Aberavon Quins RFC

Last updated

Aberavon Quins RFC
Full nameAberavon Harlequins Rugby Football Club
Nickname(s)The Mighty Quins
Founded1891
Location Port Talbot, Wales
Ground(s)Harlequin Road (Capacity: 2,000)
ChairmanMark Gregory
PresidentKen Morgan
Coach(es) Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Mark Jones
Captain(s) Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Dale Bowen
League(s)WRU Division 2 West Central
2022-20234th
Kit left arm redborder.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body blackhoops.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm redborder.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks long.svg
Team kit
Official website
www.aberavonquins.com

Aberavon Harlequins RFC (nicknamed "The Mighty Quins") is a Welsh rugby union team located in the Fairfield area of Port Talbot, a few minutes away from the town centre and Aberavon. In 1955, the team gained membership of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU). Today the club is a feeder club for the Ospreys. Aberavon Harlequins RFC have produced many international players over the years, most notably Welsh internationals Richard Hibbard, James Hook. Wales 7's international Jacob Flynn and Welsh international rugby league superstar Regan Grace [1]

Contents

History

The club was founded in 1891, and they become known as the Aberavon Excel, playing in an all-white strip. [2] After the First World War in 1918, the Excels formed the Aberavon Harlequins R.F.C., which it has been known as since. They played on a waste site at what is now the Sandfields Estate, later renamed the Harlequins Field. [2] In 1932-33, the club was reformed by Dick Lody, Dill Stanford, Don Mainwaring and H.Williams, and the club grew until the start of Second World War.

In 1951, the club received a boost when the former Maesteg RFC, Wales and British Lions scrum half Trevor Lloyd returned to Aberavon Harlequins, his original club. [2] The 1955/56 season was the best playing record in the Quins' history, playing over thirty matches and losing only once. [2]

At the start of the 21st century, in an attempt to modernise the governing body of Welsh rugby union and to bring Wales fully into the professional era, it was decided to restructure the Welsh leagues and to source new sponsorship revenue for them. Teams would be allocated a division depending on their recent season's order of merit and their geographical location. In the 2001/02 season, the Quins were placed in Lloyds TSB Division Two West, along with their local rivals Corus (Port Talbot) RFC.

The 2008/2009 season saw the Quins complete the “Double” winning the tightly contested WRU Division Three South West league and also winning the illustrious Glamorgan County Silver Ball Trophy by beating Llantwit Fardre RFC 17-3, making it the second “Silver Ball” title for the Quins after previously winning it in 1982.

Current squad

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

PlayerPositionUnion
Dan Helson Prop Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Jon Bamsey Prop Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Mike Burgess Prop Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Joshua Pugh Prop Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Thomas Morley Prop Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Tyler Hopkins Hooker Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Nathan Robins Hooker Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Jack Davies Lock Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Callum Beynon Lock Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Dale Bowen(c) Lock Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Matthew Washbourne Lock Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Jake Price Flanker Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Dylan Mclachlan Flanker Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Drew Kinsey Flanker Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
James Lewis Flanker Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Jonathan Evans Flanker Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Aled Cockwell Number 8 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Connor O'Callaghan Centre Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
PlayerPositionUnion
Rhys Edmunds Scrum-half Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Ryan Pugh Fly-half Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Morgan Kennerly Centre Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Jack Dacey Centre Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Lewis Cronin Centre Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Rory Hinchliffe Wing Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Macauley Ley Wing Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Elliot Graham Wing Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Kieran Brennan Wing Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Keanu Piles Wing Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales
Nanthawat Naonan Wing Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales


Honours

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aberavon</span> Human settlement in Wales

Aberavon is a town and community 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. Aberavon is also the name of the nearby Blue Flag beach and the parish covering the same area.

The Welsh Premier Division, known for sponsorship reasons as the Indigo Group Premiership, is a rugby union league in Wales first implemented by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) for the 1990–91 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maesteg RFC</span> Rugby team

Maesteg Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the town of Maesteg, South Wales. The club currently play in the Division 3B west Central Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Ospreys.

Aberavon RFC is a rugby union club located in the Welsh town of Port Talbot, though the club's name refers to the older settlement of Aberavon which lies on the western side of the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pontypool RFC</span> Welsh rugby union club, based in Pontypool

Pontypool Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in the town of Pontypool, which plays in the WRU Premiership. Since the regionalisation of Welsh rugby in 2003, Pontypool RFC is now a feeder club to the Dragons regional team. Pontypool play their home matches at Pontypool Park. Their traditional home kit is a red, white and black-hooped shirt and socks with white shorts, although they did gradually shift to wearing black shorts post-2003.

Rugby is played in Cardiff in both rugby league and rugby union forms.

Merthyr RFC is a Welsh rugby union club based in Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales. Merthyr RFC are members of the Welsh Rugby Union, playing in the Principality Premiership, and are a feeder club for Cardiff Rugby.

Resolven Rugby Football Club are a Welsh rugby union club based in Resolven in Wales and are a feeder club for the Ospreys.

Penallta Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in Ystrad Mynach in the county borough of Caerphilly. Penallta RFC is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.

The Welsh Rugby Union Division Three South West is a rugby union league in Wales.

Penygraig Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in Penygraig, Wales. Penygraig RFC formed in 1877, one of the earlier rugby clubs to emerge, and by the 1890s were a strong voice in the Welsh Rugby Union, one of four clubs from the Rhondda Valley that held WRU representation.

The Welsh Rugby Union Division Four West is a rugby union league in Wales first implemented for the 1995/96 season.

Maesteg Harlequins RFC is a rugby union team from the town of Maesteg, Wales. The Maesteg Harlequins were founded in 1899, their first captain being Tom Hopkins. They have reformed under different guises but for the majority of their 113 years they have been known as Maesteg Harlequins. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union having been made full members in 1987.

The Welsh Rugby Union Division Four South West is a rugby union league in Wales first implemented for the 1995/96 season.

Tonmawr are a Welsh rugby union club based in Tonmawr, Neath Port Talbot in South Wales. Tonmawr are a feeder club to the Ospreys regional team. Tonmawr have a tradition of producing players who go onto represent the Ospreys region - these players include current Scotland defence coachSteve Tandy, winger Kristian Phillips, Wales international centre Ashley Beck and Wales 7's International Stef Andrews.

Cwmgwrach Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in Cwmgwrach, Swansea, Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Ospreys.

Taibach Rugby Football Club are a Welsh rugby union club based in Taibach of Port Talbot in Wales, UK. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is also a feeder club for the Ospreys.

Aberavon Green Stars Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in Aberavon, Wales, UK. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Ospreys. The club was formed by an Irish community and to this day the team keeps a visible and purposeful connection to their Irish roots, seen in the club's name, club house, badge and nickname, The Fighting Irish.

Trevor Lloyd was a Wales international rugby union player.

The Welsh Rugby Union League 2 West is a rugby union league in Wales.

References

  1. "Wales' regional rugby map". BBC News. BBC. 8 July 2004. Retrieved 4 June 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "History". Thequinsrfc.com. Retrieved 14 April 2014.