Ebbw Vale RFC

Ebbw Vale Rugby Football Club (Welsh: Clwb Rygbi Glyn Ebwy) is a Welsh Rugby Union Club based in the town of Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent, South Wales.

For the defunct rugby league club, see Ebbw Vale RLFC.

Ebbw Vale RFC
Full nameEbbw Vale Rugby Football Club
Nickname(s)The Steelmen
Founded1879[1]
LocationEbbw Vale, Wales
Ground(s)Eugene Cross Park (Capacity: 8,000)
Coach(es)Greg Woods
Captain(s)Joe Franchi
League(s)Principality Premiership
2017-186th (Principality Premiership)
1st kit
2nd kit
Official website
www.evrfc.co.uk

The club play in the Welsh Premiership and act as a feeder club for the Dragons regional team.[2]

History

Evidence of rugby union being played in Ebbw Vale is noted around 1879. Ebbw Vale RFC applied for and achieved Welsh Rugby Union (then known as the Welsh Football Union) membership between 1893 and 1894.[3]

In 1907, the committee of Ebbw Vale rugby club voted 63–20 to switch from amateur rugby union to professional rugby league. Deals were made with the Northern Union, and on 26 July 1907 Ebbw Vale RFC became Ebbw Vale RLFC.[4] The club, its players and members were all suspended from rugby union activities by the Welsh Rugby Union, though after Ebbw Vale RLFC collapsed in 1912, Ebbw Vale were readmitted as a union team after World War I.[5]

In 1927 due to falling gate receipts, caused by the increasing attraction of rival sports such as football, Ebbw Vale staged a rugby league game on their pitch, the Welfare Ground. The WRU reacted strongly and threatened Ebbw Vale RFC with expulsion from the league. This was seen by many as an overly aggressive stance to a club that was desperate for aid not sanctions. By 1932 the gate at Ebbw Vale rarely reached twenty shillings, despite a catchment area population of 40,000. The club was forced to resort to public subscriptions.[6]

Rugby union continued in Ebbw Vale during World War II due to the vital services provided by the steel and coal industry and Ebbw Vale was undefeated in 1940/1941. But by the mid 1950s Ebbw Vale RFC was once again becoming a prosperous club. Although seen as one of the most successful clubs on and off the playing field throughout the 1950s, Ebbw Vale was under-represented in the Welsh national team.[7] Around the same time joint teams drawn from Ebbw Vale and neighbours Abertillery played New Zealand, Australia and South Africa international touring sides. These games were usually close encounters but with only one win – against Australia in 1958. In the 60/61 season the Athletic side, captained by Ken Cameron, lost only one game. Their players were a consistent source of supply to the 1st XV. The club has the dubious distinction of being on the receiving end of the heaviest defeat in Heineken Cup history going down 108–16 away to Toulouse in 1998 conceding 16 tries in the process. Although Ebbw Vale did have revenge, defeating Toulouse in the return fixture.[8]

In April 2010 the club's relegation to WRU Division One East was confirmed.

In April 2011 Ebbw Vale were crowned WRU Division One East Champions after gaining a bonus point win in their final league game at Bedlinog. In what was a remarkable run-in to the end of the season, Ebbw picked up 44 league points from their final 9 league games (out of a possible 45) to overhaul Newbridge and win the league title at the first attempt.

In April 2012 Ebbw Vale retained the WRU Division One East title with one game in hand, following a 52–0 victory over Tredegar. The season was also marked by a remarkable cup run which saw them defeat Newport, Carmerthen Quins and Swansea, before drawing 19–19 to Cross Keys in the semi-final (Cross Keys subsequently progressed by virtue of tries scored 2–1).

In April 2013 Ebbw Vale were crowned inaugural champions of the newly formed WRU National Championship, pitting the best teams from east and west against one another. In a season that marked the club's third league title win in a row the Steelmen won 23 of 24 league games, breaking the 1000 point barrier in the process.

In April 2014 Ebbw Vale were again crowned champions of the WRU National Championship, this time gaining promotion to the Principality Premiership. They won 25 out of 26 games and amassed another 1000 point season.

In the 2015/16 season the club achieved a new height, winning the Premiership title for the first time.

Colours and badge

The club colours changed from black and amber to red, white and green in the 1930s. The change may have been made by Dai Regan Jones, who had played for Leicester RFC.

Their home colours of green, white and red represent the colours of the Welsh national flag with the second-choice shirt coloured light blue. The club's badge like many other clubs in Wales has a red dragon on it. The dragon is standing over a golden gate or drawbridge, over the dragons head is a semicircle with the club's motto of Iach Gorff Iach Meddwl. This semicircle is part of a bridge shape which is coloured in the club's and Welsh colours of red, green and white. All of this is incorporated into a shield shape with the club's name Ebbw Vale RFC embroidered on the bottom.

Club's motto

The club's motto is "Iach Gorff Iach Feddwl", the Welsh for "Healthy Body Healthy Mind". The origin of this motto is speculative but this is an old proverb in the Welsh Language.

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player Position Union
Will Hodnett Fullback Wales
Tom McAloon Fullback Wales
Spencer Cawley Fullback Wales
Wes Cunliffe Wing Wales
Sion Jones Wing Wales
Luke Davies Wing Wales
David James Wing Wales
Mike Powell Wing Wales
Leighton Bellamore Centre Wales
Jordan Howells Centre Wales
David James Centre Wales
Josh Peace Centre Wales
Jack Flower Centre Wales
Joe Evans Centre Wales
Tom MacPherson Centre Wales
Mike Powell Centre Wales
Ian Smerdon Fly-half Wales
Fly-half Wales
Dan Haymond Fly-half Wales
Rhys Downes Scrum-half Wales
Chris Thomas Scrum-half Wales
Player Position Union
Liam Roberts Scrum-half Wales
Ross Jones Prop Wales
Robert Sevenoaks Prop Wales
John Lavender Prop Wales
Mathew Williams Hooker Wales
Joe Franchi Hooker Wales
Jonny Bowen Hooker Wales
Damien Hudd Lock Wales
Ashley Sweet Lock Wales
Daniel Lewis Lock Wales
Rhys Clarke Lock Wales
Joe Bartlett Lock Wales
Gareth Davies Flanker Wales
Kier Hughes Flanker Wales
Harrison Keddie Flanker Wales
Ronny Kynes Flanker Wales
Cameron Regan Flanker Wales
Gareth Williams Flanker Wales
David Barry Number 8 Wales
Spencer Gibson Number 8 Wales

Club honours

Notable former players

The players listed below have played or coached rugby union or rugby league at international level and have represented or coached Ebbw Vale.

See also Category:Ebbw Vale RFC players
Nationality Name Caps
Allan Bateman35 International
Duncan Bell5 International
Nathan Budgett12 International
Clive Burgess9 International
Richie Collins28 International
Guy Easterby28 international
Kuli Faletau20 international
John Funnell2 international
Byron Hayward2 International
Simon Hunt0 International
Deiniol Jones13 International
Graham Jones3 International
Kingsley Jones10 International
Glyn Turner2 international
Nationality Name Caps
Mark Jones15 international
Arthur Lewis11 International
Dan Lydiate27 International
David Nash6 International
Graham Powell2 International
Paul Ringer8 International
Arthur Smith33 International
Richard Smith1 International
Iestyn Thomas33 International
Paul Thorburn37 International
Josh Taumalolo31 International
Ian Watkins10 International
Denzil Williams36 international

Notable former coaches and management staff
Nationality Name Role
Alex CodlingHead and Forwards Coach
Byron HaywardHead Coach
Richard HillBacks Coach
Leigh JonesHead Coach
Lyn JonesHead Coach
Christian LoaderForwards Coach
Rowland PhillipsDefence/Head Coach
Mike RuddockHead Coach

Games played against international opposition
Year Date Opponent Result Score Tour
19531 23 December  New Zealand Loss 3–22 1953–54 New Zealand rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland, France and North America.[9]
19581 8 January  Australia Won 6–5 1957–58 Australia rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland and France
19601 29 November  South Africa Loss 0–3 1960–61 South Africa rugby union tour of Europe[10]
19631 6 November  New Zealand Loss 0–13 1963–64 New Zealand rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland, France and North America[11]
1979 22 September  Romania Loss 0–12 1979 Romania rugby union tour of Wales[12]
1987 24 October  United States Win 16–14 1987 United States rugby union tour of Wales[13]

1A joint Ebbw Vale and Abertillery side.

Bibliography
  • Smith, David; Williams, Gareth (1980). Fields of Praise: The Official History of The Welsh Rugby Union. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-0766-3.

Notes
  1. Smith (1980) p. 11
  2. "Wales' regional rugby map". BBC News. BBC. 8 July 2004. Retrieved 20 May 2008.
  3. Smith (1980) p. 101
  4. Lush, Peter; Farrar, Dave (1998). Tries in the Valley: A History of Rugby League in Wales. London: London League Publications. p. 24. ISBN 0-9526064-3-7.
  5. Smith (1980) p. 180
  6. Smith (1980) pp. 227–268
  7. Smith (1980) p. 365
  8. "European Rugby Cup". ERC. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
  9. "Newport Gwent Dragons". Archived from the original on 17 June 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2009.
  10. "Newport Gwent Dragons". Archived from the original on 17 June 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2009.
  11. "Newport Gwent Dragons". Archived from the original on 17 June 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2009.
  12. Jenkins, Vivian (1980). Rothmans Rugby Yearbook 1980–81. Queen Anne Press. pp. 50–51. ISBN 0-362-02018-3.
  13. Jones, Stephen (1988). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1988–89. Queen Anne Press. pp. 30–32. ISBN 0-356-15884-5.
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