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.
Barry John is a former Welsh rugby union fly-half who played, during the amateur era of the sport, in the 1960s, and early 1970s. John began his rugby career as a schoolboy playing for his local team Cefneithin RFC before switching to first-class west Wales team Llanelli RFC in 1964. It was while at Llanelli that John was first selected for the Wales national team, a shock selection as a replacement for David Watkins to face a touring Australian 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.
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.
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.
Malcolm Campbell Thomas was a Welsh and British Lions international rugby union player. A centre, he played club rugby for Newport. He won 27 caps for Wales and was selected to play in the British Lions on two tours of Australia and New Zealand.
Major Thomas Henry Vile MBE was a Welsh international rugby union player. He played club rugby predominantly for Newport, captaining the side twice and played county rugby for Monmouthshire. He also represented the British Isles in Australia, and after retiring from playing became an international referee. He fought in both World Wars, became a president of the Welsh Rugby Union, was a Justice of the Peace, businessman and High Sheriff of Monmouthshire.
Jeremiah Shea was a Welsh international dual-code rugby centre who played club rugby for Newport and Pill Harriers under the rugby union code and later represented Wigan as a professional rugby league footballer. Shea was an all round athlete, and was an accomplished swimmer and professional boxer. He is best known as being the first rugby union player to achieve the Full House of scoring in an international match.
Glyn Davidge was a Welsh international flanker who played club rugby for Tredegar and Newport. He was awarded nine caps for Wales and toured with Arthur Smith's 1962 British Lions squad.
Haydn Morgan was a Welsh international flanker who played club rugby for Abertillery and Bicester Rugby Union Football Club. He was awarded twenty-seven caps for Wales and toured with Ronnie Dawson's 1959 and Arthur Smith's 1962 British Lions squads. Although a reliable and dynamic player with a heavy, but clean tackle, Morgan suffered at the hands of the selectors often dropped for players who never showed any international longevity.
Vince Griffiths was a Welsh rugby union player who represented Wales and the British Lions. Griffiths played club rugby for Newport and captained the team in the 1928/29 season.
John Faull was a Welsh international number 8 who played club rugby for Swansea. He won twelve caps for Wales and was selected to play in the British Lions on the 1959 tour of Australia and New Zealand. His father, Wilfred Faull, was an international rugby referee and was president of the Welsh Rugby Union in the 1960s.
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.
Eddie Watkins was a Welsh dual-code international rugby player who played club rugby under the union code for Cardiff, and later professional league rugby with Wigan. As a union player Watkins was part of the 1939 team which won the Home Nations Championship, and was more famously a member of the Welsh side that beat the touring All Blacks in 1935. In 1939 he joined Wigan and played in three internationals during the war years for Wales league side against England.
John Mantle was a Welsh dual-code international rugby player. He was capped for Wales at rugby union, and Great Britain and Wales in rugby league.
Thomas Raymond Prosser was a Welsh international rugby union prop who played club rugby for Pontypool and was capped 22 times for Wales. Prosser also represented the British Lions in their 1959 tour of Australia and New Zealand, and played invitational rugby for the Barbarians. He is often remembered more for his coaching of an extremely successful Pontypool side during the 1970s and 1980s.
James 'Tuan' Jones was a Welsh international rugby union utility player who played club rugby for several teams, most notably Pontypool and Guy's Hospital. He only won a single cap for Wales, but was selected for the 1908 Anglo-Welsh tour to Australia and New Zealand.
Henry Thomas Day was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Newport and Cardiff. Day was awarded five caps for Wales, and was most notable for being part of the 1893 Welsh Triple Crown winning team. A carpenter by trade, he was also the uncle of Harry Phillips, who was also a Newport player who represented Wales.
William Llewellyn Morgan was a Welsh international rugby union halfback who played club rugby for Cardiff. Morgan played international rugby for Wales and in 1908 was selected to join Arthur Harding's Anglo-Welsh tour of New Zealand and Australia.
