Pontypridd RFC

Pontypridd RFC
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Pontypridd Rugby Football Club are a rugby union team from Wales, playing in the Welsh Premier Division. Pontypridd RFC play their home games at Sardis Road, Pontypridd, South Wales, with their junior section playing at Taff Vale Park and Coed-y-Lan school Fields, Cilfynydd. Pontypridd RFC are a feeder club for local rivals Cardiff Blues who were awarded a regional role over their valley rivals. [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/3877085.stm |title=Wales' regional rugby map |author=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=2004-07-08 |accessdate=2008-05-18]

Club history

Early history

Pontypridd RFC are generally accepted to have been formed in 1876 ["Fields of Praise, The Official History of the Welsh Rugby Union 1881-1981" pp26, David Smith, Gareth Williams (1980)] by a number of young local men who had moved into the area during the Industrial Revolution of the late 19^th Century. They were represented at a meeting in Tenby in 1880 that would later lead to the formation of the Welsh Rugby Union in 1881 ["Fields of Praise, The Official History of the Welsh Rugby Union 1881-1981" pp37, David Smith, Gareth Williams (1980)] and had a player, Edward Treharne, named in the very first Welsh International side also in 1881 ["Fields of Praise, The Official History of the Welsh Rugby Union 1881-1981" pp38, David Smith, Gareth Williams (1980)] .

In their early days, Pontypridd RFC played their home games at Taff Vale Park in Treforest before moving to the "People's Park" alongside the River Rhondda. However in 1908 they moved once more to a new home in Ynysyngharad Park in Pontypridd itself, where they would stay for 65 years.

1945-1989

Often regarded as one of the more unfashionable Welsh clubs even then (unsurprising considering the stature of Llanelli, Swansea, Neath, Cardiff and Newport as the Big Five at the time), players often found it hard to break into the international team while at Pontypridd, meaning a number would leave for greener pastures each season. Despite this the club were consistently successful, pulling out a string of top-ten performances in the unofficial Welsh league, a competition they won for the first time in the 1962/1963 season.

However the 1970s would bring Pontypridd its first period of real success. Following the redevelopment of the A470 trunk road near their home ground, the team moved to its current home of Sardis Road in Pontypridd in 1974. This move was immediately followed by success in the unofficial league championship, winning it in 1975/76, 1977/78 and 1978/79 whilst never falling from the top four for seven years under the captaincy of two of Pontypridd's greatest ever players - Bob Penberthy and Tom David.

1990-2002

The 1990s saw a huge change in Welsh rugby, especially with the inauguration of the first official Welsh leagues in 1990. Pontypridd were placed in the top (first) division for that season and have never yet been out of the top-level in the Welsh game. They consistently finished in the top five, quite an achievement considering some of the clubs around them were considered much bigger names. Third places in 1991/92, 1993/94 and 1995/96 plus a runner up finish to Cardiff RFC in 1994/95 was a good a promising return for the club.

In 1996 the club would win its first official major honour, beating Neath RFC in the final of the Welsh Cup, a match still considered one of the best ever. They repeated this achievement again in 2002 and 2006. The following season (1997) saw them win the Welsh League, narrowly over the same opponents. Both of these successes were obtained by what many consider Pontypridd's best ever team, lead by Nigel Bezani and including players such as Ritchie Collins, Neil Jenkins and Dale McIntosh.

From then until 2003 Pontypridd consistently finished in the top five of the league but failed to challenge for top spot (and to qualify for the Heineken Cup - Europe's top tournament) as they struggled to cope with the added financial pressures of the newly professional game, losing a number of players to larger clubs and relying heavily upon its much admired youth academy system. However in 2003 the WRU would change the game in Wales forever with the advent of Welsh Regional Rugby.

2003 - present

After much negotiation and rumour of a merger with local rivals Cardiff RFC, Pontypridd finally found themselves in a partnership with Bridgend RFC, forming the Celtic Warriors that would represent the whole of the South Wales Valleys region.

However financial difficulties at Pontypridd lead the team to sell its stake in the Warriors to Bridgend RFC benefactor Leighton Samuel and all games were moved away from Sardis Road before the club was controversially dissolved by the WRU in the summer of 2004. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3725177.stm "Warriors' buy-out 'mortal blow"' BBC Online] ]

They were then reformed as Ponty Rugby Ltd playing at a semi professional level in the newly formed Welsh Premiership and unpopularly placed under the umbrella of local rivals Cardiff Blues by the WRU, Pontypridd continue to be the top team in the Glamorganshire south Wales Valleys and are considered by many of their fans to be the Valleys' regional representative side, with Cardiff still perceived by the residents of the Valleys as their wealthy "city slicker" rivals.

In 2005 Pontypridd were beaten finalists in the WRU Challenge Cup, narrowly losing to Llanelli 24-25, having been leading 24-8 with only 10 minutes remaining until a former Pontypridd player Neil Boobyer was brought into the game and helped turn them game around in Llanelli's favour.

The following year they would surpass their previous season's record as Saturday May 6th 2006 Pontypridd beat Neath 26-25 to win the WRU Challenge Cup (currently called the Konica-Minolta Cup after the sponsors of the tournament) in a well fought final at the Millennium Stadium. Neath were pre-match favourites having recently secured the Welsh Premier league by a large points margin, and going into the game chasing a league and cup 'double'. This was a replay of the classic 1996 final, when Pontypridd had also stopped Neath RFC 'doing the double'.

May 17th 2008 saw Pontypridd enter a repeat performance against Neath at the Millennium Stadium. The score, however, was not to be repeated, as Neath beat Pontypridd by 28 points to 22.

Despite remaining successful at the highest level attainable by a non-regional side, Pontypridd RFC has seen a huge loss in their fan base due to the disenfranchisement of Welsh rugby supporters in the Valleys due to the extremely unpopular appointment of Cardiff Blues as their 'regional' team. Yet despite this, Pontypridd's hardcore support base remains one of the biggest club followings in Wales, with chants of "I will never be a blue" ringing out at matches alongside the more traditional "Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole! Ponty! Ponty!"

Pontypridd RFC continue to earn plaudits for the incredible contribution they have made to International Rugby. Former Pontypridd players seen wearing the red of Wales in recent years include Gethin Jenkins, Kevin Morgan, Richard Parks, Michael Owen, Martyn Williams, Mefin Davies, Brent Cockbain, Robert Sidoli, Sonny Parker, Ceri Sweeney, Jonathan Bryant, Ian Evans and Morgan Stoddart.

Pontypridd youth and junior teams

With the loss of their extremely successful Academy set up that was handed over to their Cardiff rivals by the WRU, Pontypridd RFC re-formed a Youth side in 2006, coached by Sean Oliver and Wayne Gristock (formerly Porth Harlequins RFC).

Starting in the bottom division of the Blues league, the side made notable progress that saw them punch well above their weight and earn the nickname the 'Upstarts', when after hugely successful first season that saw them promoted seven divisions to the BB League (Blues Second Division).

The following season saw the formation of a second Youth team who again had to start in the bottom league and were coached by former Pontypridd players Dai Legge and Mike Kelleher. By the end of the 2007/8 season both youth teams had won their perspective leagues outright and earned automatic promotion, with the senior youth now playing in the top division in only their third season since forming. Several youth players have gained notable honours, including representative honours with Welsh Crawshays and Welsh Schoolboys, with players in the Cardiff Blues Academy and several older players now training with Pontypridd RFC's senior team.

Behind this successful youth setup is the Pontypridd Mini & Junior Section that was formed in 1997, the section started out with just a handful of junior players and volunteer coaches, but has grown into one of the biggest and most successful junior sections in Wales. The section contains every age group from under 7's to under 16's, with the youth sides containing players under the age of 19; with almost 300 young players in their ever-swelling ranks. The section is hugely successful, winning dozens of tournaments and trophies each season, and competing successfully in international tournaments throughout Europe where they have won every foreign tournament they have entered.

At the commencement of the 2008/09 season, it was decided that both Senior and Junior Youth teams would merge, forming a large and capable new Pontypridd Youth section. The new season will see a single squad of thirty-five players being selected, playing in the National Blues Division 1 BA league. The squad will be coached by Wayne Gristock and Sean Oliver.

tatistics

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 Premier Division - 1996/1997
Welsh League Runners Up - 1994/1995

Welsh Cup Winners - 1995/1996, 2001/2002, 2005/2006
Welsh Cup Runners up - 1978/1979,1994/1995, 1996/1997, 2004/2005, 2007/2008

Champions Challenge Cup Winners - 1997

European Rugby Shield Runners Up - 2001/2002

Welsh Leagues

Season	Division	Pos	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost
1990/1991	1	5th	44	30	2	12
1991/1992	1	3rd	47	35	0	12
1992/1993	1	5th	40	24	3	13
1993/1994	1	3rd	43	34	1	8
1994/1995	1	2nd	39	30	0	9
1995/1996	1	3rd	42	33	1	8
1996/1997	1	1st	37	29	0	8
1997/1998	1	3rd	37	24	3	10
1998/1999	1	4th	35	21	0	14
1999/2000	1	4th	33	10	2	11
2000/2001	1	6th	32	15	0	17
2001/2002	1	9th	36	20	0	16
2002/2003	1	6th	36	20	2	14
2003/2004	Premier	3rd	30	20	2	8
2004/2005	Premier	10th	32	17	1	14
2005/2006	Premier	3rd	30	21	0	9
2006/2007	Premier	4th	26	16	1	9

Notable Former Players

Games played against international opposition

ee also

*Celtic Warriors
*Celtic League
*Heineken Cup

External links

* [http://www.ponty.net/ Pontypridd RFC] Official website
* [http://www.pontyrugby.co.uk/ Ponty Rugby] unofficial site
* [http://teamponty.net Teamponty] Pontypridd Rugby Supporters Resource Website
* [http://www.ponty.net/terracetalk TerraceTalk] Pontypridd Rugby supporters' forum
* [http://teamponty.net/content/blogsection/5/49/ Pontykids] Pontypridd Mini and Junior Rugby
* [http://www.ponty.net/age-grade-rugby Age-Grade Rugby] Pontypridd Academy and development rugby
* [http://teamponty.net/content/blogcategory/41/55/ Pontypridd District Schools Rugby]

References