Neath RFC
Encyclopedia
Neath Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union
club which plays in the Welsh Premier Division
. The club's home ground is The Gnoll
, Neath
. The first team is known as the Welsh All Blacks because of the team colours: black with only a white cross pattée
as an emblem. Neath RFC is the oldest rugby club in Wales, having been formed in 1871.
The club's nickname, 'The Welsh All Blacks', comes from their iconic strip of black jersey, shorts and socks with a white cross pattée. The origin of the team colours is not known for sure. Origally the club's players represented the team in various dark kits and the Cross pattée was introduced by one of their players, thought to have been E.C. Moxham, "to break the monotony". It is believed that the strip was later switched to the pure black kit as a mark of respect to player Dick Gordon, who died from injuries sustained on the field of play against Bridgend RFC in 1880.
On the 12th June 1881, eleven teams met in the Castle Hotel, Neath
to form what would be accepted as a Welsh rugby union. The founding clubs of the WFU (Welsh Football Union)
, as it was originally known, were Swansea C & FC
, Pontypool RFC
, Newport RFC, Merthyr RFC
, Llanelli RFC
, Bangor RFC
, Brecon RFC
, Cardiff RFC
, Lampeter College
, Llandovery College
and Llandeilo RFC
. Strangely Neath RFC was not recorded as being present, even though the meeting took place in the town. It is unknown if this was an oversight by the committee to record the presence of the club, or if Neath RFC did not actually attend. One theory put forward is that the president, John Llewellyn
and secretary, Sam Clark
of the South Wales Football Union were both Neath men. By attending this new union they would be destroying the SWFU and therefore their own influence in the game. These wounds would soon heal and Neath joined the newly formed WFU in the 1882–83 season and would eventually become pivotal in the union's development, monopolizing the secretaryship from 1896
to 1955
. Sam Clark would in turn become the first Welsh
international from Neath RFC, playing in the second Wales game on 28 January 1882.
In 1887/88 Neath RFC undertook their first tour of the northern English clubs, including Hartlepool
, Manningham and Wortley. The next season Neath played host to Widnes on Christmas Day before undertaking a further northern tour taking on a further five teams in six days. During the 1890/91 season a South West England tour was introduced, which would later become an annual fixture facing clubs such as Bristol
and London Welsh.
on April 20.
The record for the most tries scored in a game in the post-regional era (post 2002) is held by Richard Smith. In January 2010 against Kidwelly RFC Smith scored 7 tries. The pre-regional record of 6 tries is jointly held by Howie Jones (v Aberavon 1928/29), W.D. Williams (v B.P.Llandarcy 1949/50), Keith Maddocks (v Ebbw Vale 1956/57), Alan Edmunds (v Cross Keys 1989/90).
professional side.
In an effort to generate more income at their home stadium The Gnoll
, the club announced in 2008, plans to share it with the town's football club Neath Athletic A.F.C.
.
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...
club which plays in the Welsh Premier Division
Welsh Premier Division
The Welsh Premier Division is a rugby union league in Wales first implemented by the Welsh Rugby Union for the 1990–91 season.-Competition history:...
. The club's home ground is The Gnoll
The Gnoll
The Gnoll in Neath, Wales is a sports ground, with a capacity of 5,000.In July 2009, Neath RFC presented plans for the redevelopment of the Gnoll, including building a community centre on the site, which were criticised as "too woolly".-Rugby union:...
, Neath
Neath
Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
. The first team is known as the Welsh All Blacks because of the team colours: black with only a white cross pattée
Cross pattée
A cross pattée is a type of cross which has arms narrow at the centre, and broader at the perimeter. An early English example from the start of the age of heraldry proper A cross pattée (or "cross patty", known also as "cross formée/formy") is a type of cross which has arms narrow at the...
as an emblem. Neath RFC is the oldest rugby club in Wales, having been formed in 1871.
Early history
Neath Rugby Football club was established in 1871 by a consortium of ten enthusiasts, their captain at the time, T. P. Whittington would later play international rugby for Scotland in 1873.The club's nickname, 'The Welsh All Blacks', comes from their iconic strip of black jersey, shorts and socks with a white cross pattée. The origin of the team colours is not known for sure. Origally the club's players represented the team in various dark kits and the Cross pattée was introduced by one of their players, thought to have been E.C. Moxham, "to break the monotony". It is believed that the strip was later switched to the pure black kit as a mark of respect to player Dick Gordon, who died from injuries sustained on the field of play against Bridgend RFC in 1880.
On the 12th June 1881, eleven teams met in the Castle Hotel, Neath
Neath
Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
to form what would be accepted as a Welsh rugby union. The founding clubs of the WFU (Welsh Football 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...
, as it was originally known, were Swansea C & FC
Swansea RFC
Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
, Pontypool RFC
Pontypool RFC
Pontypool Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in the town of Pontypool. Pontypool RFC has a long history within Welsh rugby and is one of the most notable clubs, being present at the formation of the Welsh Rugby Union in 1881, but disbanding before the turn of the 19th century...
, Newport RFC, Merthyr RFC
Merthyr RFC
Merthyr RFC is a Welsh rugby union club based in Merthyr in South Wales. Merthyr RFC are presently members of the Welsh Rugby Union playing in the Division One East League and are a feeder club for the Cardiff Blues..-Early history:...
, Llanelli RFC
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...
, Bangor RFC
Bangor RFC
Bangor Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in Bangor, North Wales. Bangor RFC is a founding member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Llanelli Scarlets...
, Brecon RFC
Brecon RFC
Brecon Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club from the town of Brecon, South Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Cardiff Blues.The club was one of the eleven founding members of the Welsh Rugby Union in 1881...
, Cardiff RFC
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...
, Lampeter College
University of Wales, Lampeter
University of Wales, Lampeter is a university in Lampeter, Wales. Founded in 1822 by royal charter, it is the oldest degree awarding institution in Wales and may be the third oldest in England and Wales after Oxford and Cambridge...
, Llandovery College
Llandovery College
Llandovery College is an independent school in Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It was founded and endowed by Thomas Phillips in 1847 to provide a classical and liberal education in which the Welsh language; the study of Welsh literature and history were also to be cultivated.Llandovery...
and Llandeilo RFC
Llandeilo RFC
Llandeilo Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the village of Llandeilo, in Carmarthenshire, west Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Llanelli Scarlets.-Early History:...
. Strangely Neath RFC was not recorded as being present, even though the meeting took place in the town. It is unknown if this was an oversight by the committee to record the presence of the club, or if Neath RFC did not actually attend. One theory put forward is that the president, John Llewellyn
John Talbot Dillwyn Llewellyn
Sir John Talbot Dillwyn-Llewellyn, 1st Baronet was a Welsh Conservative Member of Parliament who was notable for his links to Welsh sports.-Background and education:...
and secretary, Sam Clark
Samuel Clark (rugby player)
Samuel Simmonds Clark was an English-born rugby union official and international rugby union full-back who played club rugby for Neath...
of the South Wales Football Union were both Neath men. By attending this new union they would be destroying the SWFU and therefore their own influence in the game. These wounds would soon heal and Neath joined the newly formed WFU in the 1882–83 season and would eventually become pivotal in the union's development, monopolizing the secretaryship from 1896
Walter E. Rees
Captain Walter Enoch Rees was a Welsh rugby union administrator who was the longest serving secretary of the Welsh Rugby Union and joint manager of the 1910 British Lions tour of South Africa.-Career as rugby administrator:...
to 1955
Eric Evans (Welsh Rugby Union)
William Eric Evans was a Welsh rugby player and the secretary of the Welsh Rugby Union from 1948–1955....
. Sam Clark would in turn become the first Welsh
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 from Neath RFC, playing in the second Wales game on 28 January 1882.
In 1887/88 Neath RFC undertook their first tour of the northern English clubs, including Hartlepool
Hartlepool Rovers
Hartlepool Rovers are an English rugby union club who play at The Friarage, West View Road in Hartlepool. Hartlepool Rovers have a coaching set-up with Alan Brown as head coach and Ian Cook as fitness guru.-History:...
, Manningham and Wortley. The next season Neath played host to Widnes on Christmas Day before undertaking a further northern tour taking on a further five teams in six days. During the 1890/91 season a South West England tour was introduced, which would later become an annual fixture facing clubs such as Bristol
Bristol Rugby
Bristol Rugby is a rugby union club based in Bristol, England. The club currently plays in the RFU Championship and competes in the British and Irish Cup. They rely in large part on the many junior rugby clubs in the region, particularly those from 'the Combination'...
and London Welsh.
2008/09 season
Their 2008/09 cup winning season, in which they claimed a mighty victory over Llanelli at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. This was the first year since the cup name changed from Konica Minolta Cup to Swalec Cup.2007/08 season
Their 2007/08 championship season, their fourth in succession, was overshadowed by the death of scrum-half of Gareth Jones, on June 16, 2008. Jones had been injured in a match against Cardiff RFCCardiff 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...
on April 20.
Club records
Neath RFC hold the world record for the number of points (1,917) and tries (345) accumulated in one season (47 Games). This record was set during the 1988/89 season, it is also worth noting that a try was worth 4 points at the time the record was broken.The record for the most tries scored in a game in the post-regional era (post 2002) is held by Richard Smith. In January 2010 against Kidwelly RFC Smith scored 7 tries. The pre-regional record of 6 tries is jointly held by Howie Jones (v Aberavon 1928/29), W.D. Williams (v B.P.Llandarcy 1949/50), Keith Maddocks (v Ebbw Vale 1956/57), Alan Edmunds (v Cross Keys 1989/90).
Organisation and finance
Neath RFC is now known as Neath Rugby Ltd and owns 50% of the OspreysOspreys (rugby union)
The Ospreys , formerly the Neath-Swansea Ospreys , are a professional rugby union team from Wales, playing in the Celtic League, EDF Energy Cup, and the Heineken Cup/European Challenge Cup...
professional side.
In an effort to generate more income at their home stadium The Gnoll
The Gnoll
The Gnoll in Neath, Wales is a sports ground, with a capacity of 5,000.In July 2009, Neath RFC presented plans for the redevelopment of the Gnoll, including building a community centre on the site, which were criticised as "too woolly".-Rugby union:...
, the club announced in 2008, plans to share it with the town's football club Neath Athletic A.F.C.
Neath Athletic A.F.C.
Neath Football Club are a Welsh professional association football club based in Neath, Neath Port Talbot and are currently playing in the Welsh Premier League.The club was formed in 2005 following the merger between Neath and Skewen Athletic...
.
Club honours
- Welsh Club Champions: 1909/10, 1910/11, 1928/29, 1933/34, 1934/35, 1946/47, 1966/67, 1986/87, 1988/89, 1989/90
- Welsh Premier DivisionWelsh Premier DivisionThe Welsh Premier Division is a rugby union league in Wales first implemented by the Welsh Rugby Union for the 1990–91 season.-Competition history:...
: 1990/91, 1995/96, 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2009/10 - Welsh CupWRU Challenge CupThe WRU Challenge Cup , or its full name of the Welsh Rugby Union Challenge Cup, is Wales' premier knockout rugby union competition and is organised by the Welsh Rugby Union....
: 1971/72, 1988/89, 1989/90, 2003/04, 2007/08, 2008/09 - Welsh Cup Finalists: 1983/84, 1987/88, 1992/93, 1995/96, 2000/01, 2005/06,
- Snelling SevensSnelling SevensThe Snelling Sevens was an annual Welsh Rugby Union sevens competition that ran from 1954 until 1995....
1964, 1970 - Principality Premiership Play Off Champions: 2009/2010
Current squad
Notable former players
- See also :Category:Neath RFC players
Les Anthony Les AnthonyLeslie "Les" Anthony is a former Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s who at representative level has played rugby union for Wales, and at club level for Neath RFC, playing at Prop, i.e...
Allan BatemanAllan BatemanAllan Glen Bateman is a Welsh former rugby union and rugby league player, a dual-code rugby international centre who represented the British Lions at rugby union and Great Britain at rugby league....
Andrew BishopAndrew BishopAndrew Bishop is a Welsh international rugby union player who plays for the Ospreys at Centre.He was a stalwart of the Wales Under 21 Grand Slam victory in 2005. In May 2008 he was selected for the Wales' squad for the 2008 Tour of South Africa, making his debut as a substitute in the 2nd test on...
Billy BostonBilly BostonWilliam John "Billy" Boston MBE is a former Wales and Great Britain professional Rugby League World Cup winning footballer. Boston is a member of the Rugby League Hall of Fame, Welsh Sports Hall of Fame and was, along with Shaun Edwards the first to be voted into the Wigan Hall Of Fame...
Chris Bridges Howell John DaviesHowell Davies (rugby)Howell John Davies was a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1910s who at representative level played rugby union for Wales, and at club level for Pontypool RFC, playing in the Hooker, i.e...
Jonathan Davies Scott GibbsScott GibbsScott Gibbs is a former rugby footballer who represented Wales and the Lions in rugby union and Wales and Great Britain in rugby league...
RK Green, 1908 British Lions Thomas HollingdaleThomas HollingdaleThe Rev Thomas "Tom" Henry Hollingdale AKC , was a Church of England cleric and Wales international rugby player.-Rugby career:...
Alan Edmunds Roy JohnRoy John (rugby player)Ernest Raymond "Roy" John was a former and British Lions international rugby union lock. He played club rugby for Crynant and Neath. John was capped 19 times for Wales and was a member of two Grand Slam winning teams. In 1950 he was selected for the 1950 British Lions tour to New Zealand and...
Adam JonesAdam Rhys JonesAdam Rhys Jones is a Welsh international rugby union player, currently playing for the Ospreys in the RaboDirect Pro12. His usual position is at tighthead prop...
Lewis Jones Lyn JonesLyn JonesRichard Lyn Jones is a former Wales international rugby union player. A flanker, he played his club rugby for Neath RFC. He was appointed Head Coach of the Ospreys when the regional team was created in 2003 but left by mutual agreement on 16 May 2008 and joined Newport Gwent Dragons in November 2008...
Wilson Lauder John Leighton DaviesJohn Leighton DaviesJohn Leighton Davies was a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s and '50s who at representative level played rugby union for Glamorgan County RFC, and at club level for Neath RFC, at club level played rugby league for Wakefield Trinity, playing at , i.e...
Gareth LlewellynGareth LlewellynGareth Llewellyn was born 27 February 1969 in St. David's Hospital Cardiff whilst his father was serving in Cardiff with the Army, is a Welsh rugby union player who gained a record 92 caps for Wales as a lock. His record for Wales caps has since been surpassed by Gareth Thomas, Colin Charvis,...
Glyn Llewellyn Courtney MeredithCourtney MeredithCourtney Meredith was a Welsh international rugby union prop who played club rugby for Neath. He won fourteen caps for Wales and also played for invitational club the Barbarians. Meredith was a powerful prop, and was much praised by second row players for his tight packing, which allowed them the...
Dai MorrisDai MorrisWilliam David "Dai" Morris was a Welsh rugby union footballer, who won 34 caps for Wales in the years between 1967 and 1974, scoring six tries...
Darren MorrisDarren MorrisDarren Morris is a Wales international rugby union player and has represented the British and Irish Lions. He plays as a loosehead prop.-Club career:...
Fred PerrettFred PerrettFred Leonard Perrett was a Welsh international rugby union prop who played club rugby for Neath. He won five caps for Wales and in his first international game faced the touring South Africans.-Rugby career:...
Kevin PhillipsKevin Phillips (rugby player)Kevin H Phillips is a former Wales international rugby union player.A front row forward, he played club rugby for Neath RFC. Phillips also captained the Welsh national team for two matches in the 1990 season, winning both games....
Rowland PhillipsRowland PhillipsRowland David Phillips is a former rugby union back row forward for Wales where he won 10 caps between 1987-90. He also played rugby union for Neath RFC before moving to rugby league, playing for Warrington, and Workington Town.He also played for Wales and Great Britain rugby league teams...
David PickeringDavid Pickering (rugby player)David Francis Pickering is a former Wales international rugby union player. He played club rugby for Llanelli RFC and Neath RFC. He won 23 caps for Wales between 1983 and 1987 and captained the national team on eight occasions....Elgan Rees Elgan ReesHarold Elgan Rees is a former Welsh international rugby union player. He toured with the British Lions to New Zealand in 1977, when he had yet to be capped by Wales, and South Africa in 1980 and at the time played club rugby for Neath...
Huw RichardsHuw RichardsHuw David Richards is a former Welsh and Neath RFC rugby union player. He played in the 1987 Rugby World Cup as a lock and became the first player to receive a red card in a Rugby World Cup tournament.-Biography:...
Glyn ShawGlyn ShawGlyndwr "Glyn" Shaw is a Welsh former dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1970s and '80s who at representative level has played rugby union for Wales, and at club level for Neath RFC, playing at Prop forward, i.e...
Rees StephensRees StephensRees Stephens was a Welsh international number 8 who played club rugby for Neath. He won 32 caps for Wales and was selected to play in the British Lions on the 1950 tour of Australia and New Zealand...
Brian Thomas William Lewis ThomasWilliam Lewis ThomasWilliam Lewis Thomas was a rugby union and rugby league footballer of the 1930s and '40s who at club level played rugby union for Ystradgynlais RFC, and Neath RFC, playing at scrum half. He captained Ystradgynlais RFC in 1937/38, and played for Neath RFC between the years of 1938 and 1941, and...
Paul ThorburnPaul ThorburnPaul Thorburn is a former Neath RFC and international Wales rugby union player who played at full back. He also captained Wales. He was a prolific long distance goal kicker, who holds the record for the longest successful kick in a test match...
Barry WilliamsBarry Williams (rugby player)Barry Hugh Williams is a Welsh international rugby union player. In 1997, he toured South Africa with the British & Irish Lions and at the time played club rugby for Neath RFC....
Brian WilliamsBrian Williams (rugby player)Brian Richard Williams was a Welsh international rugby union player.-Life & Career:Williams was born in Penffordd, near Maenclochog in Pembrokeshire, into the West Wales farming community. He began playing rugby at Ysgol y Preseli, Narberth RFC and Pembrokeshire RFC, with his brothers John and...
Shane WilliamsShane WilliamsShane Mark Williams is a Welsh international rugby union player who plays as a wing for the Ospreys and who can also play scrum-half. Williams is the record try scorer for the Wales national team and he is third on the international list of leading Rugby union Test try scorers behind Daisuke Ohata...
Games played against international opposition
Year Date Opponent Result Score Tour 19081 15 October Loss 0–15 1908 Australian tour of the British Isles 1912 19 December Loss 3–8 1912-13 South Africa rugby union tour 1912-13 South Africa rugby union tourThe 1912–13 South Africa rugby union tour was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the South Africa national rugby union team against England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and France. The tour also took in several matches against British and Irish club, county and invitational teams...19311 28 November Loss 3-8 1931–32 South Africa rugby union tour 19351 14 December Loss 3-13 1935-36 New Zealand tour 19471 25 October Loss 9-19 1947-48 Australia tour 19511 17 November Loss 0-22 1951–52 South Africa rugby union tour 19541 23 January Loss 5-11 1953–54 New Zealand tour 19571 28 December Loss 3-5 1957–58 Australia tour 1970 5 September 
West GermanyWin 28–0 19731 24 January Loss 3-43 1972-73 New Zealand tour 1987 31 October Loss 6–15 1987 United States rugby union tour of Wales 1989 25 October Loss 15-26 1989 New Zealand tour 1992 11 November Loss 8-16 1992 Australia tour 1994 2 November Loss 13–16 1994-95 South Africa rugby union tour 1995 25 October Win 30–22 1995 Fiji tour of Wales
1 All these matches were played by a joint Neath/AberavonAberavon RFCAberavon RFC is a rugby union club located in the Welsh town of Port Talbot, although the club's name refers to the older settlement of Aberavon which lies on the western side of the town...
team.
External links