the once-renowned penarth rugby football club is based at the athletic ground, lavernock road, penarth, where it played wales' and the west country's premier clubs until the creation of the welsh league system in the early 1990s. it has had somewhat of a renaissance in recent years, and in season 2006-07 won promotion to division 3 south-east of the welsh national leagues by finishing runner-up in division 4 south-east. penarth rfc used to host the world-famous barbarians football club each easter good friday, until 1986. this fixture was the start of the "baa-baas" annual south wales tour from the team's spiritual home of penarth, which also encompassed playing cardiff on the saturday, swansea on easter monday and newport on the tuesday. on the thursday before good friday, the barbarian rugby squad would be allowed free use of the glamorganshire golf club, when they would play a match amongst themselves using only two golf clubs. on easter sunday, the golf club held its annual tournament for club members for a trophy titled the barbarian cup. the grand esplanade hotel, located on the seafront at penarth before being destroyed by fire in may 1977,[32] would host the gala party for the trip. penarth has a second and more recent rugby union club old penarthians rfc, originally formed out of 'old boys' from penarth county grammar school, but no longer applying that restrictive membership criteria.[33]
