| Full name | Penarth Rugby Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Penarth, Wales | |
| Ground(s) | Athletic Field | |
| President | John Davey | |
| Coach(es) | Matt Bolton paul Williams | |
| Captain(s) | Miles Jones With Spencer Robinson vc | |
| League(s) | WRU Division Two East Central | |
| 2023-24 | Wru league 2 east central | |
| ||
| Official website | ||
| www | ||
Penarth Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club based since 1924 at The Athletic Field, Lavernock Road, in Penarth, in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales.
Penarth RFC was founded in 1879 by Cyril and Llewellyn Batchelor, sons of Cardiff politician John Batchelor, first named the Batchelor XV. There was another mention of a Penarth team playing in 1877 [1] and again with the formation of a Penarth team in 1880. [2] [3] It joined with Penarth Dreadnoughts in 1882 and became Penarth Football Club. The team were nicknamed the "Donkey Island Butcher Boys" or the "Seasiders". Early games were played on a field which is now occupied by Penarth's All Saints Church. [4]
In 1891 the pitch was relocated to land owned by the Earl of Plymouth on Stanwell Road. This was used to grow vegetables during the 1914-18 Great War. Seventeen Penarth RFC players were killed during the war and are commemorated by the Memorial Stand above the clubhouse's Long Room. [4]
The club subsequently moved to a field on Lavernock Road owned by Fred Davies of Morristown. Finally the team moved to a permanent home at the Athletics Field, again provided by the Earl of Plymouth for the town's rugby, cricket and hockey teams. [4]
A number of Penarth RFC players have achieved international caps for Wales and the British Lions, between the late 1880s and the early 1960s. These included Richard Garrett (1888 – 1892), George Rowles (1892) and John M C Dyke (1906). Brothers Len and John Dyke were toured New Zealand with the 1908 Anglo-Welsh team, joined by former Penarth captain Reggie Gibbs. [4]
Tommy Garrett and Tommy Crossman played a school-boy international for Wales against England in 1909. Other Penarth players gaining Welsh international caps were Mel Rosser (1924), Jack Bassett (1929–1932), Gomer Hughes (1934) and Frank Trott (1939-1945). Jack Bassett also played all five test matches with the British Lions in 1930. He also played for the Barbarians and captained the Wales team on nine occasions. Elwyn Jones played for the Barbarians against the 1963 All Blacks. [4]
The club traditionally hosted the Barbarians Football Club each year from 1901, for their annual Good Friday fixture. Over the next 75 meetings, Penarth won eleven games, drew four and lost 60. The final Penarth v Barbarians game took place in 1986, though a special centenary commemorative game took place in 2001 before the Barbarians played Wales at the Millennium Stadium. A plaque at the clubhouse marks the event. [4]
Jack Bassett (15 caps) [5] 
James Bridie John Dyke, Wales and British Lions Dickie Garrett (8 caps) Reggie Gibbs (16 caps) Gomer Hughes Iorwerth 'Iorrie' Isaacs Leslie "Les" Manfield Austin Matthews Jamie Ringer Mel Rosser George Rowles Ralph Sweet-Escott 
Hemi Taylor LS Thomas 1908 British Lions Chris Thorne Allan Martin, Wales, Barbarians and British Lions Les Keen, Wales
Rudolf Straeuli, Springboks player and coach |
The club celebrated its 125th anniversary during the 2004-05 season. During the course of the year a number of special games were played, including fixtures against the Glamorgan County, Welsh Academicals, and Coal Island Éire sides.
Former Penarth Youth RFC player Jamie Ringer took part in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, as part of the Wales national rugby sevens team. Also that year former Wales rugby Captain Hemi Taylor, a playing member of Penarth RFC senior team, presented the club's highly successful youth section with a cheque for £1,500 on behalf of the ‘Bears Golf Society'. Originally the Bears, who formed in 1982, raised money only for the senior Penarth team. After a hard and concerted campaign in 2006-07, Penarth RFC won promotion to the Welsh National League Division 3 South-East by finishing runner-up in Division 4 South-East.
After the 2009-2010 season the team gained promotion to Division 2 East. The club currently play in Division 3 East Central A of the WRU Leagues.
Penarth are coached by Matthew Bolton and Tristan Davies. The Club Captain for the 2018/19 season is D. Rhys Morgan with Chris Mortimer and Alan Doyle being vice captains.
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.
The Barbarian Football Club, known as the Barbarians, is a British-based invitational rugby union club. The Barbarians play in black and white hoops, though players wear socks from their own club strip. Membership is by invitation. As of 2011, players from 31 countries had played for them. Traditionally at least one uncapped player is selected for each match.
Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded on 30 March 1872.
Robert Leonard "Bob" Norster is a former Welsh international rugby union player. He was selected for the 1983 British Lions tour to New Zealand and the 1989 British Lions tour to Australia.
Allan Jeffery Martin is a former Aberavon RFC and Welsh international rugby union player. He was noted for his long-distance goal-kicking and specialist line-out forward.
Thomas Patrick David is a Welsh former dual-code international rugby union and rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. He played representative rugby union (RU) for Wales and the British Lions and rugby league (RL) for Wales. He was selected for the 1974 British Lions tour to South Africa, and at the time played club rugby for Llanelli RFC. He also played for his home-town club Pontypridd RFC, and while at the club was part of the 1976 Grand Slam winning Wales team. In 1981 he switched codes to rugby league, representing Cardiff City Blue Dragons.
Bangor Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in Bangor, North Wales. Bangor RFC is a founding member of the Welsh Rugby Union. The club fields a Seniors, Youth, Juniors and Ladies teams.
Blaenavon Rugby Football Club are a Welsh rugby union club based in the town of Blaenavon, South Wales. Blaenavon RFC is one of the older members of the Welsh Rugby Union founded in 1877 in the Iron and coal town of Blaenavon and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.
Reg Plummer was a Welsh international, rugby union wing who played club rugby for Newport and invitational rugby with both the Barbarians and Crawshays RFC. He won five caps for Wales and was selected for the British Lions 1910 tour of South Africa, though he did not play in any of the test games.
Jack Bassett was a Welsh international rugby union full back who played club rugby for Penarth. He won 15 caps for Wales and was selected for the 1930 British Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand. He captained the Welsh team on nine occasions.
Kenfig Hill Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the village of Kenfig Hill, South Wales. Kenfig Hill RFC presently play in the Welsh Rugby Union Division one west. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Ospreys. The club fields a First, Seconds, Youth and Junior teams.
Thomas Ellis Jones-Davies was a Welsh physician and international rugby union centre.
George Albert Rowles was a Welsh rugby union international halfback who played club rugby for Penarth RFC|Penarth and Cardiff. He won a single cap for Wales national rugby union team|Wales during the 1892 Home Nations Championship. He was the second player to represent Wales while playing club rugby for Penarth, after Dickie Garrett.
John Charles Meredith Dyke is a former Wales international rugby union fullback. Dyke made his debut for Wales on 1 December 1906 versus South Africa and was selected for the 1908 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia. He played club rugby for Penarth and London Welsh.
Melville "Mel" Aaron Rosser sometimes recorded as Melvin and Melvyn was a Welsh international rugby centre who played rugby union for Penarth and Cardiff and later turned to professional rugby league joining first Leeds, then Castleford, and then York. Rosser played international rugby for Wales under both union and league codes, and toured Australia with the Great Britain rugby league team in 1928.
Gomer Hughes was a Welsh dual-code international rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Wales and Wales XV, and at club level for Tonmawr RFC and Penarth RFC, as a lock, i.e. number 4 or 5, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales, and at club level for Swinton, as a prop, or second-row.
William Joseph Jenkins was a Welsh international forward who played club rugby for Canton RFC and Cardiff. He won four caps for Wales ending on the losing side just once.
Anthony O'Connor was a Welsh rugby union player who played in the scrum-half position. O'Connor played club rugby with Aberavon RFC, was capped five times for Wales, and was a member of the British Lions team that toured in 1962. He also represented Oxford University RFC, playing in the 1958 Varsity Match.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
