Mark Gerarde Ring played rugby union

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

 for Cardiff RFC

Cardiff RFC

Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...

, Pontypool RFC

Pontypool RFC

Pontypool Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in the town of Pontypool. Pontypool RFC has a long history within Welsh rugby and is one of the most notable clubs, being present at the formation of the Welsh Rugby Union in 1881, but disbanding before the turn of the 19th century...

 and Wales

Wales national rugby union team

The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...

 between 1982 and 1996. He was regarded as among the most gifted players of his generation but his career was hampered by serious injury.

Club career

A great entertainer, Ring was noted for his cheek, flair and individual skill. He first came to attention as outside half for the Cardiff RFC Youth team. Selection for the full Cardiff RFC side soon followed. He became a great crowd favourite with his hometown club but also spent a few seasons at Pontypool where he formed a notable half back partnership with David Bishop

David Bishop

David Bishop is a screenwriter and author. Born in New Zealand, he was a UK comics editor during the 1990s, running such titles as the Judge Dredd Megazine and 2000 AD, the latter between 1996 and the summer of 2000....

.

International career

He won his first Welsh cap at the age of 20 versus England

England national rugby union team

The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...

 in Cardiff

Cardiff

Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...

. He eventually won 32 caps, scoring 34 points in the process. The highlight of his international career came in 1988 when he was part of a Triple Crown

Triple Crown (Rugby Union)

In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship: England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the...

 winning Welsh side. The majority of his caps were won in the centre position but he played in his favoured outside half role throughout the 1991 Rugby World Cup

Rugby World Cup

The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....

. Knee injuries hampered his performance and that tournament marked the end of his international career.

Coaching career

Mark Ring ended his top flight club career in 1996 after the first Heineken Cup

Heineken Cup

The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...

 Final, when Cardiff were beaten by Stade Toulousain

Stade Toulousain

Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...

. He moved into coaching, first at West Hartlepool RFC then back at Cardiff where he took charge of the backs. Ring spent a spell as player/coach at the Penzance and Newlyn Pirates. He then won plaudits as coach of Caerphilly RFC

Caerphilly RFC

Caerphilly Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team founded in 1887. Their home ground is Virginia Park in Caerphilly and their nickname is The Cheesemen. Caerphilly RFC currently play in the WRU Division One East and are a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.Caerphilly RFC also run a...

.Mark moved to Ireland to coach a feeding team for Munster called Old Crescent. He returned across the water and to coach Tetbury RFC in Gloucestershire Division Two for a few seasons and went on to coach the University of Glamorgan team in Pontypridd. He is now coach of Welsh Premier Division side Cross Keys RFC

Cross Keys RFC

Cross Keys RFC is a rugby union club located in the Welsh village of Crosskeys. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.- History :...

. Mark Ring regularly contributes to Read Radio Wales Sports phone-in where he gives expert pundit advice.