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Pontypridd Rfc | Pontypridd RFC | | | | Team Colours | | Home | Away | | | | Pontypridd Rugby Football Club aree a Rugby Union team from Wales, playing in the Welsh Premier League. Club History Pontypridd Rugby Football Club was formed in 1876, and was sufficiently well established by March 1880 to be one of nine clubs that met at the Tenby Hotel, Swansea, to discuss the formation of a national union. One of its players, a nineteen-year-old year old medical student called Edward Llewellyn Treharne, played in the first international match between a Welsh XV and England at Blackheath on 19th February 1881. In 1886-87 the headquarters of the club was the Maltsers Arms, near the old bridge that figures in the club's badge, and it played its home matches at the Ynysangharad and Trallwn Fields. In 1890-91 the club moved to a field alongside the River Taff at Treforest, and began the development of the famous Taff Vale Park. The final Welsh trial was held there in December 1892 "to encourage the rising valley club." The club then moved to the People's Park in Mill Street in 1901, and it stayed there for three seasons. Then, on 1st October 1904, it played Caerphilly in the first game on a new pitch at Ynysangharad fields. Although the club later returned to Taff Vale Park for a short time, it was back at Ynysangharad by 1908 and stayed there for 66 years. Many important figures emerged in the early years of the club's existence. Tom Williams was the club's second international, playing against Ireland at Lansdowne Road on 28th January 1882. He served on the WRU committee as a vice-president and selector, and was a representative on the International Board from 1901 to 1908. Ack Llewellyn also became an important figure in the Welsh game, as a referee and adminstrator. Ernest George was Pontypridd's third international player, appearing forward in three matches against Ireland and Scotland in 1895 and against England in 1896. Duncan McGregor was captain of the Pontypridd side in 1906-07, and was selected in all Scotland's international matches in 1907, when they won the Triple Crown. When it restarted after The Great War in the 1919-20 season Pontypridd had "no ground, no kit and not a penny to their name," but a small group of 'rugby fanatics' worked hard to get things going again. At this time the name of the club was briefly changed to Pontypridd United Football Club, but had reverted back to Pontypridd Rugby Football Club by 1921. Although Pontypridd played many games against the top Welsh clubs between the wars, much of the fixture list was composed of 'junior' clubs. The man chiefly responsible for steering Pontypridd through these difficult years was D.G. ('Dai') Williams, who was Chairman of the club for over 30 years. He became a member of the WRU committee, and was one of the 'Big Five' selectors for several years. When games resumed after the Second World War, Pontypridd battled to maintain 'first class' status. There was also a constant battle with the local authorites to improve the facilities at Ynysangharad Park. The teams changed in the swimming baths, over two hundred yards from the field, and there was no proper terracing or grandstand. Many Pontypridd players, then as now, came from the local schools out of the Pontypridd Youth XV (formed in 1954). The first 'superstar' after the war was Glyn Davies, who typified the 'Welsh' style of outside-half. He played in the two Victory Internationals in 1946 when he was still a schoolboy, and then got eleven caps between 1947 and 1951. Glyn was followed into the Welsh team by Russell Robins, who got the first of his thirteen caps against Scotland in 1953, and also played in four tests for the British and Irish Lions in South Africa in 1955. Russell was capped at No. 8 and lock, and was regarded as a World class back row forward at the time. He played in more games than any other player on the British Lions tour to South Africa in the summer of 1955, and was selected for all four tests. The third international after the war was Danny Harris, who appeared for the club between 1955 and 1960. Then Gareth Payne was capped in the second row against England, Scotland and Ireland in 1960. There were also a couple of international 'near misses' in this period, with the closest being Maurice Braithwaite, who figured in all three Welsh trials in the 1961-62 season and was selected as a reserve against France. For many years the unofficial headquarters of the club was the Greyhound Inn, but in the 1960-61 season it opened a new clubhouse, Park View, near the northern entrance to Ynysangharad Park. This was the first time that the club had a home of its own, and it would remain its headquarters until May 1971. Although often regarded as an 'unfashionable' team in the fifties and sixties, Pontypridd regularly figured in the top ten of the unofficial championship, and won the competition for the first time in the 1962-63 season under skipper Eddie Jones in 1962-63. The new A470 trunk road from Cardiff to Merthyr Tydfil meant that Pontypridd would have to move from its clubhouse and pitch. A new ground was developed at Pwllgwaun, in the area known as 'Dan's Muck Hole,' after the colliery which used to be sited there. The game against Cross Keys on 28th April 1971 was supposed to be the last to be played at the Park, but the new pitch was not yet ready. However, it was found to be possible to fit a minimum size playing area into what was left the old pitch. So the club soldiered on, playing most of its games at the Park, a few at at Taff Vale Park, and some on grounds 'borrowed' from other local clubs. The new clubhouse at Pwllgwaun was opened on 18th January 1974, but it was not until 4th September 1974 that the club played Maesteg in the first game on their new pitch, soon to be known to all of the rugby world simply as 'Sardis Road.' For the first half of the season the club had to operate with temporary dressing rooms, and without a grandstand or floodlights. The grandstand became available in February 1975, the dressing rooms in mid-March, and the floodlights on 14th March in a game against Ruthin. There was a major change in the structure of Welsh rugby in the 1971-72 season, with the inauguration of the Welsh Cup. Pontypridd rarely did well in this competion, but did make it to the semi-final against Aberavon in the 1974-75 season. Tommy David - the third Pontypridd 'superstar' after the war - made the first of his 404 appearances for the club on 1st September 1967, against Whitland. Although we loaned him to Llanelli for a couple of seasons so that they could beat the All Blacks, he was back at Pontypridd and in the Welsh team for the Centenary season in 1975-76. The 1975-81 period in the Club's history was a golden era. Pontypridd won the Western Mail championship three times in six seasons, came third once and fourth twice. The club won the Merit Table competition once, came second twice, and fourth twice. The club also got to the final of the W.R.U. Cup for the first time in 1978-79, losing an exciting game to Bridgend. In six seasons the team played 326 games, winning 263 of them and drawing seven, a success rate of 85 per cent! For some time we at Pontypridd have got used to the tag of having the best supporters in Welsh rugby, and evidence of this was starting to surface in press reports. In the 1974-75 season, against Aberavon in the Cup semi-final, the reports talked about Pontypridd's "army of supporters." The following season, in his Western Mail report on the game against Bridgend in April, J.B.G. Thomas wrote that "the large crowd kept up an ear-splitting chant of 'Ponty, Ponty, Ponty' in support of their side." The Australian touring team played at Sardis Road in December 1981, and Pontypridd narrowly lost a titanic struggle by three points to six. Bob Penberthy finally made the last of his 877 appearances on 11th December 1985 in the game against Ystrad. Bob had played his last full season in 1981-82, but continued to turn out for the first XV and the Athletic when required. He represents the spirit of Pontypridd better than anyone else who has ever worn the black-and-white jersey. The decision was made in 1988 to set up a league system in Welsh club rugby, to start in 1990-91 season. The eighteen 'first class' clubs would be divided up into two divisions on the basis of their performance in the three seasons from 1987 to 1990. Fortunately Pontypridd had the players and coaches to get into the top flight. The main architect of the success was coach Clive Jones, who brought with him a philosophy of rugby based on fitness, self-belief, and a fast rucking game. Two players who would make the greatest impact on Pontypridd rugby over the next decade made their first appearances in the 1989-90 season. Dale 'The Chief' McIntosh made his first appearance against South Wales Police on 11th November 1989, and Neil Jenkins came in on 14th April 1990, also against the Police. The nineties was the most successful period for the club since the 1970s, and given the intensity of competition at this time, it is fair to say that this 'golden age' was even brighter than the first. Furthermore, it would last for longer, see a host of Pontypridd players capped, see Pontypridd playing in a European competition, and see the rise of Neil Jenkins to world-class status. In this ten year period the club won the league in 1996-97, came second once, third three times, fourth twice and fifth twice. The success was due to the quality of its players, most of whom came through the club's own development programme or were plucked from local junior clubs. But there is also no doubt that a change in the coaching set up which occurred in January 1992 played a major part in bringing about the new 'golden age'. Dennis John, former player and captain, took over as coach. Ponty got to the cup final in 1995-96, where the opponents were the League leaders, Neath. It turned out to be one of the best finals ever. Captain Nigel Bezani had announced his retirement at the end of the season, and so he had something special to play for. Pontypridd won by 29-22, and there was a pot on the Pontypridd mantlepiece at last! On the international scene, Jonathan Mason was called up for Wales' tour to New Zealand in 1988, and won his first and only cap when he came on as a replacement at Auckland on 11th June 1988. This was the first international honour gained by the club for 12 years, and signalled a gradual change in our fortunes in this respect. Paul Knight won his first cap in 1990, and Neil Jenkins in 1991. Neil Jenkins had only played 16 games of senior rugby when he first played for Wales against England on 19th January 1991, and then went on to be selected for all of the Five Nations matches that year. His international career continued in the 1991-92 season, and we saw the beginnings of a scurrilous media campaign against him. It is difficult now, given what we know about his career, to believe that some commentators who were supposed to know something about rugby could write him off at 21 years of age. Pontypridd played the South African national side on 22nd November 1994, and by lost by three penalties to one penalty. Pontypridd also travelled to South Africa to play Northern Transvaal at the Loftus Versfeld stadium on 22nd March 1995, to mark the opening of the new floodlights in preparation for the World Cup. Although we lost, we were not disgraced, and it was a great honour for the club to be asked to play such a game. The first European club competition took place in the 1995-96 season. Twelve clubs from France, Ireland, Italy and Wales took part, with Pontypridd playing Milan at home and Leinster away. Pontypridd beat Milan to become the first Welsh team to record a win in the tournament, but lost by a single point at Lansdowne Road. Local company Just Rentals became the club sponsors in the 1991-92 season, and would play a major role in the history of Pontypridd until the advent of regional rugby in 2003-04. Managing Director Bernard Jones was a Rhondda man who believed in putting something back into the valleys, and as part of their sponsorship they employed Neil Jenkins and Dale McIntosh in the company. Without their involvement it would have been very difficult for Pontypridd to have stayed at the top. As the Dennis John era came to an end in the summer of 1999, there were good times for the club in the last years of his reign. As well as the cup win in 1996, we won the championship in 1997, the first for the club since 1978-79. In the European Cup, Ponty gained qualification to the prestigious tournament for its first six seasons, the only club side to do so. There were momentous wins over the likes of Bath, Leicester and Munster, and there was also the 'Battle of Brive.' All in all, a record to be proud of. During the nineties a host of Pontypridd players gained caps for Wales. As well as Paul Knight and Neil Jenkins, there were caps for Richie Collins, Paul John, Greg Prosser, Martyn Williams, Dale McIntosh, Mark Rowley, Kevin Morgan, Gareth Wyatt, Dafydd James, Mike Griffiths, Geraint Lewis and Ian Gough. In the new Millennium, caps followed for Michael Owen, Richard Parks, Robert Sidoli, Mefin Davies, Gethin Jenkins, Sonny Parker, Jonny Bryant and Ceri Sweeney. Finally, against Romania on 1st November 2002, Neil Jenkins made the last of his 87 appearances for his country. Along the way he had scored 1,049 points, made up of 11 tries, 130 conversions, 235 penalties and 10 dropped goals. When you realise that Wales only scored 2,125 points in those 87 matches, his contribution is put into a different perspective. Jenks scored almost half Wales' points, and was on the losing side in 41 of those 87 games. Imagine what he might have done playing for England or Australia over that period! Jenks also toured twice with the British Lions. The first time was to South Africa in 1997, when he played in all three tests as a full back. As the Rothmans Rugby Yearbook said "the goal-kicking of Neil Jenkins, so assured, so composed, was a vital ingredient in the Lions success." Jenks scored 41 of the Lions 59 points (1 conversion and 13 penalties) to add to his international tally. Jenks came back to Pontypridd in 2002-03, following a spell with Cardiff, and good European runs in the Parker Pen Cup and another Welsh Cup victory at least meant that the professional era at Pontypridd ended on a high note. In February 2003, with Pontypridd preparing to meet London Wasps in the Parker Pen Cup, Eurorugby published its rankings of Europe's top rugby clubs. Pontypridd were placed 11th in the table, after Gloucester, Munster, Toulouse, Agen, Leicester, Biarritz, Leinster, Wasps, Ulster and Northampton. The eight other Welsh clubs in Europe were placed as follows: Llanelli 12th, Neath 19th, Bridgend 24th, Newport 28th, Cardiff 34th, Swansea 37th, Ebbw Vale 40th and Caerphilly 50th. Now, one of the best clubs in Wales was to be sacrificed in the move to regional rugby. Five regional sides were formed for the 2003-04 season, and Pontypridd merged with Bridgend, to form the "Celtic Warriors," which took on board a host of top Ponty players, including all its international representatives. This new fully professional outfit would now carry the valleys flag into the European Cup and Celtic League. Thus, in the 2003-04 season the Pontypridd club was now placed in the new semi-professional Welsh Premier Division, with the focus on developing young players for the regional set-up. The squad included such quality players as Matthew Nuthall, Mark Lewis, Richard Fussell, Lee Thomas, Geraint Morris, Ian Evans, Johnathan Edwards and Duane Goodfield, all of whom gained international honours at youth and Under 21 level. The young players at first struggled against established teams like Carmarthen and Cross Keys, sides which contained many older, experienced club players. This was not the only problem the club had to face as the season got underway. At a meeting of the shareholders on Sunday, 21st of September 2003 the directors announced that Pontypridd Rugby Football Club PLC was insolvent, and that administrators were to be called in. Short of a white knight riding over the horizon with a fairy godmother sitting on his knee, this was the only course of action available. A new company - Ponty Rugby Limited - was to be formed, and in subsequent elections a new board was elected to run the club. Eventually, under the new management and under coaches Justin Burnell and Steele Lewis, things got back on an even keel. Helped by a few 'old heads' of our own, the team started to win more and more games. Dale McIntosh proved an inspiring leader, and helped by experienced players like Jason Lewis and Paul John, we achieved an excellent 3rd place in the new league. New young stars emerged in the shape of Dai Flanagan, Tom Riley, Chris Martenko and Rhys Shellard. As the season came to an end it was announced that, despite a successful campaign, the Celtic Warriors were being axed by the WRU. Now there would only be four regional teams, and Pontypridd were now to be linked to the Cardiff Blues. As the 2004-05 begins, and despite the trauma of the last year or so, enthusiasm and eager anticipation is again the mood at Sardis Road.
Pontypridd RFC is well served on the internet by it's excellent, and informative website: Rygbi Pontypridd Rugby Home Ground Pontypridd RFC play their home games at Sardis Road, Pontypridd, South Wales. Directions by Road From the M4: Take Junction 32 onto the A470 following the signs for Merthyr Tydfil. Take the exit signposted Pontypridd and Ynysybwl and follow the road around to the left. At the traffic lights, head right towards the Rhondda Valleys. After passing Pontypridd Train Station on your left, the road veers around to the left under a bridge, take the first left at the traffic lights, and Pontypridd Rugby Football Club is on your right. From North Wales: Follow the A470 for Cardiff, and take the exit signposted Pontypridd and Ynysybwl. At the roundabout take the third exit heading back towards the A470, at the next roundabout, take the second exit for Pontypridd and the Rhondda Valleys. At the traffic lights, head right towards the Rhondda Valleys. After passing Pontypridd Train Station on your left, the road veers around to the left under a bridge, take the first left at the traffic lights, and Pontypridd Rugby Football Club is on your right by Train From Aberdare, Merthyr Tydfil or Treherbert: The Cardiff trains will take you directly to Pontypridd. From all other locations: Change at Cardiff Central or Cardiff Queen Street for trains to Pontypridd. At Pontypridd station, leave through the main exit and head left past Capel Sardis (Sardis Chapel). The road veers around to the left under a bridge, take the first left at the traffic lights, and Pontypridd Rugby Football Club is on your right. Contact Details Ponty Rugby Ltd The Clubhouse Sardis Road Pontypridd Rhondda Cynon Taf CF37 1HA Tel: +44 (0) 1443 405 006 Fax: +44 (0) 1443 407 087 Statistics Major Honours Western Mail Welsh Championship Winners - 1962/1963, 1975/1976, 1977/1978, 1978/1979 WRU Merit Table Winners - 1975/1976
WRU Merit Table Runner up - 1977/1978, 1978/1979 Welsh League Winners - 1996/1997
Welsh League Runners Up - 1994/1995 Welsh Cup Winners - 1995/1996, 2001/2002
Welsh Cup Runners up - 1994/1995, 1996/1997 Champions Challenge Cup Winners - 1997 European Rugby Shield Runners Up - 2001/2002 Notable Former Players See also External links
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