Villagers buy player's gold watch

The watch and chain alongside a picture of Llew Jenkins with his cap

A village has clubbed together to raise money to buy a watch presented in 1923 to the first rugby player from the area to be capped for Wales.

Llew Jenkins was honoured by his fellow residents in Senghenydd, Caerphilly, at an event in the local hotel, where he received a gold watch and chain.

The village heritage group found a programme of the occasion, and tracked the items down.

The group were the highest bidders and secured the watch for £820 at auction.

Gill Jones from the Aber Valley Heritage Group, who had travelled up to Chester for the sale, said afterwards: "It's absolutely wonderful."

She added: "We're extremely thrilled to have got the watch to take back to the Aber Valley. It's gone full circle and now it will be on show at the heritage centre for people to have a look at it"

Ms Jones was given a photocopy of a programme from 1923 of the presentation to Mr Jenkins at the Gwernymilwr Hall in Senghenydd.

She wrote an article in the Aber Valley newsletter asking for further information and was contacted by Mr Jenkins' niece, who said she would contact his son David, who lived in Worcester.

Until his very elderly mother died some years ago and he found everything in a drawer he had no idea of his father's connection with rugby Gill Jones

David Jenkins came and visited the village's heritage centre and brought his father's memorabilia including the inscribed watch and chain, his caps and photographs.

Ms Jones said: "He was aware that his father was a well known local cricketer and sportsman but until his very elderly mother died some years ago and he found everything in a drawer he had no idea of his father's connection with rugby.

"In fact he knew very little of his past - which, as we had already done research on his rugby career, [we] were able to tell him."

Following the visit, the heritage group hoped to hold an exhibition of the items but when they wrote to Mr Jenkins they discovered they were being valued for auction.

A lack of money notwithstanding, the group offered to purchase the watch but Mr Jenkins was unable to retrieve it from the auctioneers as he had already signed a contract.

Ms Jones said the group had fundraised from within the valley, adding: "Everyone has come up trumps."

She and a colleague attended the auction at Bonhams in Chester and admitted they had been a bit worried beforehand.