Neath RFC

File:The Gnoll - Neath RFC - geograph-2277123.jpg

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.{{rp|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.{{cite web |url=http://www.rugbyrelics.com/Museum/exhibitions/NR125/02.htm |title=Rugby Relics |access-date=November 2, 2021}} 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.{{rp|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.{{rp|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.{{Cite web|title=- SWANSEA AND jmifilOT NEWS.{{!}}1882-12-08{{!}}The Cambrian - Welsh Newspapers|url=https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3336568/3336571/15/football|access-date=2021-06-01|website=newspapers.library.wales|language=en}}

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.

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.{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/7457473.stm |title= Scrum-half dies after neck injury |author=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=2008-06-16 |access-date=2008-06-16}}

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.

Neath RFC hold the world record for the number of points (1,917) and tries (345) accumulated in one season (47 Games).{{Cite book|title=The Guinness book of records, 1993|last2=Norris|first2=Peter|date=1992|publisher=Guinness Publishing|last1=McWhirter|first1=Matthews|isbn=0851129781|edition=39th|location=Middlesex, England|oclc=27123148}} 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).

The company that runs Neath RFC is Neath Rugby Ltd.File:Geraint Hawkes disqualification judgement, High Court, June 2015.jpg

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){{cite court |litigants=Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills v Hawkes|reporter=[2015] EWHC 1585 (Ch)|court=High Court of Justice|date=04 June 2015|url=http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Ch/2015/1585.html|access-date=2019-05-17}} 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."{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-33347729|title=Neath RFC owner Geraint Hawkes banned from being director|work=BBC News|date=1 July 2015}}

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.{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7404410.stm |title=Rugby stadium makes soccer space |author=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=16 May 2008 |access-date=12 May 2008}} This football team ceased trading at the end of the 2011-12 season due to financial difficulties.{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-18239573 | work=BBC News | title=Neath FC wound up at High Court | date=28 May 2012|access-date=10 August 2012}}

Jardine Norton Ltd became the owners of Neath Rugby Ltd in January 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/47009504|title=Neath RFC handed over to finance company as Mike Cuddy leaves club|work=BBC Sport|date=25 January 2019 |access-date=29 September 2019}}

• 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

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{{rugby squad player | nat=Wales| natvar=rugby | pos=LK | name=Matthew Davies}}

{{rugby squad player | nat=Wales| natvar=rugby | pos=FL | name=Morgan Kneath}}

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{{rugby squad player | nat=Wales| natvar=rugby | pos=CE| name=Aaron Bramwell}}

{{rugby squad player | nat=Wales| natvar=rugby | pos=WG | name=James Roberts}}

{{rugby squad player | nat=Wales| natvar=rugby | pos=WG| name=Aled Brew}}

{{rugby squad player | nat=Wales| natvar=rugby | pos=WG| name=Ryan Griffiths}}

{{rugby squad player | nat=Wales| natvar=rugby | pos=FB | name=Lewis Evans}}

{{rugby squad player | nat=Wales| natvar=rugby | pos=FB | name= Iestyn Morgan}}

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:See also :Category:Neath RFC players

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

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

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.{{Cite web|url=https://neathrugbysupporters.com/2013/04/|title=April 2013|website=Neath Rugby Supporters Club}} 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

{{reflist}}

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)

• [http://www.neathrfc.com Neath RFC – official site]
• [https://twitter.com/NeathRugby/ Neath RFC – official twitter account]
• [http://neathrugbysupporters.com/ Neath Rugby Supporters Club site.] NB the Supporters Club is independent of Neath RFC
• blackarmy.freeforums.org/ Neath Rugby Supporters Club forum (link won't work, so copy & paste URL into your browser)
• [https://twitter.com/neathsupporters/ Neath Rugby Supporters Club twitter account]
• [https://twitter.com/NRFC_Trust/ Neath Rugby Supporters Trust official twitter account]
• neathneathneath.freeforums.org/ An independent, unofficial Neath supporters forum (link won't work, so copy & paste URL into your browser)

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Category:Rugby union in Neath Port Talbot

Category:Rugby clubs established in 1871

Category:Rugby union teams in Wales

Category:Sport in Neath

Category:Ospreys (rugby union)

Category:1871 establishments in Wales

Category:United Rugby Championship teams