South Wales RLFC (1995)

South Wales RLFC was a rugby league club formed in 1995. South Wales during their existence played at Morfa Stadium, Swansea, the Talbot Athletic Ground, Aberavon and Cardiff Arms Park.

South Wales RLFC
Founded 1995
Discontinued 1997
Colours Red, green and white
Stadiums Talbot Athletic Ground
(Capacity 3,000)
Morfa Stadium
(Capacity 1,200)
Cardiff Arms Park
(Capacity 12,500)

A team formed in late 2009 also used the name South Wales RLFC before going on to become known as South Wales Scorpions then South Wales Ironmen before moving to West Wales and playing as West Wales Raiders.

History

History of rugby league in South Wales

The South Wales region had always been an attractive area to the rugby league because of its similarities to Yorkshire and Lancashire in having a mass industrial population which followed rugby enthusiastically. In 1907 a team representing Aberdare was formed, and by 1908-09 there were six Welsh rugby league teams with clubs based in Ebbw Vale, Merthyr Tydfill, Mid Rhondda, Treherbert and Barry. All of these clubs were defunct by 1912. Ebbw Vale survived the longest, five seasons.

Encouraged by the 22,000 strong crowd which attended the Wales vs England match in 1926, local promoters established a club in Pontypridd. The club initially experienced good sized crowds however poor results soon saw attendances drop, and the club only lasted eight games into its second season before folding.

A team was formed in Cardiff and played in the 1947/48 and 1951/52 seasons.

Rugby league would not revisit south Wales until 1981 to 1985 when the Cardiff City Blue Dragons existed as a club. Much like its predecessors initial interest waned when the club suffered from poor results, low attendances and a relocation to Bridgend before they finally disbanded at the end of the 1985 season.

South Wales RLFC

South Wales RLFC during their first season (1996) in the Rugby Football League were reasonably successful and came fifth in the second division; winning twelve games and losing ten. Games were played at Talbot Athletic Ground Aberavon, one game was played at Morfa Stadium Swansea against Bramley and all the games for the second half of the season were at Cardiff Arms Park. They were coached by Clive Griffiths and assisted by Danny Sheehy.[1]

Initially the club had no playing kit of their own so they borrowed the Welsh international team's kit for the first three games. After that they wore a specially designed plain red strip with the traditional three feathers logo to distinguish them from the national side.

The first home game played at Aberavon on 31 March 1996 saw an attendance of 1,876, when the club played Hull Kingston Rovers and lost 70-8. Crowds fluctuated depending upon where the club played, and the last home game of the season saw a crowd of only 400 witness the club defeating York 20-16 at Cardiff Arms Park.

Due to the relative success of the club and their geographical location outside the heartlands of British rugby league, the club had high hopes that it would be awarded a Super League franchise. A case was put forward by Mike Nicholas and Clive Griffiths and was initially accepted after a 16-11 vote by the RFL council. However at the beginning of September, the RFL Board of Directors refused a final endorsement of a Super League place with a £1 million guarantee of support deemed 'insufficient'. The franchise was then awarded to Gateshead Thunder instead. A meeting a few days later decided to place the South Wales in the second tier of British rugby league, the First Division, but the club decided that this would not be financially viable and the decision was made to disband the club altogether before the start of the 1997 season.

Players

During their first, and only, season South Wales utilised forty-two players.[2]

NameDate of Birth (Age)DébutPositionAppearancesTriesGoalsDrop goalsPointsAge on DébutRepresentativeRecords/Notes
1Ioan Bebb (1970-09-02) 2 September 197031 March 1996 (1996-03-31)Fullback16745011825 yrs 6 mths 29 daysSearch for "Bebb" at rugbyleagueproject.org
2Ian Perryment (1972-11-28) 28 November 197231 March 1996 (1996-03-31)Right wing126002423 yrs 4 mths 3 daysSearch for "Perryment" at rugbyleagueproject.org
3Andy Currier (1966-04-08) 8 April 196631 March 1996 (1996-03-31)Right-Centre2214005629 yrs 11 mths 23 days
4Mike Riley (1970-11-22) 22 November 197031 March 1996 (1996-03-31)Left-Centre227002825 yrs 4 mths 9 days[3]
5Sean Marshall (1968-06-01) 1 June 196831 March 1996 (1996-03-31)Left wing2115006027 yrs 9 mths 30 daysSearch for "Marshall" at rugbyleagueproject.org
6David Rees (1965-09-23) 23 September 196531 March 1996 (1996-03-31)Stand-off31401230 yrs 6 mths 8 daysSearch for "Rees" at rugbyleagueproject.org
7James Churcher (1973-05-28) 28 May 197331 March 1996 (1996-03-31)Scrum-half10201922 yrs 10 mths 3 daysfor "Churcher" at rugbyleagueproject.org
8Barry Picton (1972-04-29) 29 April 197231 March 1996 (1996-03-31)Left-Prop5000023 yrs 11 mths 2 daysSearch for "Picton" at rugbyleagueproject.org
9Byron Lloyd (1970-04-19) 19 April 197031 March 1996 (1996-03-31)Hooker4000025 yrs 11 mths 12 daysSearch for "Lloyd" at rugbyleagueproject.org
10Hugh Waddell (1958-11-13) 13 November 195831 March 1996 (1996-03-31)Right-Prop15100436 yrs 6 mths 30 daysalternative (incorrect?) date of birth of 1 September 1959 given at walesrugbyleague.co.uk
11Matthew Taylor (1973-04-28) 28 April 197331 March 1996 (1996-03-31)Left-Second-row1000022 yrs 11 mths 3 daysSearch for "Taylor" at rugbyleagueproject.org
12Andrew Lippiatt (1975-10-16) 16 October 197531 March 1996 (1996-03-31)Right-Second-row5000020 yrs 5 mths 15 daysSearch for "Lippiatt" at rugbyleagueproject.org
13Dave Williams (1967-05-20) 20 May 196731 March 1996 (1996-03-31)Loose forward94001628 yrs 10 mths 11 days Heritage № 376
14James Alvis (1970-09-01) 1 September 197031 March 1996 (1996-03-31)145002025 yrs 6 mths 30 daysSearch for "Alvis" at rugbyleagueproject.org
15Mike Jarman (1971-09-14) 14 September 197131 March 1996 (1996-03-31)1000024 yrs 6 mths 17 daysSearch for "Jarman" at rugbyleagueproject.org
16John McAtee (1975-11-11) 11 November 19755 April 1996 (1996-04-05)3000020 yrs 4 mths 25 days[4]
17Anthony Hatton (1975-10-09) 9 October 19755 April 1996 (1996-04-05)215042420 yrs 5 mths 27 daysSearch for "Hatton" at rugbyleagueproject.org
18Nick Romanello (1968-04-22) 22 April 19685 April 1996 (1996-04-05)4000027 yrs 11 mths 14 daysSearch for "Romanello" at rugbyleagueproject.org
19Mark Isherwood (1969-03-09) 9 March 19695 April 1996 (1996-04-05)5000027 yrs 0 mths 27 daysSearch for "Isherwood" at rugbyleagueproject.org
20Clint Rylance (1973-09-01) 1 September 19735 April 1996 (1996-04-05)10000022 yrs 7 mths 4 daysSearch for "Rylance" at rugbyleagueproject.org
21Anthony Thomas (1967-07-19) 19 July 19675 April 1996 (1996-04-05)7000028 yrs 8 mths 17 daysSearch for "Thomas" at rugbyleagueproject.org
22Mike Healy (1965-08-29) 29 August 19658 April 1996 (1996-04-08)811804030 yrs 7 mths 10 daysSearch for "Healy" at rugbyleagueproject.org
23Mark Wysocki (1965-06-16) 16 June 19658 April 1996 (1996-04-08)6200830 yrs 9 mths 23 daysSearch for "Wysocki" at rugbyleagueproject.org
24Neil Kelly (1973-01-20) 20 January 197312 April 1996 (1996-04-12)5100423 yrs 2 mths 23 daysSearch for "Kelly" at rugbyleagueproject.org
25Ian Moffatt (1970-06-30) 30 June 197012 April 1996 (1996-04-12)1000025 yrs 9 mths 13 daysSearch for "Moffatt" at rugbyleagueproject.org
26John Fieldhouse (1962-06-28) 28 June 196221 April 1996 (1996-04-21)14000033 yrs 9 mths 24 days
27Gerald Williams (1968-01-04) 4 January 196821 April 1996 (1996-04-21)18200828 yrs 3 mths 17 days
28Nigel Morris (1974-10-02) 2 October 19745 May 1996 (1996-05-05)5200821 yrs 7 mths 3 daysSearch for "Morris" at rugbyleagueproject.org
29Paul Williamson (1969-11-27) 27 November 196912 May 1996 (1996-05-12)33001226 yrs 5 mths 15 days[5]
30Steve Warburton (1969-02-06) 6 February 196912 May 1996 (1996-05-12)6100427 yrs 3 mths 6 days[6]
31Paul Moriarty (1964-07-16) 16 July 196417 May 1996 (1996-05-17)5100431 yrs 10 mths 1 days Heritage № 350
32Gerald Cordle (1960-09-29) 29 September 196026 May 1996 (1996-05-26)64001635 yrs 7 mths 27 days Heritage № 357
33Mark Wallington (1972-07-12) 12 July 197226 May 1996 (1996-05-26)144031923 yrs 10 mths 14 days[7]
34Paul Mills (1974-04-17) 17 April 197416 June 1996 (1996-06-16)11100422 yrs 1 mths 30 daysSearch for "Mills" at rugbyleagueproject.org
35Nick Jenkins (1974-02-24) 24 February 197416 June 1996 (1996-06-16)11200822 yrs 3 mths 23 days[8]
36Stewart Cash (1973-01-12) 12 January 197316 June 1996 (1996-06-16)11000023 yrs 5 mths 4 daysSearch for "Cash" at rugbyleagueproject.org
37Shane McIntosh (1968-12-22) 22 December 196823 June 1996 (1996-06-23)2000027 yrs 6 mths 1 daysSearch for "McIntosh" at rugbyleagueproject.org
38Neil Mawdsley (1972-07-28) 28 July 197230 June 1996 (1996-06-30)5100423 yrs 11 mths 2 days[9]
39Marcus Barnard (1970-10-07) 7 October 197030 June 1996 (1996-06-30)8200825 yrs 8 mths 23 daysSearch for "Barnard" at rugbyleagueproject.org
40Nigel Edmunds (1969-06-27) 27 June 196914 July 1996 (1996-07-14)7000027 yrs 0 mths 17 daysSearch for "Edmunds" at rugbyleagueproject.org
41Paul John (1970-01-25) 25 January 197014 July 1996 (1996-07-14)3000026 yrs 5 mths 19 daysSearch for "John" at rugbyleagueproject.org
42John Doherty (1977-01-06) 6 January 197728 July 1996 (1996-07-28)51221019 yrs 6 mths 22 daysSearch for "Doherty" at rugbyleagueproject.org

Seasons

Season League Play-offs
Division P W D L F A Pts Pos
1996 Division Two 2212010528548246th Did not qualify

References

  • Fletcher, Raymond (1997). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1997. Headline Book Publishing. p. 120. ISBN 978-0-7472-7764-4.
  • Farrer, Dave (1995). Touch and Go: A History of Professional Rugby League in London. p.6: London League Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-0-9526064-0-6.CS1 maint: location (link)
  • Golden, Ian (2009). A Welsh Crusade: Building Rugby League in Wales 1990 to 2009. London League Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1-903659-47-2.
  1. "The final (so far) attempt to establish a Welsh professional Rugby League team was the South Wales Club which played for the 1996 season in the Second Division". members.tripod.com. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  2. "South Wales RLFC 1996". walesrugbyleague.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. "Mike Riley Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  4. "John McAtee Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  5. "Paul Williamson Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  6. "Steve Warburton Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  7. "Mark Wallington Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  8. "Nick Jenkins Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  9. "Neil Mawdsley Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.

See also

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