Full name | Machen Rugby Football Club | |
---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | The Quarry Men | |
Founded | 1871 | |
Location | Machen, Wales | |
Ground(s) | The Welfare Ground (Capacity: 4000 All Standing) | |
Chairman | Paul Crowley | |
League(s) | League 3 East A | |
2017-8 | 7th [1] | |
| ||
Official website | ||
machen |
Machen Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club based in Machen, near the city of Newport. Machen RFC is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Dragons. [2]
Rugby football was played in Machen from the early 1870s, but Machen RFC can be placed as playing as a club from the early 1880s. One of the club's earliest and most notable players was Frank Purdon, who would later go on to play from Newport and Wales.
The club also has two notable local rivalries with Risca and Bedwas.
Newport Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club based in the city of Newport, Wales. They presently play in the Welsh Premier Division. Until 2021 Newport RFC were based at Rodney Parade situated on the east bank of the River Usk.
David Watkins was a Welsh dual-code rugby international, having played both rugby union and rugby league football for both codes' national teams between 1963 and 1974. He captained the British and Irish Lions rugby union side, and made six appearances for the Great Britain rugby league team. With the Wales national rugby league team he played in every match of the 1975 World Cup, and with English club Salford he played more than 400 games over 12 seasons.
Arthur Joseph "Monkey" Gould was a Welsh international rugby union centre and fullback who was most associated as a club player with Newport Rugby Football Club. He won 27 caps for Wales, 18 as captain, and critics consider him the first superstar of Welsh rugby. A talented all-round player and champion sprinter, Gould could side-step and kick expertly with either foot. He never ceased practising to develop his fitness and skills, and on his death was described as "the most accomplished player of his generation".
The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in the country of Wales, recognised by the sport's international governing body, World Rugby.
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. 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.
Neath Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club which plays in the Indigo Premiership for Season 2023/24. The club's home ground is The Gnoll, Neath. The team is known as the All Blacks because of the team colours: black with only a white cross pattée as an emblem. Neath RFC is the oldest rugby club in Wales, having been formed in 1871. They are feeder club to the Ospreys regional team.
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.
Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premiership. The club play at St Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea and are also known as The Whites, in reference to their home kit colours.
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.
Abertillery Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club based in Abertillery. According to their website, they were founded in 1883 by a coal miner named Doug Wallace who was a local resident who moved from Scotland in 1882, Wallace was known for his commitment for the club until he died in 1899 and will be remembered as a special part of the club even to do this day. Every year the club celebrates Wallace's life by competing in a cross country race with 100s of the locals competing in the last 10 years Mr Phelps has won the race 10 times and is now the all-time leading winner in the competition, in one year he run the race twice before anyone had cross the line for the first time.
Rodney Parade is a stadium in the city of Newport, South Wales. It is located on the east bank of the River Usk in Newport city centre. The ground is on Rodney Road, a short walk from the city's central bus and railway stations via Newport Bridge or Newport City footbridge. There is no spectator car park at the ground but a number of multi-storey car parks are nearby.
Rhymney Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club based in Rhymney in Wales. The senior team presently plays in the Welsh Rugby Union Division Two East league. Rhymney is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.
New Tredegar Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club team based in New Tredegar. Today, New Tredegar RFC plays in the Welsh Rugby Union, Division Four East League and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons. At present the club runs two senior sides and a youth side.
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.
St Peters Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the district of Roath, in Cardiff, South Wales. The club plays their home games at the Harlequins Playing Field, located off Newport Road. It is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union, and is a feeder club for the Cardiff Blues.
Frank Thomas Purdon was an Irish-born rugby union forward who played club rugby for Newport and Swansea. Purdon was capped four times for Wales including the first Wales international, against England in 1881.
George Frederick Harding JP was an English-born international rugby union player who played club rugby for Newport and international rugby for Wales. Harding was a member of the very first Wales international team that faced England in 1881.
Welsh regional rugby is the top tier of professional Welsh club rugby and is composed of the Scarlets, Ospreys, Cardiff Rugby and the Dragons which compete in the United Rugby Championship.
Gordon Pritchard is a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s, and coached rugby union in the 1990s and 2000s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Cardiff RFC, and Newport RFC, as a wing, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales, and at club level for Leeds, Bradford Northern, Barrow, Huddersfield, Eastern Suburbs, and Cardiff City (Bridgend) Blue Dragons, as a fullback, i.e. number 1, and coached club level rugby union (RU) for Tondu RFC, Caerphilly RFC, .Senghenydd RFC and Machen RFC
Douglas Ralph Morgan was a Welsh rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Machen RFC, Cross Keys RFC, Newport Police RFC and Newport RFC, as a fullback, i.e. number 15, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales, and at club level for Swinton and Leeds, as a fullback, i.e. number 1.