All Black souvenir comes to light

The 1905 All Blacks tour is one of the most resonant in Welsh sporting history

A commemorative napkin celebrating the first ever Welsh rugby victory over the All Blacks in 1905 has been discovered by archivists packing to move home.

The souvenir features an illustration of the touring New Zealand team and details their vital statistics.

It was discovered amongst thousands of records from councils, schools, families and individuals kept by the Glamorgan Archives in Cardiff.

The archives are being moved from Cathays Park to a new base in Leckwith.

The napkin portrays the New Zealand players and lists their vital statistics

The napkin was found amongst sporting ephemera including 1979 cup final editions of the Pontypridd Observer and the Glamorgan Gazette, when Pontypridd played Bridgend.

It was made by Burgess William and Co, printers and manufacturers of handkerchiefs based in Mansell Street, Aldgate, London.

Archivist Susan Edwards explains: "We were looking through the sporting items donated, when we saw the napkin.

"This is just one of the unique items we house in the Glamorgan Archive, and I would encourage people to get in touch with us if they feel they have any items they would like to donate."

The 1905 All Blacks tour is widely regarded as one of the most significant in Welsh sporting history and helped forge a special relationship between Wales and New Zealand.

The new Glamorgan Record Office is due to open in spring 2010

Glamorgan Archives provides archive services for the local councils in Cardiff, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taf and the Vale of Glamorgan.

Archivists are in the process of moving 45,000 volumes, 60,000 plans and hundreds of miscellaneous items from the Glamorgan building in Cathays Park to a new Glamorgan Record Office.

The building next to the Cardiff City Stadium in Leckwith is due to open in spring 2010.

Vale of Glamorgan councillor Tony Hampton, chair of the Glamorgan Archives Joint Committee, said: "I am delighted that the move into this splendid new repository has begun.

"This discovery is typical of how archives can connect the past with the present and I hope that many people will visit the new building when it opens next year to find out for themselves."