Neath RFC
Full nameNeath Rugby Football Club
Nickname(s)Welsh All Blacks
Founded1871[1]: 24 
LocationNeath, Wales
Ground(s)The Gnoll (Capacity: 7,500)
Coach(es)Patrick Horgan (Coach), Forwards Coach: Andy Howell
Captain(s)Ryan Evans
League(s)WRU Championship
2021-222nd
Team kit
Official website
www.neathrfc.com

Neath Rugby Football Club (Welsh: Clwb Rygbi Castell-Nedd) is a Welsh rugby union club which plays in the Indigo Premiership for Season 2023/24. The club's home ground is The Gnoll, Neath. The team is known as the 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. They are feeder club to the Ospreys regional team.

History

Early history

The Gnoll. Home of Neath RFC

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.[1]: 24 

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. Originally 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". Neath's cross pattée is often incorrectly referred to as a Maltese Cross.[2] 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 12 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.[1]: 24, 41  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.[1]: 44–45  Sam Clark would in turn become the first Welsh international from Neath RFC, playing in the second Wales game on 28 January 1882. In December 1882 it was decided to amalgamate Neath FC and Neath Abbey FC.[3]

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.

Martyn Davies holds a very special place in Welsh rugby history because he was captain of Neath in the club's centenary year of 1971/72 and it was he who became the first captain to hold aloft the Welsh Cup and to then carry it on its now customary "lap of honour" around the old Cardiff Arms Park.

2008/09 season

Their 2008/09 cup winning season, in which they claimed a 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 16 June 2008. Jones had been injured in a match against Cardiff RFC on 20 April.[4]

Club records

Neath RFC hold the world record for the number of points (1,917) and tries (345) accumulated in one season (47 Games).[5] 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

The company that runs Neath RFC is Neath Rugby Ltd.

The key lines from the Geraint Hawkes disqualification legal judgement

On 4 June 2015, Geraint Hawkes (Current chairman of Neath RFC and 50% owner of the club) was found to be "unfit to be concerned in the management of a company" by Judge Keyser Q.C. sitting as a Judge of the High Court (see para 68 of the judgement document)[6] He also decided that the evidence given by Hawkes was "deliberately false" (para 48 - see image).

On 1 July 2015 the judge confirmed the length of the disqualification, as reported by the BBC: "The owner of Neath RFC and his mother have been banned from being company directors for 10 years after failing to declare more than £1.5m in VAT. Geraint Hawkes, 48, and Janis Hawkes, 75, were given the ban at a hearing in Cardiff on Wednesday. Judge Andrew Keyser QC said the pair had been involved in a "serious case" of unpaid VAT. The decision followed a hearing in the High Court Chancery Division sitting in Cardiff last month."[7]

In an effort to generate more income at their home stadium The Gnoll, the club announced in late 2008, plans to share it with the town's football club Neath Athletic.[8] This football team ceased trading at the end of the 2011-12 season due to financial difficulties.[9]

Jardine Norton Ltd became the owners of Neath Rugby Ltd in January 2019.[10]

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 Division: 1990/91, 1995/96, 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2009/10
  • Welsh Cup: 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, 2012/13
  • Snelling Sevens 1964, 1970
  • Principality Premiership Play Off Champions: 2009/2010
  • Premiership Cup Winners: 2021/22

Players and coaches

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union
Sion Crocker Hooker Wales Wales
Chris Morris Hooker Wales Wales
Josh Clark Hooker Wales Wales
Morgan Thomas Hooker Wales Wales
Jack Powell Prop Wales Wales
Gareth Lloyd Prop Wales Wales
Tim Ryan Prop Wales Wales
Jonathan Thomas Prop Wales Wales
Jon Barley Lock Wales Wales
Ioan Jones Lock Wales Wales
Ross O’Connor Lock Wales Wales
Sam Langford Lock Wales Wales
Jacob Blackmore Lock Wales Wales
Matthew Davies Lock Wales Wales
Morgan Kneath Flanker Wales Wales
Carwyn Sion Flanker Wales Wales
Dyfan Ceredig Flanker Wales Wales
Owain Morgan Flanker Wales Wales
Dai Griggs Number 8 Wales Wales
Elis Hopkins Number 8 Wales Wales
Player Position Union
Nicky Griffiths Scrum-half Wales Wales
Macauley Griffiths Scrum-half Wales Wales
Elis Horgan Scrum-half Wales Wales
Steffen Williams Fly-half Burkina Faso Burkina Faso
Iwan Jones Fly-half Wales Wales
Matthew Pearce Centre Wales Wales
Ryan Evans Centre Wales Wales
Ben Atkins Centre Wales Wales
Jon Bayliss Centre Wales Wales
Aaron Bramwell Centre Wales Wales
James Roberts Wing Wales Wales
Aled Brew Wing Wales Wales
Ryan Griffiths Wing Wales Wales
Lewis Evans Fullback Wales Wales
Iestyn Morgan Fullback Wales Wales

Notable former players

See also Category:Neath RFC players

These players have represented Neath and have been capped at international level:

   

Games played against international opposition

Year Date Opponent Result Score Tour
19081 15 October  Australia Loss 0–15 1908 Australian tour of the British Isles[1]: 187 [11]
1912 19 December  South Africa Loss 3–8 1912-13 South Africa rugby union tour
19311 28 November  South Africa Loss 3-8 1931–32 South Africa rugby union tour
19351 14 December  New Zealand Loss 3-13 1935-36 New Zealand tour
19471 25 October  Australia Loss 9-19 1947-48 Australia tour
19511 17 November  South Africa Loss 0-22 1951–52 South Africa rugby union tour
19541 23 January  New Zealand Loss 5-11 1953–54 New Zealand tour
19571 28 December  Australia Loss 3-5 1957–58 Australia tour
1970 5 September West Germany West Germany Win 28–0
19731 24 January  New Zealand Loss 3-43 1972-73 New Zealand tour
1983 15 October  Japan Draw 21-21 1983 Japan rugby union tour of Wales[12]
1987 31 October  United States Loss 6–15 1987 United States rugby union tour of Wales[13]
1989 25 October  New Zealand Loss 15-26 1989 New Zealand tour[14]
1992 11 November  Australia Loss 8-16 1992 Australia tour
1994 2 November  South Africa Loss 13–16 1994-95 South Africa rugby union tour[15]
1995 25 October  Fiji Win 30–22 1995 Fiji tour of Wales[16]
1997 4 January  United States Win 39-15 1997 United States tour of Wales
2001 21 November  Uruguay Win 29-3 2001 Uruguay rugby union tour of Wales

1 All these matches were played by a joint Neath/Aberavon team.

Neath Rugby Supporters Club

The Supporters Club was restarted at the end of the 2012–13 season, with the aim of providing a link between the fans and the club.[17] The 2013–14 season saw the first Neath Supporters Hall of Fame, an event intended to take place every season.

2014 inductees: TP Whittington, Brian Williams, Brian Thomas, Shane Williams, Steve Powell and Dai Morris

2015 inductees: Rees Stephens, Martyn Davies, Ron Waldron, Kevin Phillips and Gareth Llewellyn

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Smith, Dai; Williams, Gareth (1980). Fields of praise : the official history of the Welsh Rugby Union, 1881–1981. Cardiff: University of Wales Press on behalf of the Welsh Rugby Union. ISBN 0708307663. OCLC 7176127.
  2. ↑ "Rugby Relics". Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  3. ↑ "- SWANSEA AND jmifilOT NEWS.|1882-12-08|The Cambrian - Welsh Newspapers". newspapers.library.wales. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  4. ↑ BBC News (16 June 2008). "Scrum-half dies after neck injury". BBC. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
  5. ↑ McWhirter, Matthews; Norris, Peter (1992). The Guinness book of records, 1993 (39th ed.). Middlesex, England: Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0851129781. OCLC 27123148.
  6. ↑ Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills v Hawkes, [2015] EWHC 1585 (Ch) (High Court of Justice 04 June 2015).
  7. ↑ "Neath RFC owner Geraint Hawkes banned from being director". BBC News. 1 July 2015.
  8. ↑ BBC News (16 May 2008). "Rugby stadium makes soccer space". BBC. Retrieved 12 May 2008.
  9. ↑ "Neath FC wound up at High Court". BBC News. 28 May 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  10. ↑ "Neath RFC handed over to finance company as Mike Cuddy leaves club". BBC Sport. 25 January 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  11. ↑ "World Rugby Museum". www.rugbyrelics.com.
  12. ↑ Jones, Stephen (September 1984). Rothman's Rugby Yearbook. 1984–85. Queen Anne Press. p. 50. ISBN 0356104486. OCLC 655598261.
  13. ↑ Jones, Stephen (1988). Rothman's Rugby Union Yearbook. 1988–89. Queen Anne Press. pp. 30–32. ISBN 0356158845. OCLC 655215926.
  14. ↑ "902nd All Black Game - Rugby Museum". Archived from the original on 11 November 2011. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
  15. ↑ "The Battle of the Gnoll - Neath v South Africa [big rugby fight]". Archived from the original on 22 December 2021 – via www.youtube.com.
  16. ↑ "Fiji Rugby Union.com". Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2008.
  17. ↑ "April 2013". Neath Rugby Supporters Club.

Neath RFC: 1871–1945 – Mike Price (ISBN 0-7524-2709-1, October 2002) Neath RFC: 1945–1996 – Mike Price (ISBN 0-7524-3106-4, March 2004)

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