Newport RFC

History

1874–1914

Newport RFC were formed in 1874 under the financial backing of the Phillips brewing family, and the playing talents of former pupils of Monmouth School, a public school which had adopted rugby union in 1873. Newport was originally intended as an association football club, but was unable to find any opponents, but they managed to organise a rugby match against Cardiff RFC, and in 1875 played Cardiff in both clubs' first-ever game.

Newport's early success was remarkable, winning every match in their first four seasons between 1875 and 1879. They were also successful in other tournaments winning the first two South Wales Cup competitions. The club's strength was reflected at international level, providing more players to the Welsh national team than any other club in the 19th century, including four captains. In 1881, Newport was one of the 11 clubs present at the forming of the Welsh Rugby Football Union, and provided six players in the first international match played by the Wales national team, more than any other club.

Partially due to their geographical location Newport also played against more established clubs from England and in 1878 a game was arranged against Manchester Athletic followed by games against Birmingham, Clifton, Gloucester and Swindon. Their dominance led Newport's club secretary, Richard Mulloch to arrange a match against the English domestic champions Blackheath Rugby Club. With a record attendance of 5,000 spectators Newport were out-classed by their opponents, losing four goals and eight tries to nil. However, Newport had played two games in the previous five days and Blackheath brought in outside players to bolster their squad.

In October 1879 Newport played Cardiff RFC in a floodlit game at Rodney Parade; the first ground to have floodlights installed in Wales.

In 1887, Newport player Charlie Newman was given the captaincy of the Welsh national team, he was the first Newport player to achieve this honour. In 1887, Newport player Tom Clapp was given the Wales captaincy and in 1888, he led the first Welsh side to beat Scotland, a team that included Newport players Powell and Gould. During the 1891–92 season, under captain Tom Graham Newport went unbeaten, winning 29 games and drawing four. Graham brought a new professional attitude to the team, introducing weekly gym training and an avoidance of alcohol.

In 1912, Newport hosted the touring South Africa national team, and beat them 9–3.

1919–1939

• Invincible in 1922–23
• Welsh Club Champions 1920,1923.
• Provided 5 Welsh, 1 English and 1 Irish captains.
• Provided 6 British Lions.
• Golden era of Wetter, Uzzell, Griffiths, Morley, Bunner Travers etc.

1945–2003

• Golden era of Jones, Burnett, Thomas, Meredith, Price, Watkins, Jarrett etc.
• Beat Australia 1957, NZ 1963, SA 1969, Tonga 1974.
• Welsh Club Champions 1951, 1956, 1962, 1969.
• Won Welsh Merit Table and Anglo-Welsh Merit Table.
• Provided 7 Welsh, 1 Czech Rep, 2 Canadian, 1 Fijian captains.
• Provided 15 British Lions.
• Introduced 7s to Wales and won Snellings 10 times and R/U 9 times.
• One of pioneers of floodlights in Wales.
• Introduced squad systems / players playing on rota in Wales.
• Won Welsh Cup twice, R/U 3 times.
• Welsh Premier League winners and R/U – twice.

In 1963 Newport, captained by Brian Price, claimed perhaps their greatest victory by defeating New Zealand led by Wilson Whineray 3–0. This turned out to be the All Blacks' only defeat on their 1963 tour. The club was granted Freedom of the City of Newport on the 50th anniversary of this victory.

After rugby turned professional in 1995, Newport initially struggled, being relegated after finishing bottom of the eight-team Welsh Premier Division in 1998, only to be reinstated after Cardiff and Swansea 1998–99 Welsh rugby union rebel season over a dispute with the WRU. After staying up, Newport then moved to full-time professionalism for the 1999–2000 season with the help of benefactor Tony Brown, who financed marquee signings including former South Africa captain Gary Teichmann. The first game of the season against Cardiff drew a crowd of almost 7,000, the biggest since the visit of the All Blacks in 1989. This was accompanied by a rise in season ticket sales from 700 the previous season to 3,300, with a further increase to 4,000 expected the following year.

In 2003, Newport merged with Ebbw Vale to form the Gwent Dragons side (soon renamed Newport Gwent Dragons) as part of the Introduction of regional rugby union teams in Wales. Newport RFC continued to compete as an amateur side, later semi-professional, in the Welsh club league.

2003–Present

Newport finished the 2021–22 Indigo Group Premiership in second place, having sat the top of table of most of the season. They did, however, win the Premiership Cup with a 25–21 victory over Aberavon at the Millennium Stadium.

Club honours

• Unofficial Welsh Club Champions: 1895, 1896, 1903, 1912, 1920, 1923, 1951, 1956, 1962, 1969
• South Wales Cup: 1878, 1879, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1890
• Snelling Sevens: 1954, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1985
• Welsh Cup: 1977, 2001, 2022
• Welsh Division One Winners: 1990–91
• Welsh Premier Division: 2004
• Super Rygbi Cymru: 2025

British and Irish Lions

The following former players were selected for the British and Irish Lions touring squads whilst playing for Newport RFC. Newport hold the record for the number of players from one club selected for a British Lions Tour with eight Newport players being selected for the 1910 British Lions tour to South Africa.

• Wales Mel Baker 1910
• Wales David Burcher 1977
• Wales Glyn Davidge 1962
• Wales Harold Davies 1924
• Wales Bob Evans 1950
• Wales Gareth Evans 1977
• Wales Rowland Griffiths 1908
• Wales Vince Griffiths 1924
• Wales Harry Jarman 1910
• Wales Keith Jarrett 1968
• Wales Jack Jones 1910
• Wales Ken Jones 1950
• Wales Allan Lewis 1966
• Wales Willie Llewellyn 1904
• Scotland Neil McPherson 1924
• Wales Bryn Meredith 1955,1959,1962
• Wales Jack Morley 1930
• Wales Reg Plummer 1910
• Wales Brian Price 1966
• Ireland William Roche 1924
• Wales Reg Skrimshire 1903
• Ireland Tommy Smyth 1910
• Wales Jeff Squire 1977
• Wales Malcolm Thomas 1950,1959
• Wales William 'Bunner' Travers 1938
• Wales Tommy Vile 1904
• Wales Phil Waller 1910
• Wales David Watkins 1966
• Wales Stuart Watkins 1966
• England Stanley Williams 1910

Wales international captains

The following former players captained the Wales national rugby union team whilst playing for Newport RFC.

• Charlie Newman 1884–87
• Bob Gould 1887
• Tom Clapp 1887–88
• Arthur "Monkey" Gould 1889–97
• Tom Pearson 1903
• Llewellyn Lloyd 1903
• Willie Llewellyn 1904–05
• Tommy Vile 1912–21
• Harry Uzzell 1920
• Jack Wetter 1921–24
• Jack Whitfield 1924
• John Evans 1934
• Ken Jones 1954
• Malcolm Thomas 1957
• Bryn Meredith 1960–62
• David Watkins 1967
• Brian Price 1969
• Mike Watkins 1984

Other notable former players

• Wales Robert Ackerman
• England Stuart Barnes
• Wales James Bevan
• Wales Arthur Boucher
• Wales Onllwyn Brace
• Wales Roy Burnett
• Wales Archie Brown
• Wales Percy Coldrick
• Wales Laurie Daniel
• Wales Jason Forster
• Wales Trevor Foster
• South Africa Zimbabwe Adrian Garvey
• Wales Bert Gould
• Wales Tom Graham
• Wales James Hannan
• Wales Jehoida Hodges
• New Zealand Wales Shane Howarth
• Wales John Jeffery
• Wales Brian Jones
• Wales Steve Jones
• Wales Dai Llewellyn
• Wales Horace Lyne
• Wales Walter Martin
• South Africa Percy Montgomery
• Wales Harry Packer
• South Africa JEC 'Birdie' Partridge
• Wales Tom Pook
• Wales Charlie Pritchard
• Fiji Simon Raiwalui
• Wales Dai Rees
• Canada Gareth Rees
• England Colin Smart
• Canada Rod Snow
• South Africa Gary Teichmann
• Samoa New Zealand Ofisa Tonu'u
• Wales George Travers
• Wales Paul Turner
• Wales Wallace Watts

Current squad

Newport RFC Squad 2022/23

Games played against international opposition

Bibliography

References

References

1. ''The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales''. John Davies, [[Nigel Jenkins]], Menna Baines and Peredur Lynch (2008) pp782 {{ISBN. 978-0-7083-1953-6
2. Parry-Jones, David. (1989). "The Rugby Clubs of Wales".
3. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39855860 WRU buy Rodney Parade].
4. "Tough start fine by Exiles boss as pitch work is set to begin".
5. [https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/19629153.newport-rfc-move-games-historic-rodney-parade-home/ Newport RFC relocate to Newport Stadium]
6. Smith (1980), pg 25.
7. Smith (1980), pg 23.
8. "Interesting Facts". historyofnewport.co.uk.
9. Smith (1980), pg 34.
10. Smith (1980), pg 41.
11. Smith (1980), pg 40.
12. Smith (1980), pg 35.
13. Smith (1980), pg 71.
14. Smith (1980), pg 189.
15. [https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/welsh/3225389.stm Newport beat New Zealand].
16. "Newport rugby freedom presentation". Newport City Council.
17. (28 August 1998). "Rugby Union: Great Welsh divide".
18. (5 September 1999). "Rugby Union: Sun rises on bright new Newport era: Newport 18 Cardiff".
19. "Profit of doom for pro rugby".
20. (24 April 2022). "Match report: Newport RFC v Aberavon". South Wales Argus.
21. Smith (1980), pg 485.
22. "- the history of rugby through its competitions".
23. [http://www.blackandambers.co.uk/Teams/Squad Newport RFC Squad]