Ebbw Vale RFC
Encyclopedia
Ebbw Vale Rugby Football Club is a Welsh
Rugby Union
Club based in the town of Ebbw Vale
, Blaenau Gwent
, South Wales
. The club currently play in the WRU Division One East
and the SWALEC Cup
. It also acts as a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons
.
(then known as the Welsh Football Union) membership between 1893 and 1894.
In 1907, the committee of Ebbw Vale rugby club voted 63-20 to switch from amateur rugby union to professional rugby league
. Deals were made with the Northern Union, and on 26 July 1907 Ebbw Vale RFC became Ebbw Vale RLFC
. The club, its players and members were all suspended from rugby union activities by the Welsh Rugby Union, though after Ebbw Vale RLFC collapsed in 1912, Ebbw Vale were readmitted as a union team after World War I.
In 1927 due to falling gate receipts, caused by the increasing attraction of rival sports such as football, Ebbw Vale staged a rugby league
game on their pitch, the Welfare Ground. The WRU reacted strongly and threatened Ebbw Vale RFC with expulsion from the league. This was seen by many as an overly aggressive stance to a club that was desperate for aid not sanctions. By 1932 the gate at Ebbw Vale rarely reached twenty shillings, despite a catchment area population of 40,000. The club was forced to resort to public subscriptions.
Rugby union continued in Ebbw Vale during World War II
due to the vital services provided by the steel and coal industry and Ebbw Vale was undefeated in 1940/1941. But by the mid 1950s Ebbw Vale RFC was once again becoming a prosperous club. Although seen as one of the most successful clubs on and off the playing field throughout the 1950s, Ebbw Vale was under-represented in the Welsh national team.
The club has the dubious distinction of being on the receiving end of the heaviest defeat in Heineken Cup
history going down 108-16 away to Toulouse
in 1998 conceding 16 tries in the process. Although Ebbw Vale did have revenge, defeating Toulouse
in the return fixture.
In April 2010 the clubs relegation to WRU Division One East
was confirmed.
In April 2011 Ebbw Vale were crowned WRU Division One East
Champions after gaining a bonus point win in their final league game at Bedlinog
. In what was a remarkable run-in to the end of the season, Ebbw picked up 44 league points from their final 9 league games (out of a possible 45) to overhaul Newbridge
and win the league title at the first attempt.
Their home colours of green, white and red represent the colours of the Welsh national flag with the second-choice shirt coloured light blue. The club's badge like many other clubs in Wales
has a red dragon on it. The dragon is standing over a golden gate or drawbridge, over the dragons head is a semicircle with the club's motto of Iach Gorff Iach Meddwl. This semicircle is part of a bridge shape which is coloured in the club's and Welsh colours of red, green and white. All of this is incorporated into a shield shape with the club's name Ebbw Vale RFC embroidered on the bottom.
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{| bgcolor="#F8F8F8" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: grey solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;"
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| align="center"|Nationality
| align="center"|Name
| align="center"|Caps
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Allan Bateman
||35 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Nathan Budgett
||12 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Clive Burgess
||9 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Richie Collins ||28 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Byron Hayward
||2 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Simon Hunt
||0 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Deiniol Jones
||10 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Graham Jones ||3 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Kingsley Jones ||10 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Arthur Lewis
||11 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Josh Taumalolo
||31 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Duncan Bell
||5 International
|}
|
||
{| bgcolor="#F8F8F8" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: grey solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;"
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| align="center"|Nationality
| align="center"|Name
| align="center"|Caps
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Dan Lydiate
||11 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|| ||David Nash
||6 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Graham Powell ||2 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Paul Ringer
||8 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Arthur Smith ||33 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Richard Smith
||1 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Iestyn Thomas
||33 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Paul Thorburn
||37 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Denzil Williams
||36 international
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Mark Jones
||15 international
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Guy Easterby
||28 international
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Kuli Faletau ||20 international
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|}
|}
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| align="center"|Nationality
| align="center"|Name
| align="center"|Role
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Leigh Jones ||Head Coach
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Richard Hill
||Backs Coach
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Mike Ruddock
||Head Coach
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Byron Hayward
||Head Coach
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Alex Codling
||Head and Forwards Coach
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Lyn Jones
||Head Coach
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Christian Loader
||Forwards Coach
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Rowland Phillips
||Defence/Head Coach
|}
|}
!Year
!Date
!Opponent
!Result
!Score
!Tour
|-
|19531
|23 December
|
|Loss
|3-22
|1953-54 New Zealand rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland, France and North America.
|-
|19581
|8 January
|
|Won
|6-5
|1957-58 Australia rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland and France
|-
|19601
|29 November
|
|Loss
|0-3
|The 1960 South Africa Tour of UK & France
|-
|19631
|6 November
|
|Loss
|0-13
|1963-64 New Zealand rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland, France and North America
|-
|1979
|22 September
|
|Loss
|0-12
|1979 Romania rugby union tour of Wales
|-
|1987
|24 October
|
|Win
|16-14
|1987 United States rugby union tour of Wales
|-
|}
1A joint Ebbw Vale and Abertillery
side.
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 the town of Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale is a town at the head of the valley formed by the Ebbw Fawr tributary of the Ebbw River, south Wales. It is the largest town and the administrative centre of Blaenau Gwent county borough...
, Blaenau Gwent
Blaenau Gwent
Blaenau Gwent is a county borough in South Wales, sharing its name with a parliamentary constituency. It borders the unitary authority areas of Monmouthshire and Torfaen to the east, Caerphilly to the west and Powys to the north. Its main towns are Abertillery, Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale and...
, 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...
. The club currently play in the WRU Division One East
WRU Division One East
The Welsh Rugby Union Division One East is a rugby union league in Wales first implemented for the 1995/96 season.- Competition:There are 12 clubs in the WRU Division One East...
and the SWALEC 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....
. It also acts as 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...
.
History
Evidence of rugby union being played in Ebbw Vale was noted around 1879. Ebbw Vale RFC applied for and achieved 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...
(then known as the Welsh Football Union) membership between 1893 and 1894.
In 1907, the committee of Ebbw Vale rugby club voted 63-20 to switch from amateur rugby union to professional rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
. Deals were made with the Northern Union, and on 26 July 1907 Ebbw Vale RFC became Ebbw Vale RLFC
Ebbw Vale RLFC
Ebbw Vale Rugby League Football Club was a professional rugby league club based in Ebbw Vale, Wales playing in the Welsh League and Northern Union. Based at Bridge End Field, Ebbw Vale were one of the first professional Welsh teams, and the last to disband in 1912 after the failure of the Welsh...
. The club, its players and members were all suspended from rugby union activities by the Welsh Rugby Union, though after Ebbw Vale RLFC collapsed in 1912, Ebbw Vale were readmitted as a union team after World War I.
In 1927 due to falling gate receipts, caused by the increasing attraction of rival sports such as football, Ebbw Vale staged a rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
game on their pitch, the Welfare Ground. The WRU reacted strongly and threatened Ebbw Vale RFC with expulsion from the league. This was seen by many as an overly aggressive stance to a club that was desperate for aid not sanctions. By 1932 the gate at Ebbw Vale rarely reached twenty shillings, despite a catchment area population of 40,000. The club was forced to resort to public subscriptions.
Rugby union continued in Ebbw Vale during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
due to the vital services provided by the steel and coal industry and Ebbw Vale was undefeated in 1940/1941. But by the mid 1950s Ebbw Vale RFC was once again becoming a prosperous club. Although seen as one of the most successful clubs on and off the playing field throughout the 1950s, Ebbw Vale was under-represented in the Welsh national team.
The club has the dubious distinction of being on the receiving end of the heaviest defeat in Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
history going down 108-16 away to Toulouse
Stade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...
in 1998 conceding 16 tries in the process. Although Ebbw Vale did have revenge, defeating Toulouse
Stade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...
in the return fixture.
In April 2010 the clubs relegation to WRU Division One East
WRU Division One East
The Welsh Rugby Union Division One East is a rugby union league in Wales first implemented for the 1995/96 season.- Competition:There are 12 clubs in the WRU Division One East...
was confirmed.
In April 2011 Ebbw Vale were crowned WRU Division One East
WRU Division One East
The Welsh Rugby Union Division One East is a rugby union league in Wales first implemented for the 1995/96 season.- Competition:There are 12 clubs in the WRU Division One East...
Champions after gaining a bonus point win in their final league game at Bedlinog
Bedlinog RFC
Bedlinog Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the village of Bedlinog, South Wales. The club was formed in its present state in 1971 by a local youth club, which was at the time organised by Welsh international Steve Fenwick. Currently the club consists of three teams; 1st's, development,...
. In what was a remarkable run-in to the end of the season, Ebbw picked up 44 league points from their final 9 league games (out of a possible 45) to overhaul Newbridge
Newbridge RFC
Newbridge RFC are a Welsh rugby union club based in Newbridge, Caerphilly in South Wales. Newbridge RFC was formed in 1888 and gained admission to the WRU in 1911...
and win the league title at the first attempt.
Colours and badge
The club colours changed from black and amber to red, white and green in the 1930s. The reason is unclear but a prominent Ebbw Vale player and later administrator, Dai Regan Jones, had played for Leicester RFC in the late 1920s and was a regular soldier in the South Wales Borderers and both Leicester and the SWB wore red, white and green, which could explain the change.Their home colours of green, white and red represent the colours of the Welsh national flag with the second-choice shirt coloured light blue. The club's badge like many other clubs in Wales
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...
has a red dragon on it. The dragon is standing over a golden gate or drawbridge, over the dragons head is a semicircle with the club's motto of Iach Gorff Iach Meddwl. This semicircle is part of a bridge shape which is coloured in the club's and Welsh colours of red, green and white. All of this is incorporated into a shield shape with the club's name Ebbw Vale RFC embroidered on the bottom.
Club's motto
The clubs motto is "Iach Gorff Iach Feddwl", the Welsh for "Healthy Body Healthy Mind". The origin of this motto is speculative but this is an old proverb in the Welsh Language.Current squad
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Club honours
- Unofficial Welsh Club Champions 1951-52; 1953-54; 1956-57; 1959-60.
- Snelling SevensSnelling SevensThe Snelling Sevens was an annual Welsh Rugby Union sevens competition that ran from 1954 until 1995....
1958 - Champions - Welsh Cup Runners-up 1998-99.
- WRU Division One EastWRU Division One EastThe Welsh Rugby Union Division One East is a rugby union league in Wales first implemented for the 1995/96 season.- Competition:There are 12 clubs in the WRU Division One East...
2010-11 - Champions
Notable former players
- See also :Category:Ebbw Vale RFC players
{|
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{| bgcolor="#F8F8F8" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: grey solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;"
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| align="center"|Nationality
| align="center"|Name
| align="center"|Caps
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Allan BatemanAllan Bateman
Allan 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....
||35 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Nathan BudgettNathan Budgett
Nathan John Budgett is a former Wales and Bristol rugby union player. Budgett announced his retirement on 15 February 2011. Before joining Bristol he played for Ebbw Vale RFC, Bridgend RFC, the defunct Celtic Warriors and then the Cardiff Blues. He is a former Wales international player, winning...
||12 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Clive BurgessClive Burgess
Robert Clive Burgess was an international rugby union flanker who played for Wales from 1977 to 1982. Burgess was a popular player who had many nicknames some of which were Budgie, Animal and The Steel Claw thanks to his fearless nature and rugged appearance...
||9 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Richie Collins ||28 International|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Byron HaywardByron Hayward
Byron Idris Hayward was an international rugby union full back who played for Wales and Wales A. He had an impressive debut for Wales scoring three tries in his first international match against Zimbabwe. Hayward caused controversy in 2000 by refusing to play against Scotland A in Bridgend because...
||2 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Simon HuntSimon Hunt (rugby player)
Simon Hunt is an English rugby union footballer currently centrally contracted to the England Sevens squad for the 2011-2012 IRB Sevens World Series.-Early Career:...
||0 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Deiniol JonesDeiniol Jones
Deiniol Jones is a Welsh International rugby union player. His current team is the Cardiff Blues which he joined after the Celtic Warriors team was disbanded in 2003. He is usually a lock...
||10 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Graham Jones ||3 International|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Kingsley Jones ||10 International|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Arthur LewisArthur Lewis (rugby player)
Arthur John Llewellyn Lewis is a former Wales international rugby union player. In 1971 he toured New Zealand with the British and Irish Lions and at the time played club rugby for Ebbw Vale.-Notes:...
||11 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Josh TaumaloloJosh Taumalolo
Siua Taumalolo was a rugby union player for Bristol Rugby in the Guinness Premiership.Nicknamed Josh, he spent several years in Welsh rugby, playing for Ebbw Vale RFC before joining Bridgend RFC in 2000...
||31 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Duncan BellDuncan Bell
Duncan Stuart Crampton Bell is an English rugby union player currently playing for Bath Rugby in the Aviva Premiership at the position of prop. Educated at Colston's Collegiate School, Bristol, he is an England international with five caps.Born in Norfolk, Bell was raised in the South...
||5 International
|}
|
||
{| bgcolor="#F8F8F8" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: grey solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;"
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| align="center"|Nationality
| align="center"|Name
| align="center"|Caps
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Dan LydiateDan Lydiate
Dan Lydiate is a Wales international rugby union player. A flanker, Lydiate was raised in Llandrindod Wells and is a product of the Newport Gwent Dragons academy...
||11 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
||
||David NashDavid Nash (rugby coach)
David Nash is a former Wales international rugby union player. A number 8 forward, he attained 6 caps for Wales between 1960 and 1961. Nash was selected for the 1962 British Lions tour of South Africa. He played his club rugby for Ebbw Vale.In 1967 Nash was appointed as the first national coach of...
||6 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Graham Powell ||2 International|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Paul RingerPaul Ringer
Paul Ringer is a Welsh former dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who at representative level has played rugby union for Wales, and at club level for Ebbw Vale RFC, Llanelli RFC, and Leicester, playing at Flanker, i.e...
||8 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Arthur Smith ||33 International|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Richard SmithRichard Smith (rugby player)
Richard Malcolm Smith is a former rugby union player who played scrum-half for Ebbw Vale RFC, Sale Sharks, Worcester Warriors, Newport RFC, Bristol Rugby, Cardiff RFC, Newbridge RFC, Merthyr RFC and the Cardiff Blues. He was a regular in the Wales 22 but only gained one Wales cap as he was being...
||1 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Iestyn ThomasIestyn Thomas
Iestyn Thomas is a Welsh rugby union footballer, who currently plays as a prop for the Scarlets in the RaboDirect Pro12.- Club career :...
||33 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Paul ThorburnPaul Thorburn
Paul 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...
||37 International
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Denzil WilliamsDenzil Williams
Denzil Williams is a former Wales international rugby union player. He was capped 36 times for Wales between 1963 and 1971, including Wales' first overseas tour in 1964. He played in the Welsh rugby team's first match outside of Europe and its first in the Southern Hemisphere; played against East...
||36 international
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Mark JonesMark Jones (rugby player born 1965)
Mark Alun Jones is a Welsh former dual-code international professional rugby union and rugby league footballer, who at representative level has played rugby union for Wales, and at club level for Tredegar RFC, Tredegar Ironsides RFC, Neath RFC, Ebbw Vale RFC, Pontypool RFC, Aberavon RFC, playing...
||15 international
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| ||Guy Easterby
Guy Easterby
Guy Easterby is a former rugby union player for Ireland. He is currently team manager of Leinster alongside head coach Josef Schmidt.His father is English and his mother Irish...
||28 international
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Kuli Faletau ||20 international|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|}
|}
Notable former coaches and management staff
{| bgcolor="#F8F8F8" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: grey solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;"|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
| align="center"|Nationality
| align="center"|Name
| align="center"|Role
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Leigh Jones ||Head Coach|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Richard HillRichard Hill (scrum-half)
Richard Hill , is rugby union coach and former English international rugby footballer.-Biography:Born in Birmingham, Hill was educated at Bishop Wordsworth's Grammar School in Salisbury, and Exeter University...
||Backs Coach
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Mike RuddockMike Ruddock
Mike Ruddock, OBE is a Welsh rugby union coach, currently coach of the Ireland Under-20 Rugby Union Team and Lansdowne FC . Ruddock was the coach of the Worcester Warriors until his resignation on 28 April 2010 following their relegation from the Guinness Premiership...
||Head Coach
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Byron HaywardByron Hayward
Byron Idris Hayward was an international rugby union full back who played for Wales and Wales A. He had an impressive debut for Wales scoring three tries in his first international match against Zimbabwe. Hayward caused controversy in 2000 by refusing to play against Scotland A in Bridgend because...
||Head Coach
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Alex CodlingAlex Codling
Alex Codling born 25 September 1973 in Lewisham is a former Rugby Union lock forward.He won his only cap for England under Sir Clive Woodward against in 2002. He is currently the Head of Sport at Trinity School in Shirley...
||Head and Forwards Coach
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Lyn JonesLyn Jones
Richard 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...
||Head Coach
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Christian LoaderChristian Loader
Christian David Loader is a former Wales rugby union player who played prop. He achieved 19 Wales caps between 1995 and 1997. Loader played for Pontypridd RFC and Bath Rugby. He retired in 2006.-Notes:...
||Forwards Coach
|- bgcolor="#F8F8F8"
|
||Rowland PhillipsRowland Phillips
Rowland 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...
||Defence/Head Coach
|}
|}
Games played against international opposition
{|border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #F8F8F8; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"!Year
!Date
!Opponent
!Result
!Score
!Tour
|-
|19531
|23 December
|
|Loss
|3-22
|1953-54 New Zealand rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland, France and North America.
|-
|19581
|8 January
|
|Won
|6-5
|1957-58 Australia rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland and France
1957-58 Australia rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland and France
Between late 1957 and February 1958 the Australia national rugby union team - the Wallabies - conducted a world tour encompassing Britain, Ireland, France and Canada on which they played five Tests and thirty-six minor tour matches. They won 22, lost 16 and drew three...
|-
|19601
|29 November
|
|Loss
|0-3
|The 1960 South Africa Tour of UK & France
|-
|19631
|6 November
|
|Loss
|0-13
|1963-64 New Zealand rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland, France and North America
1963-64 New Zealand rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland, France and North America
The 1963–64 New Zealand tour of Britain, Ireland and France was a rugby union tour undertaken by the New Zealand national rugby union team. The tour took in the five major Northern Hemisphere rugby nations of England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and France...
|-
|1979
|22 September
|
|Loss
|0-12
|1979 Romania rugby union tour of Wales
1979 Romania rugby union tour of Wales
The 1979 Romania rugby union tour of Wales was a series of five matches played by the Romania national rugby union team in Wales in September and October 1979. The Romanian team won four of their tour matches and lost the fifth, against a full-strength Welsh national side, by only a single point...
|-
|1987
|24 October
|
|Win
|16-14
|1987 United States rugby union tour of Wales
|-
|}
1A joint Ebbw Vale and Abertillery
Abertillery RFC
Abertillery Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club based in Abertillery. According to their web site, they were founded in 1883, though other sources state 1884. Their team colours are green and white and their home ground is Abertillery Park in Abertillery. The club is a member of the...
side.