Cardiff Hosts Tribute to Lt Rhodri Leyshon RN

The Memorial Match at Cardiff Arms Park honoured Lt Rhodri Leyshon RN, tragically lost in a helicopter accident. Featuring a competitive rugby match, emotional tributes, and a record-breaking £6000 raised for Wales Air Ambulance, the event united family, friends, and communities in remembrance, celebrating Rhod’s life and legacy.

Last month, the much-anticipated match took place in Cardiff between the Rhod Leyshon Select and Cowbridge RFC Select and with a butcher’s bill to rival the battle of Trafalgar, it was clear no quarter was to be asked for nor given.

As the match was a double header with Cardiff RFC vs Esher, players for both games took to the field through a guard of honour formed by Ship’s Companies of HMS CAMBRIA and Cardiff URNU. Despite rapidly worsening conditions, the Rhod Select and Cowbridge formed on the 5m line as 846 NAS delivered a spectacular fly past overhead, all while the Welsh National Anthem was proudly and strongly delivered acapella due to the ground’s sound system failing at the last minute. Rhod’s sister, Anna, and his girlfriend, Sophie, delivered the match ball. The Rhod Select Captain, Lt Cdr Will Murray, retired the number 7 jersey, which was presented to Rhod’s family by the Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan after a two-minute silence. The jersey now holds pride of place, framed above Rhod’s nephew’s bed.

To the delight of spectators who had made the journey for the game, with well over a thousand in the stands and dwarfing the Cardiff attendance, the match kicked off with Rhod Select receiving and running it straight back into the Cowbridge half at pace, with captain Murray leading from the front into a heavy first collision. With hugely entertaining runs and impacts, the forwards of the Rhod Select were able to demonstrate the pedigree in their ranks with a dominant scrum, setting the standard for the rest of the game until, due to the injury of former RN and UKAF prop, Joe Burton, uncontested scrums were forced to be declared for the final 20 minutes. Whilst this did allow for fast play for both backlines, it provided a slightly edged advantage to the younger and well drilled backs of Cowbridge with the first try for the game going to Cowbridge No.8, Jamie Bennett, after well executed tip line from a forward pod.

The Rhod Select answered immediately however with a clinical line break on the wing by Redruth RFC and FAA Aircrew hopeful, Ethan Taylor. Whilst there were countless near misses and several line breaks, after a missed conversion for both sides, a memorable first half concluded with all to play for and the scores equal as teams took a brief pause from battle.

With squall conditions regularly passing through during the second half, there was no reduction in work rate with both teams looking to dominate in the contact area and probing for gaps out wide. As fatigue amongst the Rhod Select set in, who had only convened that day and trained all morning, a lapse of concentration allowed Cowbridge winger, Huw Llewellyn, to break through and score unopposed under the posts and with a successful conversion by Cowbridge fall-back, Tom Hannah-Vernaschi, brought the score to 5 – 12.

Some major carries by retired RN navigator and Glasgow Southside lock, Bruce McNicholl, followed by quick flowing play by fly-half and FAA Aviator, Stu Lewis, facilitated a crucial break through try by RN Mariners’ winger, Ben Jones, bringing the Rhod Select back within 2 points. However, this was ultimately disallowed for a knock-on in the grounding after significant deliberation between senior RN Referees, Simon Preistley and Andy Coles, a fair but bitter pill for the Rhod Select to swallow which could have seen them equalise.

The Rhod Select were briefly unsettled in their dynamics due to injury substitutions forcing players out of position which created a sequence of handling errors that a talented Cowbridge could not leave unpunished and ultimately sent flanker, Alex Hollingwood, crashing through an open gap and in for their third and final try of the day.

As the game entered the final 10-minutes and with former RN fly-half, Dane Smallbone, coming out of retirement to take to the field, the Rhod Select found their second wind full of energy and aggression. A series of impressive single carries by former Dings Crusader and RNAS Yeovilton Hall of Famer, Ollie James, saw him bulldoze his way over the whitewash for a try which was successfully converted. With their tails now up, the Rhod Select XV pushed for the win well past last play and came incredibly close with several last-minute breaks, however the sustained appalling weather conditions dealt the final blow and as a wet ball slipped into a knock on, the final whistle blew, and the match concluded 12 - 17 to Cowbridge.

The result and the score of course were not why any took to the field that day, the focus throughout was of course to memorialise and remember Lt Rhodri Leyshon RN, who was tragically killed when forced to ditch his Merlin helicopter into the English Channel last September. The event brought people from all corners of Rhod’s personality and life, be that RN, Rugby, his home of Cowbridge and Wales or his adoptive home in Somerset into his home nation’s capital to share laughter and tears together.

 “The game wasn’t about the scoreboard, it was about playing for Rhod and bringing together family and friends to remember a great man”, reflected team Captain and co-organiser Will Murray, “The incredibly competitive nature of the game was testament to the commitment of all involved with the match and the cause. It truly demonstrated the spirit of rugby at its best. I’m exceptionally proud of the effort and to have been part of such a special day.”

At the request of his family, in his memory the occasion was also used to raise money for the Wales Air Ambulance as a flagship Welsh charity with aviation at its very core. It is with great pride and gratitude it has since been confirmed that the event broke several fundraising records for the charity including the most ever raised at a rugby event, beating the previous record holder of the England vs Wales Six Nations fixture at the Principality Stadium in 2024 with over £6000 raised. The fundraising in the lead up to the day for the event has also facilitated memorials in several key locations close to Rhod and his family’s lives including a bench at Cowbridge Comprehensive Secondary School, where Rhod attended, and his sister remains a teacher and a permanent, bespoke memorial plaque by Military Gizzits for Cowbridge Rugby Club.

The event was a hugely emotional but greatly enjoyable for all who attended with people from all chapters of Rhod’s life sharing stories and singing songs in Cardiff’s clubhouse well into the night and would not have been possible without the generosity of all those individuals who donated personally. We would also like to extend our sincerest gratitude to organisations who provided significant sponsorship to give the event the professional polish it warranted and asked for little in return for it, with special thanks to the following; Cardiff Rugby, The Gosling Foundation, Safeguard Engineering, CGI, The Fleet Air Arm Officers Association and of course the Royal Navy Rugby Union.

Images by Lee Blease