Mountain Ash RFC
Encyclopedia
Mountain Ash RFC is a Welsh
rugby union
team from the town of Mountain Ash, in the Cynon Valley
, South Wales
. Mountain Ash RFC is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union
and is a feeder club for the Cardiff Blues
.
at the Washery Field. Some of their early fixtures were against Llanelli
, Cardiff
and Newport. Mountain Ash provided their first Wales
international in 1892, when Frank Mills
was selected for the Home Nations Championship
, though at the time he had left Mountain Ash and was then representing Cardiff
. It only took another four years for Mountain Ash to claim their first full international to represent Wales while still playing for the club, when Fred Miller
was chosen to face Ireland
in the 1896 Home Nations Championship
. They managed to beat the touring Canadian
team in 1904, and in the same year, moved headquarters to the Cresselly Inn. Four years later, they moved to the Recreation Ground, and established their headquarters at the Glancynon Hotel, their current clubhouse.
In 1911, the team toured the south of France, and managed to beat Bayonne RFC
and Pau
, but the outbreak of the First World War made it difficult for the club to continue. The situation grew even worse during the Second World War, when there were no games played from 1939 to 1946. They survived through this period, however, often maintaining at least one player in the Welsh team. In 1953, the county council removed the grandstand and the perimeter fence from the Recreation Ground, which proved to be devastating for the club, as most first class clubs refused to play there.
During the late 1959/60 season, Mountain Ash had an excellent season losing only 4 matches under the captaincy of Denis Bryant, who not only became the club President in the 1970s, but was also instrumental in the creation of the senior second team in the 1960/61 season. In 1963 the first clubhouse was opened by former Welsh international Judge Rowe Harding
, which was followed by silverware in the 1964/65 season when they won the Mid District Championship.
In 1994-1995, the club moved to the Parc Duffryn Pennar Ground. In 2000-2001, as part of the club's 125-year celebrations, a game was played against Public School Wanderers.
in 2005 and South Africa
in 2007 are regular features.
The first senior team play in the Division Two east of the Welsh League. They are coached by Neil Eynon and Jonathan Mason.
The 1st Team Captain is: Craig Evans
The 2nd Team Captain is: Richard Roberts
T.B. "Bert" Jenkins
John "Jack" Charles Jenkins
Richard "Dickie" L. Williams
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team from the town of Mountain Ash, in the Cynon Valley
Cynon Valley
The Cynon Valley , is a famous former coal mining valley within the South Wales Valleys of Wales. The Cynon Valley lies between the other mining Valley of Rhondda and the iron industrial Valley of the Merthyr Valley. Its main towns are Aberdare located North of the Valley and Mountain Ash located...
, South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. Mountain Ash RFC is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union
Welsh Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...
and is a feeder club for the Cardiff Blues
Cardiff Blues
Cardiff Blues are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, the team have played at Cardiff City Stadium since the start of the 2009/2010 season and are owned by Cardiff Rugby Football Club....
.
Early history
The team was founded in 1875 at a meeting in the Mountain Ash Inn, but their first game in earnest was not until 1891, against SwanseaSwansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
at the Washery Field. Some of their early fixtures were against Llanelli
Llanelli RFC
Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
, Cardiff
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
and Newport. Mountain Ash provided their first Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
international in 1892, when Frank Mills
Frank Mills (rugby player)
Frank Musgrave Mills was an English-born rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cardiff and Swansea and won 13 caps for Wales...
was selected for the Home Nations Championship
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
, though at the time he had left Mountain Ash and was then representing Cardiff
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
. It only took another four years for Mountain Ash to claim their first full international to represent Wales while still playing for the club, when Fred Miller
Fred Miller (rugby player)
Fred Miller was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Mountain Ash; and was the first player to represent an international team whilst at the club when he was selected for Wales in 1896...
was chosen to face Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
in the 1896 Home Nations Championship
1896 Home Nations Championship
The 1896 Home Nations Championship was the fourteenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 4 January and 14 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.-Table:-Results:...
. They managed to beat the touring Canadian
Canada national rugby union team
The Canada national rugby union team represents Canada in international rugby union. They are governed by Rugby Canada, and play in red and black. Canada is classified by the International Rugby Board as a tier two rugby nation. There are ten tier one nations, and seven tier two nations, the...
team in 1904, and in the same year, moved headquarters to the Cresselly Inn. Four years later, they moved to the Recreation Ground, and established their headquarters at the Glancynon Hotel, their current clubhouse.
In 1911, the team toured the south of France, and managed to beat Bayonne RFC
Aviron Bayonnais
Aviron Bayonnais is a French rugby union club from Bayonne in Pyrénées-Atlantiques that currently competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14 competition...
and Pau
Section Paloise
Section Paloise is a French rugby union club from Pau in Pyrénées-Atlantiques currently competing in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the French league system.-History:...
, but the outbreak of the First World War made it difficult for the club to continue. The situation grew even worse during the Second World War, when there were no games played from 1939 to 1946. They survived through this period, however, often maintaining at least one player in the Welsh team. In 1953, the county council removed the grandstand and the perimeter fence from the Recreation Ground, which proved to be devastating for the club, as most first class clubs refused to play there.
During the late 1959/60 season, Mountain Ash had an excellent season losing only 4 matches under the captaincy of Denis Bryant, who not only became the club President in the 1970s, but was also instrumental in the creation of the senior second team in the 1960/61 season. In 1963 the first clubhouse was opened by former Welsh international Judge Rowe Harding
Rowe Harding
W. Rowe Harding was a Welsh international rugby union wing who played club rugby for Swansea. An intelligent player, Harding played for several teams at club and international level. In 1926 he attended Cambridge University and played for Cambridge in a varsity match...
, which was followed by silverware in the 1964/65 season when they won the Mid District Championship.
In 1994-1995, the club moved to the Parc Duffryn Pennar Ground. In 2000-2001, as part of the club's 125-year celebrations, a game was played against Public School Wanderers.
At present
There are two senior teams, a youth team and a junior section. There is a clubhouse in the town attended by an enthusiastic supporters club and committee. The home ground, Parc Duffryn Pennar has modern facilities, including floodlights and a well maintained playing surface. Many representative games have been played there, including schoolboy internationals. Tours such as one to CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 2005 and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 2007 are regular features.
The first senior team play in the Division Two east of the Welsh League. They are coached by Neil Eynon and Jonathan Mason.
The 1st Team Captain is: Craig Evans
The 2nd Team Captain is: Richard Roberts
Wales internationals
- See also :Category:Mountain Ash RFC players
- Bob Barrel (1929-33) Tom CollinsTom Collins (rugby)Thomas "Tom" John Collins was a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1920s who at representative level played rugby union for Wales, and at club level for Mountain Ash RFC, playing at Centre, i.e...
(1923) - John D Evans (1958) Anthony Windham JonesAnthony Windham JonesAnthony Windham Jones also known as Windham Jones or Wyndham Jones was a Welsh international rugby union half back who played club rugby for Cardiff and Mountain Ash...
(1905) - Leslie ManfieldLeslie ManfieldLeslie "Les" Manfield DFC was a Welsh rugby union international. He was the second oldest Welsh international of all time, and at the time of his death, aged 91, the oldest living man to have played as a forward for Wales.-Rugby career:Manfield was born in Mountain Ash, the son of a railway...
(7 caps) (1939-48) - Jonathan Mason (1988) Fred MillerFred Miller (rugby player)Fred Miller was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Mountain Ash; and was the first player to represent an international team whilst at the club when he was selected for Wales in 1896...
(1896-1901) Frank MillsFrank Mills (rugby player)Frank Musgrave Mills was an English-born rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cardiff and Swansea and won 13 caps for Wales...
(1892-96) - Hayden Morris (1951-55) Will OsborneWill OsborneWilliam Osborne was a Welsh international rugby forward who played rugby union for Mountain Ash and Glamorgan Police. Osborne played in six international matches, becoming a Triple Crown winner when he played for Wales in all three matches of the 1902 Home Nations Championship...
(1902-03) (6 caps) Fred SamuelFred SamuelThomas Frederick "Fred" Samuel was a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1920s who at representative level played rugby union for Wales, and at club level for Mountain Ash RFC, playing at Fullback, i.e...
(1922) Dick ThomasDick ThomasEdward John Richard 'Dick' Thomas was a Welsh international rugby union back who played club rugby for Mountain Ash.-Rugby career:...
(4 caps) (1906-1909) George TraversGeorge Travers (rugby player)George "Twyber" Travers was a Welsh international hooker who played club rugby for Pill Harriers and Newport Rugby Football Club. He won 25 caps for Wales between 1903 and 1911....
(25 caps) (1903-11)
- Bob Barrel (1929-33) Tom Collins
Other notable players
T. Emlyn GwynneEmlyn Gwynne
Thomas Emlyn Gwynne was a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1920s who at club level played rugby union for Mountain Ash RFC, and Swansea RFC, and at representative level has played rugby league for Great Britain, and Wales, and at club level for Hull, playing at ,...
T.B. "Bert" Jenkins
Bert Jenkins
Bert Jenkins was a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1900s, '10s and '20s who at representative level played for Great Britain, and Wales, and at club level for Wigan, playing at ....
John "Jack" Charles Jenkins
Jack Jenkins (rugby player)
John "Jack" Charles Jenkins was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Newport and London Welsh. He won just a single cap for Wales in 1907 but faced both New Zealand and South Africa at county level with Middlesex and Monmouthshire.-Personal history:Jenkins was born...
Richard "Dickie" L. Williams
Dickie Williams
Richard "Dickie" L. Williams was a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s and '50s who at club level played rugby union for Mountain Ash RFC, and Bristol RUFC, and at representative level played rugby league for Great Britain, and Wales, and at club level for...
Honours
- Glamorgan League Champions 1895-96 1908-09
- Glamorgan Challenge Cup 1913-14
- Glamorgan Knock Out Cup 1913-14
- Evening Express award of Merit 1920
- Mid-District Champions 1964-65 1989-90
- Ivor Williams Cup 1965-66 1980-81 1991-1992 1992-1993 1993-1994 2005-2006 2007-2008
- Coleman Cup 2004-2005
- W R U National Sevens District C 1968