Swansea Ladies was formed in 1902. Since then the Ladies have had significant success and can be considered without doubt the most successful ladies hockey club in Wales, winning numerous National League and cup titles as well as boasting unrivalled success in European Competitions. Over the years they can boast well over 80 internationals that have come through their ranks and gone on to play for Wales and GB. In fact at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games they had 7 players in the squad that competed for Wales. Notable Olympians are Helen Morgan, who went to Barcelona 92 and won Bronze, Sarah Thomas, although a product of Merthyr HC, played for us for a number of seasons before going on to play for GB at the London 2012 Olympics where she was part of the Bronze medal winning team.
Our current club President, Anne Ellis, was GB captain in 1980 and was due to lead the team to Moscow, unfortunately the governing body at the time decided to withdraw from the Moscow games in protest.
Swansea Ladies joined the English National League in 2004/05 as the only Welsh representatives and have held their own all this time.
Swansea University have a thriving club including 8 teams of men and women and in the past have boasted Internationals such as Ian Towler in the 70s and most recently and a current member of the GB Olympic Squad is Jacob Draper who until recently was studying Economics. Currently part of the GB development side and currently studying at the University is local Swansea lad, Ioan Wall, who is believed to be the youngest male Welsh full international and is one of a number of current internationals, who is a product of the Club’s highly successful junior section (over the period that there have been National Junior Competitions, the Club has won in excess of 30 National age group titles (boys and girls) in the past 20 years or so). Alas as the men are not National League, Ioan has to play his League Hockey out of town to ensure he gets the required intensity. In the first years of the merger the 2 senior BCS teams have been promoted and are doing exceptionally well in the respective University leagues
Today
In 2018 Swansea HC was born, with all the clubs above and Swansea University coming together. This is part of a project to create a centre of excellence here in Swansea for Hockey and take the club forward and continue the fantastic success that we have all had in the past 130 years combined. The University has been instrumental in the merger and has also funded an International Class Head of Hockey, Gareth Terret (himself a past Welsh International and Commonwealth player!) who is responsible for everything Hockey here at the club.
Since the inception of the new club the success has been exceptional. The men’s first team has risen 2 leagues and next season will be aiming to finally reach the English National League, whilst the women have won the Investec Division 1 North this year and now next season will be competing against the Elite of the Ladies game in the UK and we will be seeing the Rio Gold medallists down at Ashleigh Road. The club now boasts over 500 members.

Swansea Ladies Hockey Club

Swansea Ladies Hockey Club probably dates from around 1902. The early years of the club are not well documented many records having been lost during the Second World war blitz on Swansea but we do know that amongst the first members was the cigar smoking Miss Amy Dillwyn Llewellyn of Hendrefoilan House Sketty a sister of Sir John Dillwyn Llewellyn of of Penllergaer. The First World War from 1914 to 1918 bought hockey to a standstill for the duration but the club resumed after the war under the captaincy of miss Nancy Griffiths Jones and matches were played on the present-day site of the Guildhall

The Club has never owned its own ground or clubhouse and from 1921 matches were played at St Helens ground an arrangement which lasted until 1952 when the requirements of cricket took precedence. Unfortunately, hockey has often been deemed a low priority sport when facilities are allocated and from 1952 to 1954 players had to travel to Neath for home matches. By 1954/55 however new playing fields at Ashleigh Rd became available, albeit with poor quality grass hockey pitch and primitive changerooms in the form of basic corrugated shed situated alongside. By 1983 time to change and the club moved to the newly built Morfa stadium with its excellent facilities. In more recent years this has been surpassed by return to Ashley Rd by this time to the new purpose built hockey centre which is now part of Swansea University Sports Complex.

The 1920s were exciting times for Welsh women's hockey and in March 1923 Swansea were amonst 8 clubs supporting the reconstitution of the Welsh Women's Hockey Association and following trials in a North V South format a Welsh team was selected. At territorial and County levels to much was happening and Glamorgan were competing against both Welsh and English counties. At club level Swansea ladies had a busy fixture list and their star centre forward Miss Cissie Perkins was emerging as a prolific goal scorer not only for Swansea but for a Glamorgan, South Wales and Wales.

In the 1950s poor pitches, poor facilities, no games allowed on a Sunday did not help encouraging new members which was at a low ebb at this time. Travelling to matches with either by public transport or minibus driven by Janet Evans. Lots of matches were cancelled due to the state of the pitches which were muddy with long grass and no goal posts and most of all no maintenance.

By 1969 a 2nd XI was formed and to accommodate the extra fixtures use was made of artificial red gra pitches at various local schools. In 1972 the Wales and later Great Britain captain, Ann Ellis arrived as coach and ultimately as a player too. The introduction of both midweek outdoor and indoor training sessions at Gower town sports Hall saw skills improve and with the recruitment of new members the club went from strength to strength. The South Wales League now became a feature and Swansea players were increasingly being selected for Glamorgan, South Wales and Wales.

But it was probably the opening of the new sports centre at Morfa Stadium in 1983 initially with one all-weather club turf pitch and later with two which was instrumental in the greatest upturn in interest and enthusiasm. In the years which followed Swansea Ladies won the Welsh Cup a number of times and travel to represent Wales at European Championship tournaments in Paris in 1983, and several times after this. In 1989 the tournament was hosted very successfully by Swansea ladies and attended by teams from France, Spain, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden and Austria. International matches were also hosted one in which was England in 1984.