Newport High School Old Boys (NHSOB) are a Welsh

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...

 club based in Caerleon

Caerleon

Caerleon is a suburban village and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. Caerleon is a site of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta, and an Iron Age hill fort...

 on the northern outskirts of Newport

Newport

Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...

 in South Wales. They currently play in the Welsh Rugby Union Division Three

WRU Division Three East

The Welsh Rugby Union Division Three East is a rugby union league in Wales.- Competition:There are 12 clubs in the WRU Division Three East...

 and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons

Newport Gwent Dragons

Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup...

.

Newport HSOB RFC were recognised by 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...

 as the biggest community rugby club in Wales in November 2007. The club provides a full range of teams for all age groups and a full female team at all levels. They have ex-players at all levels of the game. They also provide rugby training for children and adults with learning disabilities.

Early history

Newport High School Old Boys Rugby Club has been in existence for nearly 85 years having been founded in the season of 1923/24. Although the present ground at Yew Tree Lane, Caerleon has been the club's home for many years, as a club, it has led a very nomadic existence. During the early years the teams played on pitches at the Royal Oak, Bettws, Ponthir, Llanfrechfa, and the old Caerleon Racecourse. In 1949 a field at the present site at Yew Tree Lane became available for rent and this was to become the club's permanent home.

A major milestone was achieved in 1954 when probationary membership of the Welsh Rugby Union was granted, followed by full WRU membership in 1957. In 1960 the ground and the adjoining land became available for purchase and an area of 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) was bought for £975. Eventually the land was developed and a new pitch and club house were built and officially opened in 1967. Membership was opened to non Old Boys of Newport High School in the mid sixties and as a result, by the early seventies the club had four senior teams.

Notable former players

David Burcher

David Burcher

David Howard Burcher is a former Wales international rugby union player. He was capped four times for Wales in 1977 and that same year he toured New Zealand with the British and Irish Lions, playing in one international. Burcher played club rugby for Newport RFC.-Notes:...

, Wales and British Lions international Jamie Corsi

Jamie Corsi

Jamie Corsi is a professional rugby union player who plays for Cardiff Blues. He is a former pupil of Bassaleg School, Newport....

 Mark Davies

Mark Davies (rugby player)

Mark Davies is a former Wales International Rugby Union player. A flanker, Davies began his rugby career at Newport High School Old Boys before joining Swansea....

, Wales international Keith Jarrett

Keith Jarrett (rugby)

Keith Jarrett was a Welsh international rugby centre who played union for Newport and league with Barrow. Jarrett is most notable for his early appearances for the Wales national rugby union team where he set point scoring records...

, Wales and British Lions international Ceri Jones

Ceri Jones

Ceri Jones , is a Wales international rugby union player. Jones played for Newport High School Old Boys, Usk and Newport before making his name at Harlequins. Normally a loose-head prop he can also play tight-head prop....

, Wales international John O'Shea

John O'Shea (rugby player)

John Patrick O'Shea is a former international rugby union player.Educated at Lewis School Pengam, along with John Dawes, he was capped five times for Wales as a prop between 1967 and 1968....

, Wales and British Lions international Alix Popham

Alix Popham

Alix Jon Popham is a Welsh rugby union footballer, who plays at Number eight or flanker and is captain for the 2009 season at Brive in the French Top 14, having signed from the Llanelli Scarlets in 2008...

, Wales international Matthew Robinson

Matthew Robinson (rugby player)

Matthew Fitz David Robinson is a former Wales International Rugby Union player. A centre or wing, Robinson began his rugby career at Newport High School Old Boys before joining Swansea....

, Wales international John Ryan

John Ryan (rugby coach)

John Ryan is a rugby union coach. Following success as a coach with Newport RFC and Cardiff RFC he was appointed Head Coach of the Wales national rugby union team from 1988 to 1990. At the time he was the first Wales coach to have not played for the national team.-External links:*...

, former Wales national team Head Coach Ashley Smith

Ashley Smith (rugby player)

Ashley Smith is a Welsh rugby union player currently playing as a centre for Newport Gwent Dragons...

 Alex Walker

Alex Walker (rugby player)

Alex Walker is a Welsh rugby union player. He is a Wales sevens international.A scrum half, Walker played for Newport HSOB and Newport RFC before joining Newport Gwent Dragons. During the 2008–09 season he spent time on loan to London Welsh. He was released by Newport Gwent Dragons in August 2010...

 David Watkins

David Watkins (Welsh rugby player)

David Watkins MBE is a Welsh former dual-code rugby international, having played both rugby union and rugby league football for both codes' national teams between 1967 and 1983...

, Wales and British Lions international Stuart Watkins

Stuart Watkins

Stuart Watkins was a Welsh international rugby union wing who played club rugby for Newport and Cardiff.Watkins began his rugby career at Cross Keys before switching to Newport in 1963, staying with the club for the majority of his career...

, Wales and British Lions international