Cross Keys RFC

Cross Keys RFC

Full name	Cross Keys Rugby Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Keys
Founded	1885[1]
Location	Crosskeys, Wales
Ground(s)	Pandy Park
President	Mike Dudley
Coach(es)	Mark Ring Greg Woods David Manley
Captain(s)	Lloyd Burns
League(s)	Welsh Premier Division
2010-11	6th[2]
Team kit
Official website
www.crosskeysrfc.com/

Cross Keys RFC is a rugby union club located in the Welsh village of Crosskeys. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.^[3]

History

Cross Keys are a team that have a remarkable history of achievements for a small and fairly unfashionable club. They first achieved first class-status in 1909, almost forcing their way into the top flight by winning the Monmouthshire league three times. By 1920 the team had their first international player, when Steve Morris won a cap for Wales. Morris would win 19 caps and captained Wales in 1925.^[4] Caps followed during the 1920s for Ossie Male and Lonza Bowdler, both returned over several seasons for Wales, facing not only Five Nations Championships but also touring teams.

In 1926 Cross Keys RFC found themselves in dire financial trouble and requested help from the Welsh Rugby Union. The WRU refused an appeal for a cash loan, but instead agreed to send the Welsh national team to play in an exhibition match at Pandy Park. The sell-out crowd assured Cross Keys future and resulted in an historic win for the home team thirteen points to eight.^[5]

It has been noted by many observers that the Cross Keys pack during the 1920s^[6] and 1930's^[7] was extremely talented but undeservedly under represented in the national team.

After a hard fought campaign Crosskeys RFC qualifed for the British & Irish Cup at the end of the 2010-11 season.

Club honours

• Welsh Club Champions 1921/22
• Welsh Club Champions 1935/36

Current squad

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

Player Position Union Nathan Buck Prop Wales Richard Cornock Prop Wales Craig Gould Prop Wales Marc Jones Prop Wales Lloyd Burns Hooker Wales Richard Emms Hooker Wales Gavin Herbert Hooker Wales Jamie Sollis Hooker Wales Mark Curtis Lock Wales Danny Hodge Lock Wales Colin Bridges Flanker Wales Kyle Evans Flanker Wales Tom Lampard Flanker Wales Robert Nash Flanker Wales Rhys Peebles Flanker Wales Rhys Williams Number 8 Wales Jevon Groves Number 8 Wales Marc Popham Number 8 Wales

Player Position Union Ryan James Scrum-half Wales Owen Jones Scrum-half Wales Curtis Watkins Scrum-half Wales Steffan Jones Fly-half Wales Ryan Lee Fly-half Wales Lee Thorne Centre Wales Phil Williams Centre Wales Leon Andrews Wing Wales Marcus Johnstone Wing Wales Richard Torjesen Wing Wales Nathan Trowbridge Wing Wales Nathan Williams Wing Wales Gareth David Fullback Wales

Notable former players

See also Category:Cross Keys RFC players

• George Boots
• Frederick Arthur Bowdler (15 caps)^[8]
• Archibald "Archie" Brown
• Ron Herrera (8 caps)^[9]
• Ossie Male (11 caps)^[10]
• Steve Morris (19 caps)^[10]
• Con Murphy (3 caps)
• Dai Rees
• Fred Reeves (2 caps)^[11]
• Rex Richards (1 cap)^[11]
• Russell Taylor (3 caps), 1938 British Lions ^[12]
• Joseph "Joe" Thompson (1 cap) for Wales (RU).^[12] Whilst at Leeds (Great Britain RL 12 caps, Wales RL 8 caps, Other Nations RL 5 caps)
• Trevor Williams (8 caps)^[13]
• S. 'Docker' Winmill (2 caps)^[14]

Games played against international opposition

Year	Date	Opponent	Result	Score	Tour
1985	October 9	Fiji	Loss	12-26	1985 Fiji rugby union tour of Wales and Ireland[15]

External links

• Official Site of Cross Keys RFC

Bibliography

• Smith, David; Williams, Gareth (1980). Fields of Praise: The Official History of The Welsh Rugby Union. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. ISBN 0708307663. 

References

1. ^ The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales page 178, John Davies, Nigel Jenkins, Menna Baines and Peredur Lynch (2008) ISBN 978-0-7083-1953-6
2. ^ WRU Official Site - Sourced 12 July 2011
3. ^ BBC News (2004-07-08). "Wales' regional rugby map". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/3877085.stm. Retrieved 2008-06-03. 
4. ^ A Century of Welsh Rugby Players 1890-1980, Wayne Thomas; Ansells (1979) pg.61
5. ^ The Rugby Clubs of Wales pp149, David Parry-Jones (1989) ISBN 0-09-173850-4
6. ^ Smith (1980), pg 259.
7. ^ Smith (1980), pg 282.
8. ^ Smith (1980), pg 463.
9. ^ Smith (1980), pg 466.
10. ^ ^{a b} Smith (1980), pg 469.
11. ^ ^{a b} Smith (1980), pg 471.
12. ^ ^{a b} Smith (1980), pg 472.
13. ^ Smith (1980), pg 473.
14. ^ Smith (1980), pg 474.
15. ^ Stephen Jones, ed (1986). Rothmans Rugby Yearbook 1986-87. Queen Anne Press. p. 38. ISBN 0356123618.