The newly draped banner on the sun drenched clubhouse balcony said it all.
“Rydym ni’n ôl” . . . or in English, “we are back”.
London Welsh had returned to the national leagues of English rugby after an enforced exile in the lower divisions since 2017.
In keeping with the traditions of this grand old institution, they did it in style.
The club which boasted a pride of British Lions in the 1970s and was one of the most successful clubs in the British Isles had sealed promotion as champions a fortnight earlier thanks to a victory at Wimbledon.
Now it was time to party on home soil.
And party they did. On and off the field at their famous Old Deer Park ground, situated next to Kew Gardens in leafy Richmond.
Last Saturday’s final home league match of the season was an opportunity to celebrate the latest step of their remarkable rise.
In 2017, the former English Premiership club were relegated to the bottom rung of the league pyramid following liquidation the previous December.
Since then, they have risen from the relative obscurity of Herts/Middlesex 1 – in the ninth tier of English rugby – to become this season’s champions of Regional 1 South Central League.
Following their fifth promotion in seven seasons, they will take their place next season in National 2 East – effectively the fourth tier below the Premiership.
A crowd of more than 1,400 turned out to enjoy the occasion which was marked by an all-day barbecue, fireworks, half-time mini rugby versus Penarth, a Welsh choir and a thumping 50-12 win over Bracknell.
The victory meant London Welsh ended the season on 107 points, having scored more than 1,000 points in 22 league matches. Their solitary defeat was an injury time loss against runners-up Jersey.
At the final whistle, the players observed the usual rules of title celebrations.
The league plaque was raised aloft, teammates hugged and danced around the field, waved victory banners and vigorously shook champagne bottles before soaking everyone within a 20-yard radius in bubbly.
The Côr Llundain mixed choir launched into a medley of typical Welsh rugby songs including Calon Lan and Sosban Fach, joined by hundreds of delighted supporters and conducted by mascot Dewi The Dragon.
With the sun beating down on this corner of London which will be forever Cymru, director of rugby Cai Griffiths sat back in the touchline dugout and surveyed the idyllic celebratory scene, so rarely associated with Welsh rugby in recent months.
As players and supporters made their way across the Old Deer Park cricket pitch to carry on their celebrations in front of the packed clubhouse, Griffiths reflected on the season’s success.
“It's been great,” said the former prop forward who played more than 100 times for the Ospreys during a distinguished playing career which eventually took him to London.
“I think the players that have come in for this season have added a lot, and we’ve gone through the season without picking up too many injuries. I think that's given us the momentum.
“We saw what the group could do towards the tail end of last season, it’s a special group. So, I’m delighted.
“Some of the players are retiring or moving on, so to have the opportunity to play in front of the crowd we have today -1,400 - and finish on a positive, it's great for them as well.”
Asked about his plans for next season in National 2 East, which could feature the likes of Canterbury, Guernsey and Henley, a smiling Griffiths said: “I’ve just been concentrating on finishing this season!
“Teams are going to be fitter, stronger, bigger packs. I haven’t really looked at it yet, all that planning starts next week for me.
“It'll be a massive step up again, but we're retaining about 90% of our squad, which is great. So, it's just layering on top of that, trying to bring some quality people in.”
Recruitment will lean heavily on the offer of enjoyment, a friendly atmosphere and the unique benefits of playing for a club so steeped in Welsh culture.
“What we try and do here is enhance that player experience, making them meaningful sessions on a Tuesday and Thursday,” said Griffiths.
“Enjoyment is a big thing and you can’t beat word of mouth, people know players have enjoyed playing here.
“Also, we will give a welcome to anybody, especially the guys that are coming from Wales to London, we'd like them to think that their home is here.”
Around 70 per cent of the players have Welsh connections. As well as offering a good standard of rugby in a friendly environment, the club also seeks to help those looking to find employment on moving to the capital.
In addition to thriving minis, youth, women’s and recreational teams on the pitch, the club has set up a careers hub off it. Close ties have also been established with educational institutions back in Wales including Monmouth School, Llandovery College and Cardiff Met.
Asked about the unique atmosphere at the club, Griffiths said: “It’s a privilege to be coaching here. For me, it's just making sure that the players enjoy themselves.
“That's the biggest thing. Because the commitments on a Tuesday, Thursday, - I've always said, we’re taking these boys away from their families, from their girlfriends, so it has to be meaningful and there has to be a direction as well, where we want to get to.”
Since Griffiths’ arrival on the coaching side, that direction has generally been upwards for London Welsh, who implemented what they dubbed Project Reset after the well documented difficulties of 2016 and their time in the Premiership.
“From where we started in 2017 there was a clear direction,” said Griffiths. “We wanted four promotions in five seasons and we attained that in four seasons.
“This latest phase, to this point was ‘we need to get out this league in three years’. We've now done it on the third year.”
So, what’s next for the club which once boasted the likes of the late JPR Williams, Mervyn Davies and John Dawes, along with current club president John Taylor, who was among the crowd on Saturday?
“For us, everything that we do, it's around the sustainability of the club. We want this club to be here for the next 100 years as well. I think we've learned from our mistakes and past, knowing that you can't be chasing titles by throwing money away.
“If we’re mid table next season, that's not a problem. Let's build on that.
“A lot of people forget about how much work has gone into the club. Everybody here is a volunteer, what they have given up in terms of time to support the club, it's been massive.
“There are some key people in this club that really, really care, and that's important, because we need that to keep us here.”
