Pontypool is a town and the administrative centre of the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales. It has a population of 28,970.
Dragons RFC are one of the four professional rugby union regional teams in Wales. They are owned by the Welsh Rugby Union and play their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport and at other grounds around the region. They play in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup/European Rugby Challenge Cup. The region they represent covers an area of southeast Wales including Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen with a total population approaching 600,000 and they are affiliated with a number of semi-professional and amateur clubs throughout the area, including Pontypool RFC, Caerphilly RFC, Cross Keys RFC, Ebbw Vale RFC and Newport RFC.
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, shortly after which relocating to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since.
Pontypool Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in the town of Pontypool, which plays in the WRU Championship. 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.
Haydn Tanner was a Welsh international rugby union player who represented both Wales and the British and Irish Lions. At club level he played for several top-flight teams, including Bristol, Cardiff, Swansea, London Welsh and the Barbarians.
William Raymond "Ray" Cale was a Welsh dual-code international rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Wales, and at club level for Ebbw Vale RFC, Newbridge RFC and Pontypool RFC, as a flanker, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales, and at club level for St. Helens, as a second-row, or loose forward.
Garndiffaith is a village located in Torfaen, south east Wales. It is a small rural area situated between Talywain and Varteg, three miles north of the town of Pontypool and 3.5 miles south of the town of Blaenavon. The village is now part of the Abersychan suburb of Pontypool which also includes Cwmavon, Pentwyn, Talywain, Varteg, and Victoria Village.
Kenneth Jeffrey Jones OBE was a Welsh sprinter and record breaking Welsh international rugby union footballer. He played for both Wales and the British Isles. He is best known in Wales for his contribution to Welsh rugby, but most notably for his winning try against the All Blacks in 1953.
Robert Nicholas Jones is a Welsh rugby union coach and former player. He was capped 54 times for Wales during his career, at that time a record. He and Gareth Edwards, Rob Howley, Dwayne Peel and Mike Phillips are the only scrum halves to have achieved 50 caps or more for Wales.
Jeffrey Squire in Newport, Monmouthshire, is a former Welsh international rugby union player and British Lion.
Terence John Cobner is a former Welsh international rugby union player and British Lion. He was born in Blaenavon, Monmouthshire and lives in Pontypool.
Garndiffaith Rugby Football Club are a Welsh rugby union club based in Garndiffaith in South Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.
Tredegar Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in Tredegar. The club was founded in 1893 but at that time played under the name Tredegar Harriers. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.
David Brynmor Williams is a Welsh dual-code international rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for British Lions and Wales, at invitational level for Barbarian F.C., and at club level for Cardiff RFC, Newport RFC and Swansea RFC, as a Scrum-half, i.e. number 9, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales, and at club level for Cardiff City (Bridgend) Blue Dragons, as a scrum-half, i.e. number 7.
Talywain Rugby Football Club are a Welsh rugby union club based in Talywain near the town of Pontypool, Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.
Robert "Bobby" Lloyd was born on 1888 in Crickhowell, Wales. He was also known by the nickname of "The Hafodyrynys Wonder", was a Welsh rugby footballer who represented Wales in both rugby union and rugby league. He played union for Welsh clubs Pontypool and Monmouthshire County as a scrum half back, gaining selection for Wales, before moving to England to play league for Halifax, also in the halves, and gaining selection for Great Britain and Wales. He died on 18 January 1930 while in Halifax, England.
Harry Jarman was a Welsh international forward who played club rugby for Newport and Pontypool. He won four caps for Wales and also played for the British Isles in their 1910 tour of South Africa. In 1928 Jarman died when he threw himself in front of a runaway coal truck which was heading towards a group of playing children.
David Phillips Jones more commonly known as 'Ponty' Jones was a Welsh international rugby union wing player who played club rugby for several teams, most notably Pontypool and London Welsh. He won a single cap for Wales in 1907.
George Oliver was a Welsh dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1910s and 1920s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Wales, and at club level for Talywain RFC, Pill Harriers RFC and Pontypool RFC, as a lock, i.e. number 4 or 5, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales and Monmouthshire, and at club level for Hull F.C. and Pontypridd, as a prop, or hooker, i.e. number 8 or 10, or 9, during the era of contested scrums.
Colin Evans was a Welsh dual-code international rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Wales, and at club level for Blaenavon RFC, Tredegar RFC, Newport RFC and Pontypool RFC, as a scrum-half, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales and Rest of the World, and at club level for Leeds, York and Keighley (captain), as a scrum-half. and at club level was assistant coach at Keighley.
