World of Groggs, Broadway, Trefforest
Ceramicist John Hughes began making figurines in the 1960s. The success of the Wales rugby team in the 1970s propelled sales of his distinctive ‘Groggs’ models.
John was born in 1934 in Norton Bridge, Pontypridd. He used sheds in his garden in Trefforest to produce ashtrays, animal caricatures and figures from Welsh legends such as the Mabinogi in the 1960s. He started producing rugby figurines at the close of the decade.
As the business grew, he needed more space for work and his young family. He and his wife Pamela bought and converted a decaying empty pub, the Danygraig Arms, which remains the home of Groggs. Click here for our web page about the pub’s history. Initially John’s studio was in the former main bar, but gradually the shop expanded to cover the whole of the ground floor at the front.
In the early years of Groggs, John sometimes bumped into the great Welsh rugby player Barry John at Bruno’s Café in Trefforest. Barry encouraged John to continue developing the business.
By the second half of the 1970s, the couple’s children, Richard and Cathy, were old enough to help the business. This was when demand skyrocketed from Welsh rugby fans, in Britain and overseas, as their team enjoyed remarkable success on the field. Richard took over the important task of modelling new players’ faces in 1978.
When John died in 2013, some of Welsh rugby’s greatest players, including Gareth Edwards, paid tribute to him. The figurines are still made in Wales by the Hughes family. The main photos show John working on a Gareth Edwards figurine (top), Cathy with Barry John (middle) and Richard at work.
While Groggs are associated mainly with rugby, the range has always encompassed many other characters, real and mythical – and not all from Wales.
Visitors to the World of Groggs enjoy free admission to the Groggs Museum, which is in the former Danygraig Arms garage.
The most popular Groggs of all time include: Gareth Edwards; Richie McCaw (of the New Zealand All Blacks) in the non-Welsh category; and Sir Tom Jones (Trefforest-born singer) in the non-sports category. Pictured is another popular Grogg, depicting entertainer Max Boyce.
Postcode: CF37 1BH View Location Map