Aberavon RFC
Encyclopedia
Aberavon 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. It was founded in 1876 as Afan Football Club, and changed names several times before settling on Aberavon Rugby Football Club.
rugby has been played at Aberavon since before the union's conception. In the 1870s Mansel tinplate works was built in the area, and its proprieters, Col. D. R. David and Sir Sidney Byass encouraged the local workers to form a rugby team. The earliest game being recorded in the Western Mail on 4 November 1878 against a team from Bridgend. Like many early Welsh clubs the teams met at a local hotel, originally the dour Castle Hotel before moving to the more luxurious Hong Kong Hotel.
In 1882 Aberavon took part in the South Wales Challenge Cup, their first competitive game, and in the 1886/87 season Aberavon RFC applied to and were accepted into the WRU. By 1897 Aberavon RFC were able to boast their first capped player, when Dan Jones
was selected for Wales to play against England
.
In 1907 Aberavon RFC moved to the Central Athletic Ground and in 1913 Miss Emily Charlotte Talbot gave exclusive rights to the club to use the pitch and granted them a lease for 39 years, giving needed stability. An indicator of Aberavon's growing success occurred in 1908, when a joint Neath
/Aberavon team was chosen as one of the teams to face the first touring Australian
side. The match turned out to be an ill played affair with poor discipline on all sides, the Wallabies eventually won the game 15-0.
In 1914 following the outbreak of World War I
, the committee of Aberavon RFC decided that rugby football should cease until the end of hostilities. During the war years their ground was sectioned off to be made into allotments to help the war effort.
In 1932 Aberavon Supporters Club reformed, after an initial attempt failed in 1920, and by 1932 they had begun producing the first official match programme. 1935 saw The Central Athletic ground being renamed the Talbot Athletic Ground.
Twice in the 1970s Aberavon reached the final of the WRU Challenge Cup
. On both occasions, in 1974 and 1975, the club lost by a slight margin to the tournament's most successful team Llanelli
. In 1976 Aberavon played the national team which toured Wales and England and lost by 18 points to 6. However,in the same season they defeated the touring Italian national team.
In 1988 disagreement between leading players and the club's committee over sponsorship issues and more generally the style and structure of the club's management escalated into a bitter dispute that ended with the majority of the previous season's squad leaving the club. As a result Aberavon struggled for much of the following season, although they did upset the odds by defeating a touring Western Samoan team by 22 points to 11 on 26 October 1988. The poor results arising from this situation situation, however, led to the club being streamed into the second tier when the Welsh Rugby Union introduced a league system in 1990, and despite subsequently winning promotion to the top tier, they were never really able to sustain the position for any length of time.
When rugby union turned professional in the mid-1990s, it quickly became clear that Aberavon RFC had neither the financial resources nor the ambition, at least at committee level, to seek a return to the upper echelon of the Welsh club game, instead appearing to settle for a regular position in the second tier, much to the frustration of their loyal supporter base. Financial difficulties encountered by several Welsh clubs, most notably by neighbours and great rivals Neath
who went bust on at least two occasion (only to be "bailed out" by the WRU and a team of local businessmen), served only to reinforce this cautious approach until the realization that in such circumstances club committee members may find themselves liable for uncleared debts. This in turn led to the club being incorporated as a limited company run by a board of directors, which was essentially what the players were seeking in 1988. With a management structure more aligned to the professional era now in place, there followed a highly successful period under coach Chris O'Callaghan (who had been one of those players to have left the club in frustration twelve years earlier, and who had been approached by the club's committee in November 1999 to take the helm following a string of disastrous results), but promotion to the game's top tier was then repeatedly blocked by successive rule changes made by the Welsh Rugby Union (on one occasion a matter of a few weeks before the season ended), until the game in Wales was restructured in 2003, at which point Aberavon RFC found itself frustratingly outside looking in as the new professional "regions" were set up.
Since then the club has gradually established a good working relationship with the Ospreys regional team, with O'Callaghan eventually stepping down from the coaching role in 2004 to be succeeded by Kevin Hopkins, who in turn was succeeded by current incumbent Simon King, and currently work with the region in the development of talented young players.
area, strongly associated with the legendary wizard Merlin
. So many of them lived in one street that it was named 'Carmarthen Row'; Talbot Athletic Ground was built near Carmarthen Row. The more generally accepted view, however, is that the nickname was coined by South Wales Evening Post reporter Bill Taylor during the 1920s, when he dubbed the highly successful Aberavon team of that era "The Wizards of the West".
Since the restructuring of the game in Wales, the route for club players to gain international honours is via the game's professional tier, therefore it is unlikely that any future player will be selected for international rugby directly from the club. However, in recent years representative honours have come in the form of invitations to play for the world-famous Barbarians FC. In 2006 the long-serving and popular Richard Morris was called up to don the black and white jersey in the annual Remembrance Match, and responded with a memorable contribution that saw him score the first and last tries in a 33-25 victory, as well as having a massive influence in general play. Two years later it was the turn of lock Chris Gittins to represent the Wizards in the same fixture, dominating lineout possession and leading the Barbarians pack effectively to pave the way to a 33-14 victory.
1 These matches were played by a joint Neath
/Aberavon team.
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 located in the 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...
town of Port Talbot
Port Talbot
Port Talbot is a town in Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It had a population of 35,633 in 2001.-History:Port Talbot grew out of the original small port and market town of Aberafan , which belonged to the medieval Lords of Afan. The area of the parish of Margam lying on the west bank of the lower Afan...
, although the club's name refers to the older settlement of Aberavon
Aberavon
Aberavon is a settlement in Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales. The town derived its name from being near the mouth of the river Afan, which also gave its name to a medieval lordship. Today it is essentially a district of Port Talbot, covering the central and south western part of the town...
which lies on the western side of the town. It was founded in 1876 as Afan Football Club, and changed names several times before settling on Aberavon Rugby Football Club.
Early history
Although not a founding member of the Welsh Rugby UnionWelsh 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...
rugby has been played at Aberavon since before the union's conception. In the 1870s Mansel tinplate works was built in the area, and its proprieters, Col. D. R. David and Sir Sidney Byass encouraged the local workers to form a rugby team. The earliest game being recorded in the Western Mail on 4 November 1878 against a team from Bridgend. Like many early Welsh clubs the teams met at a local hotel, originally the dour Castle Hotel before moving to the more luxurious Hong Kong Hotel.
In 1882 Aberavon took part in the South Wales Challenge Cup, their first competitive game, and in the 1886/87 season Aberavon RFC applied to and were accepted into the WRU. By 1897 Aberavon RFC were able to boast their first capped player, when Dan Jones
Daniel Jones (rugby player)
Daniel "Dan" Jones was a Welsh international rugby union scrum-half who played club rugby for Aberavon and international rugby for Wales. He is notable as being the first player to represent Aberavon at international level...
was selected for Wales to play against England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
In 1907 Aberavon RFC moved to the Central Athletic Ground and in 1913 Miss Emily Charlotte Talbot gave exclusive rights to the club to use the pitch and granted them a lease for 39 years, giving needed stability. An indicator of Aberavon's growing success occurred in 1908, when a joint Neath
Neath RFC
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...
/Aberavon team was chosen as one of the teams to face the first touring Australian
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
side. The match turned out to be an ill played affair with poor discipline on all sides, the Wallabies eventually won the game 15-0.
In 1914 following the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the committee of Aberavon RFC decided that rugby football should cease until the end of hostilities. During the war years their ground was sectioned off to be made into allotments to help the war effort.
1919-1945
In 1921 the Central Athletic Ground was relaid and a stand erected; Aberavon RFC returned to their home ground. During the 1920/21 season, W.H. Taylor of The Evening Post, dubbed the club The Wizards of the West. The name stuck and was shortened sometimes to 'The Welsh Wizards' or just 'The Wizards', the nickname stays with the club to this day.In 1932 Aberavon Supporters Club reformed, after an initial attempt failed in 1920, and by 1932 they had begun producing the first official match programme. 1935 saw The Central Athletic ground being renamed the Talbot Athletic Ground.
Post World War II
In 1952 Aberavon RFC changed their shirt colours for the final time to red and black hoops; and later that year succeeded in becoming the absolute owners of the Talbot Athletic ground. The expansion of the local steel works in the 1950s also aided in bringing new enthusiasts to the area and this was reflected in one of Aberavon RFC's most successful periods.Twice in the 1970s Aberavon reached the final of the WRU Challenge Cup
WRU Challenge Cup
The 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....
. On both occasions, in 1974 and 1975, the club lost by a slight margin to the tournament's most successful team 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...
. In 1976 Aberavon played the national team which toured Wales and England and lost by 18 points to 6. However,in the same season they defeated the touring Italian national team.
In 1988 disagreement between leading players and the club's committee over sponsorship issues and more generally the style and structure of the club's management escalated into a bitter dispute that ended with the majority of the previous season's squad leaving the club. As a result Aberavon struggled for much of the following season, although they did upset the odds by defeating a touring Western Samoan team by 22 points to 11 on 26 October 1988. The poor results arising from this situation situation, however, led to the club being streamed into the second tier when the Welsh Rugby Union introduced a league system in 1990, and despite subsequently winning promotion to the top tier, they were never really able to sustain the position for any length of time.
When rugby union turned professional in the mid-1990s, it quickly became clear that Aberavon RFC had neither the financial resources nor the ambition, at least at committee level, to seek a return to the upper echelon of the Welsh club game, instead appearing to settle for a regular position in the second tier, much to the frustration of their loyal supporter base. Financial difficulties encountered by several Welsh clubs, most notably by neighbours and great rivals Neath
Neath RFC
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...
who went bust on at least two occasion (only to be "bailed out" by the WRU and a team of local businessmen), served only to reinforce this cautious approach until the realization that in such circumstances club committee members may find themselves liable for uncleared debts. This in turn led to the club being incorporated as a limited company run by a board of directors, which was essentially what the players were seeking in 1988. With a management structure more aligned to the professional era now in place, there followed a highly successful period under coach Chris O'Callaghan (who had been one of those players to have left the club in frustration twelve years earlier, and who had been approached by the club's committee in November 1999 to take the helm following a string of disastrous results), but promotion to the game's top tier was then repeatedly blocked by successive rule changes made by the Welsh Rugby Union (on one occasion a matter of a few weeks before the season ended), until the game in Wales was restructured in 2003, at which point Aberavon RFC found itself frustratingly outside looking in as the new professional "regions" were set up.
Since then the club has gradually established a good working relationship with the Ospreys regional team, with O'Callaghan eventually stepping down from the coaching role in 2004 to be succeeded by Kevin Hopkins, who in turn was succeeded by current incumbent Simon King, and currently work with the region in the development of talented young players.
Club nickname
Small red toy wizards adorn the tops of the rugby posts at their ground, and the figure of a wizard has adorned the players' kit as the club's emblem since the mid-1970s. One theory of the nickname 'The Wizards' is thought to have been based on the many workers who came to Port Talbot in the 19th century from the CarmarthenCarmarthen
Carmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
area, strongly associated with the legendary wizard Merlin
Merlin
Merlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
. So many of them lived in one street that it was named 'Carmarthen Row'; Talbot Athletic Ground was built near Carmarthen Row. The more generally accepted view, however, is that the nickname was coined by South Wales Evening Post reporter Bill Taylor during the 1920s, when he dubbed the highly successful Aberavon team of that era "The Wizards of the West".
Club honours
- 1904-05 Glamorgan League - Champions
- 1913-14 Welsh Challenge Cup - Winners
- 1923-24; 1924–25; 1925–26; 1926–27; 1960–61, Unofficial Welsh Club Champions
- 1994-95 Welsh League Division 2 - Champions
- 2000-01 Welsh National League Division 1 - Champions
- 2001-02 Welsh National League Division 1 - Champions
Current squad
Notable former players
- See also :Category:Aberavon RFC players
Since the restructuring of the game in Wales, the route for club players to gain international honours is via the game's professional tier, therefore it is unlikely that any future player will be selected for international rugby directly from the club. However, in recent years representative honours have come in the form of invitations to play for the world-famous Barbarians FC. In 2006 the long-serving and popular Richard Morris was called up to don the black and white jersey in the annual Remembrance Match, and responded with a memorable contribution that saw him score the first and last tries in a 33-25 victory, as well as having a massive influence in general play. Two years later it was the turn of lock Chris Gittins to represent the Wizards in the same fixture, dominating lineout possession and leading the Barbarians pack effectively to pave the way to a 33-14 victory.
Arthur Bassett Arthur Bassett Arthur Bassett was a Welsh dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who represented Wales at both rugby union and rugby league codes... (6 caps) John D Bevan John Bevan (rugby player born 1948) John David Bevan was a Welsh international Rugby Union player, one of two John Bevans who played for Wales during the 1970s.Bevan was born in Neath. He played for Aberavon RFC, the British Lions and The Barbarians.... Onllwyn Brace Onllwyn Brace Onllwyn Brace was a Welsh international scrum-half who played club rugby for Newport and Aberavon. He won nine caps for Wales and would captain the team twice in the early 1960s... (9 caps) Alfred Brice Alfred Brice Alfred "Bobby" Brice was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Aberavon and Cardiff. A three times Triple Crown winner, Brice was known for his tough and aggressive tackling play.... (18 caps) John Ernest Collins (10 caps) Emlyn Davies Emlyn Davies Emlyn Davies was a Welsh international rugby union prop who played club rugby for Swansea and Aberavon and county rugby for Glamorgan. He was capped for Wales national rugby union team on two occasions.... (2 caps) William "Avon" Davies (2 caps) Tim Fauvel (1 cap) John Richardson Raymond Giles (3 caps) Richard Hibbard Richard Hibbard Richard Hibbard , is a Wales international rugby union player. A hooker, he started playing rugby at age grade levels at clubs in the town of Port Talbot, such as; Aberavon Quins RFC & Taibach. He went on to play at senior level for Taibach, Aberavon RFC and Swansea before making his name at the... (4 caps) Tommy Owen James (2 caps) Billy James Billy James (rugby player) William John "Billy" James is a former Welsh international rugby union player.A hooker, he captained the Wales national rugby union team on one occasion against Ireland in 1987... (Welsh captain 1987) Ned Jenkins Ned Jenkins Ned Jenkins was an international rugby union lock who represented Wales and played club rugby for Aberavon. Like fellow team mate Tom Arthur, Jenkins was an amateur boxer.-Rugby career:... (21 caps) Bala Jones Bala Jones John "Bala" Jones was a Wales international rugby union scrum-half who played club rugby for Aberavon and Devonport Albion RFC and county rugby for Glamorgan and Devon... Dan Jones Daniel Jones (rugby player) Daniel "Dan" Jones was a Welsh international rugby union scrum-half who played club rugby for Aberavon and international rugby for Wales. He is notable as being the first player to represent Aberavon at international level... (1 cap) Les Keen (4 caps) Billy Mainwaring Billy Mainwaring William Thomas Mainwaring, known as Billy, was a Welsh international second row rugby union player who played for Aberavon RFC.... (6 caps) |
Allan Martin Allan Martin Allan Jeffery Martin is a former Aberavon RFC and Welsh international rugby union player. He was noted for his long distance goal-kicking.-Biography:... (34 caps) Anthony O'Connor (1962 British Lions) Billy O'Neill Billy O'Neill William "Billy" O'Neill often recorded as Billy O'Neil or Billy Neil was a Welsh international dual-code rugby front row player who played club rugby under the union code for Cardiff and Aberavon and as a professional rugby league player he represented Warrington... Fred Perrett Fred Perrett Fred 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:... Charlie Pugh Charlie Pugh Charles Henry Pugh was a Welsh international rugby union player who played rugby for three notable Welsh clubs, Aberavon, Maesteg and Neath... Rees Richards (3 caps) Clive Shell Clive Shell Clive Shell is a former Welsh international rugby union player. Shell made his debut for the Wales national rugby union team 10 November 1973 against Australia where he kissed the ball on his first touch while putting the ball into a scrum... David Thomas (1 cap) Walter Vickery Walter Vickery Walter Vickery was an international rugby union back row who represented Wales and played club rugby for Aberavon... (4 caps) Robert "Bobby" Wanbon Robert Wanbon Robert "Bobby" Wanbon is a Welsh former dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1960s and '70s who at representative level has played rugby union for Wales and at club level for Aberavon RFC, playing at Number eight, and at representative level has... (1 cap) Paul James Wheeler Paul James Wheeler James Paul Wheeler was a Welsh international full back who played club rugby for Swansea and Aberavon. He won two caps for Wales including one against the 1967 touring New Zealand side.- References :... (2 caps) Clive Williams Clive Williams Clive Williams is a former international rugby union player. He toured twice with the British and Irish Lions, to New Zealand in 1977 and to South Africa in 1980.... Sid Williams (1 cap Gareth Baber Gareth Baber Gareth Baber , is a Welsh former rugby footballer and now a rugby union coach.During his playing career Baber earned a Blue for Oxford University's rugby team... (7 caps) Chris Davies (Wales 7's and Barbarians)
|
Games played against international opposition
| Year | Date | Opponent | Result | Score | Tour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19081 | 15 October | Loss | 0-15 | 1908–09 Australia rugby union tour of Britain | |
| 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 | |
| 19731 | 24 January | Loss | 3-43 | 1972-73 New Zealand tour | |
| 1976 | 6 October | Loss | 6-18 | 1976 Argentina tour of Wales and England 1976 Argentina rugby union tour of Wales and England The 1976 Argentina rugby union tour of Wales and England was a series of six matches played by the Argentina national rugby union team in September and October 1976.... |
|
| 1976 | Win | 13-4 | 1976 Italy rugby union tour of Britain | ||
| 1988 | 26 October | Win | 22-11 | Western Samoa 'Red Stripe Lager' tour of Wales. |
1 These matches were played by a joint Neath
Neath RFC
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...
/Aberavon team.