- Bedwas RFC
Rugby team
teamname = Bedwas RFC
fullname = Bedwas Rugby Football Club
location =Bedwas ,Wales
country
founded = 1889
ground = The Bridge Field
capacity =
president =
coach =Steve Law
league =Welsh Premier Division
season = 2007-08
position = 8th [ [http://www.wru.co.uk/985_12428.php WRU Official Site - Sourced 18th May 2008] ]
url = www.bedwasrfc.co.uk
pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=_blackhoops| pattern_ra1=| leftarm1=000000| body1=FFFFFF| rightarm1=000000| shorts1=000000| socks1=000000Bedwas RFC is a
rugby union club located in the Welsh village ofBedwas . The club is a member of theWelsh Rugby Union and is afeeder club for theNewport Gwent Dragons . [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=2008-05-28]Like many Welsh rugby teams the origin of the club is difficult to piece together having been formed by local workers rather than by a college or university. There is some evidence that a team played in Bedwas as early as 1885, though official recognition of Bedwas RFC is placed at 1889.
Bedwas RFC was a founding member of both the Junior Monmouthshire League (1903) and the Rhymney Valley League (1906), and in 1910 applied for and succeeded in joining the
Welsh Rugby Union . At the outbreak ofWorld War I (1914) rugby ceased in most of South Wales and this was true of Bedwas. After the war a period of rebuilding occurred with the club based initially at the Church Inn before moving to Bridge End Inn during the 1920/21 season. During this period Bedwas RFC enjoyed connections with local colliery owner and airline magnate Sir Samuel Instone. [ [http://www.rugbyinwales.co.uk/Bedwas/index.htm Rugby in Wales] ]1926 saw a great economic depression in South Wales and as local young men left to find work in more prosperous areas, rugby in Bedwas waned.
Post World War II saw a rebuilding of rugby in Bedwas and in 1947 the club acquired Bridge field and an ex-
Ministry of Works long hut which became the club house. In 1960 the club formed a youth team. Bedwas also have a very successful seconds side which remains undefeated in the 2007/08 season.In 2007, Bedwas were the only club in the Welsh Premier League to be threatened with relegation due to them initially failing a facilities review conducted by the WRU. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/6447495.stm] Bedwas RFC face relegation threat BBC Sport. Sourced 25th Aug 2007]
External links
* [http://www.bedwasrfc.co.uk/ Bedwas RFC official site]
* [http://www.bedwassnakes.com/ Bedwas Seconds official site]References
* [http://www.rugbyinwales.co.uk/Bedwas/index.htm] Rugby in Wales. Sourced 25th Aug 2007
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