Newbridge RFC
Welsh rugby union club
title: "Newbridge RFC" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["rugby-union-teams-in-wales", "1888-establishments-in-wales", "rugby-clubs-established-in-1888", "sport-in-caerphilly-county-borough"] description: "Welsh rugby union club" topic_path: "sports" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newbridge_RFC" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Welsh rugby union club ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox rugby team"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| teamname | Newbridge RFC |
| fullname | Newbridge Rugby Football Club |
| location | Newbridge, Caerphilly |
| Wales | |
| union | Welsh Rugby Union |
| countryflag | Wales |
| founded | |
| ground | The Welfare Ground |
| president | Mr. Robert Collins |
| rugby director | Dafydd Lloyd |
| coach | Llŷr Davies, Paul "Dire" Edwards, Dawid Rubasniak |
| captain | Gavin McDonnell |
| league | The Welsh Rugby Union Admiral Community Premiership |
| season | 2025-2026 |
| url | http://newbridge.rfc.wales |
| pattern_b1 | _blackhoops |
| leftarm1 | 1E90FF |
| body1 | 1E90FF |
| rightarm1 | 1E90FF |
| shorts1 | 000000 |
| socks1 | 000000 |
| pattern_la2 | _redborder |
| pattern_b2 | _blackhoops |
| pattern_ra2 | _redborder |
| leftarm2 | FF0000 |
| body2 | FF0000 |
| rightarm2 | FF0000 |
| shorts2 | 000000 |
| socks2 | 000000 |
| :: |
| teamname = Newbridge RFC | fullname = Newbridge Rugby Football Club | location = Newbridge, Caerphilly Wales | union = Welsh Rugby Union | countryflag = Wales | founded = | ground = The Welfare Ground | capacity = | president = Mr. Robert Collins | rugby director = Dafydd Lloyd | coach = Llŷr Davies, Paul "Dire" Edwards, Dawid Rubasniak | captain = Gavin McDonnell | top scorer = | caps = | most tries = | league = The Welsh Rugby Union Admiral Community Premiership | season = 2025-2026 | position = | url = http://newbridge.rfc.wales | pattern_la1 = | pattern_b1 = _blackhoops | pattern_ra1 = | leftarm1 = 1E90FF | body1 = 1E90FF | rightarm1 = 1E90FF | shorts1 = 000000 | socks1 = 000000 | pattern_la2 = _redborder | pattern_b2 = _blackhoops | pattern_ra2 = _redborder | leftarm2 = FF0000 | body2 = FF0000 | rightarm2 = FF0000 | shorts2 = 000000 | socks2 = 000000 Newbridge RFC is a Welsh rugby union club based in Newbridge, Caerphilly, in South Wales. Newbridge RFC was formed in 1888 and joined the WRU in 1911. They currently play in the WRU Admiral Community Premiership
History
Newbridge RFC was established in 1888, but only gained admission to the WRU in 1911, when they secured a ground and facilities up to WRU requirements.
In 1925, Newbridge RFC moved to their present home at the Welfare Ground where they signed a 99-year lease at a shilling a year. A new pavilion had been constructed around this time and the club now share their ground with the local cricket team. The club are presently in their third clubhouse at the site after an explosion and two fires caused damage to past buildings.
On the field, Newbridge have been pioneers of a number of well known rugby traits, most of which were brought to fruition by the pioneering coach Dai Harries during his tenure as club coach in the 1960s. Most recognisably, these are; the tap signal from the hooker to the scrum-half to feed the scrum, the formation of a wall for the taking of penalties and they were also one of the first clubs to introduce the hooker as the player to throw the ball into the lineout. It was during Harries' reign as coach that the club captured the Western Mail Championship to be crowned champions of Wales in the 1964–65 season.
British and Irish Lions
The following players have played for the British and Irish Lions while playing for Newbridge RFC.
- GBR Don Hayward
International honours
The following players have been capped at international level while playing for Newbridge RFC. :See also :Category:Newbridge RFC players
- WAL Billy Gore
- WAL Don Hayward
- WAL Ray Cale
- WAL Ken Braddock
- WAL Dennis Hughes
- WAL Clive Davis
- WAL Terry Shaw
- WAL Paul Turner
- WAL Andy Allen
- WAL Kenny Waters
- WAL Andrew Gibbs
Club honours
- Western Mail Championship 1964–65 – Champions
- Snelling Sevens 1990 – Champions
- Snelling Sevens 1992 – Champions
- Ben Francis Cup 2010, 2011, 2022 and 2023 Winners
- WRU League 1 East 2022-2023 - Champions
- WRU National Division 1 Cup 2022-2023 - Champions
Games played against international opposition
::data[format=table]
| Year | Date | Opponent | Result | Score | Tour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19511 | 18 October | Lost | 6–15 | 1951–52 South Africa rugby union tour of Europe | |
| 19622 | 24 October | Won | 16-8 | 1962 tour of the United Kingdom | |
| 19643 | 24 September | Draw | 11–11 | url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711001634/http://www.fijirugby.com/matchreport.cfm?fixtureid=4D3BD391-11D8-27B2-F9088495845F217E&linkfrom=results | |
| 19664 | 29 November | Won | 12–3 | 1966–67 Australia rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland and France | |
| 1983 | 18 October | Lost | 14–19 | 1983 Japan rugby union tour of Wales | |
| 1988 | 15 October | Lost | 15–16 | 1988 Western Samoa rugby union tour of Britain and Ireland | |
| 1989 | 23 September | Lost | 4-25 | Special Centenary celebration | |
| 1990 | 8 September | Won | 35-21 | 1990 tour of Wales | |
| 1994 | 9 Mar | Lost | 8-9 | ||
| :: |
1 A joint Pontypool/Newbridge team.
2 A joint Ebbw Vale /Newbridge team.
3 A joint Abertillery/Newbridge team.
4 A joint Pontypool/Cross Keys/Newbridge team.
References
References
- ''Fields of Praise, The Official History of the Welsh Rugby Union 1881-1981'', David Smith, Gareth Williams (1980) pp11 {{ISBN. 0-7083-0766-3
- "Rothmans Rugby Yearbook 1981-82".
- link. (11 July 2011)
- (29 November 1966). "Pontypool".
- (1984). "Rothmans Rugby Yearbook 1984–85". Queen Anne Press.
- (1989). "Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1989-90". Queen Anne Press.
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