TWO rugby dynasties came together at the weekend when brothers Mike and Phil Gooding welcomed Sir Gareth Edwards CBE and members of his family to Penarth Rugby Club.

Mike, long-serving chairman of Penarth RFC, and brother Phil, the newly-appointed chairman of Penarth Athletic Club, were there to greet the legendary Wales and British Lions scrum half at the Athletic Field clubhouse on Saturday night.

The great man, widely regarded as the world's greatest scrum half, had just stepped off an aeroplane from the United States to attend the 18th birthday party of his great nephew - who happens to play for the Penarth Youth rugby team.

"It was great to see Gareth at the club, along with so many members of his family - it was quite a party," said Mike Gooding, himself a former scrum half with the Seasiders.

Despite having just flown back to Wales from a shooting trip to Dallas, Texas, Edwards was in good form and clearly revelling being back among his family.

"I introduced myself as club chairman and straight away he was delivering anecdotes about his playing days," said Mike.

"I personally never got to play against Gareth for Penarth - Brynmor Williams usually wore the number nine shirt for Cardiff against us - but he recalled a time when he and Barry John returned from a bruising Wales tour to New Zealand in 1969.

"That most famous of half backs decided they would ease themselves back by having a 'gentle' run-out for their club against Penarth, but Gareth recalled they got just as fearful a bashing from our team that day."

Standing in the Athletic Club's Gooding Lounge - renamed as a tribute to services provided to the club by his family - Mike was also delighted to be teaming up with brother Phil as chairmen of their respective sections.

Their late father, Roy, was a stalwart member of Penarth who was an active member of the committee, helped by his wife Olive, who worked in the club for more than 20 years. Phil, a former Penarth Youth player, and Mike, a Penarth regular during the 1980s, have always stayed involved, while Mike's son Paul was a player of more recent vintage.

Mike Gooding is credited with helping to save the club from bankruptcy when he took over as chairman in 1999. Now, in his second stint as chairman, he is looking forward to working closely with his brother to secure the future of the club as a whole.

"It's important that all the sections work together," says Mike.

"It's fair to say the rugby brings in the main income, but we also have cricket and hockey sections to run, as well as a couple of skittles teams.

"The hockey and cricket teams have enjoyed recent success and promotions, while we can have as many as 200 local people here on a Sunday for mini and junior rugby.

"Having Gareth Edwards and his family here is a reminder that this is a family-friendly club.

"We have improvements in mind to make it an even more welcoming venue, but we need the local community to get involved.

"We'd love to see old members and players down here on a regular basis.

"Phil and I will play our part, of course, but we are also actively seeking new members with fresh ideas for raising funds and taking the club forward."