Editing Newport RFC (section)

==History==

===1874–1914===
[[File:Newport rfc 1904.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The 1904–05 team]]
Newport RFC were formed in 1874 under the financial backing of the Phillips brewing family, and the playing talents of former pupils of [[Monmouth School]],<ref name="Smith25">Smith (1980), pg 25.</ref> a public school which had adopted rugby union in 1873.<ref name="Smith23">Smith (1980), pg 23.</ref> Newport was originally intended as an [[association football]] club, but was unable to find any opponents, but they managed to organise a rugby match against [[Cardiff RFC]], and in 1875 played Cardiff in both clubs' first-ever game.<ref name="Smith25"/>

Newport's early success was remarkable, winning every match in their first four seasons between 1875 and 1879.<ref name="InterestingFacts">{{cite web| url=http://www.historyofnewport.co.uk/facts/index.php |title=Interesting Facts |publisher=historyofnewport.co.uk |access-date=17 November 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070821171621/http://www.historyofnewport.co.uk/facts/index.php <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 21 August 2007}}</ref> They were also successful in other tournaments winning the first two South Wales Cup competitions.<ref name="Smith34">Smith (1980), pg 34.</ref> The club's strength was reflected at international level, providing more players to the Welsh national team than any other club in the 19th century, including four captains. In 1881, Newport was one of the 11 clubs present at the forming of the Welsh Rugby Football Union,<ref name="Smith41">Smith (1980), pg 41.</ref> and provided six players in the first international match played by the [[Wales national rugby union team|Wales national team]], more than any other club.<ref name="Smith40">Smith (1980), pg 40.</ref>

[[File:Rugby scrum 1904.jpg|thumb|left|Scrum between Newport and [[London Welsh RFC|London Welsh]], 31 December 1904]]
Partially due to their geographical location Newport also played against more established clubs from England and in 1878 a game was arranged against [[Manchester Athletic]] followed by games against Birmingham, Clifton, Gloucester and Swindon. Their dominance led Newport's club secretary, Richard Mulloch to arrange a match against the English domestic champions [[Blackheath Rugby Club]]. With a record attendance of 5,000 spectators Newport were out-classed by their opponents, losing four goals and eight tries to nil. However, Newport had played two games in the previous five days and Blackheath brought in outside players to bolster their squad.<ref name="Smith35">Smith (1980), pg 35.</ref>

In October 1879 Newport played Cardiff RFC in a [[floodlights (sport)|floodlit]] game at Rodney Parade; the first ground to have floodlights installed in Wales.<ref name="Smith35"/>

In 1887, Newport player [[Charlie Newman]] was given the captaincy of the Welsh national team, he was the first Newport player to achieve this honour. In 1887, Newport player [[Tom Clapp]] was given the Wales captaincy and in 1888, he led the first Welsh side to beat [[Scotland national rugby union team|Scotland]], a team that included Newport players Powell and Gould. During the 1891–92 season, under captain [[Tom Graham (rugby union)|Tom Graham]] Newport went unbeaten, winning 29 games and drawing four. Graham brought a new professional attitude to the team, introducing weekly gym training and an avoidance of alcohol.<ref name="Smith71">Smith (1980), pg 71.</ref>

In 1912, Newport hosted the touring [[South Africa national rugby union team|South Africa national team]], and beat them 9–3.<ref name="Smith189">Smith (1980), pg 189.</ref>

===1919–1939===
*Invincible in 1922–23
*Welsh Club Champions 1920,1923.
*Provided 5 Welsh, 1 English and 1 Irish captains.
*Provided 6 British Lions.
*Golden era of [[Jack Wetter|Wetter]], [[Harry Uzzell|Uzzell]], [[Vince Griffiths|Griffiths]], [[Jack Morley|Morley]], [[Bunner Travers]] etc.

===1945–2003===
*Golden era of [[Ken Jones (rugby union, born 1921)|Jones]], [[Roy Burnett|Burnett]], [[Malcolm Thomas (rugby)|Thomas]], [[Bryn Meredith|Meredith]], [[Brian Price (rugby union)|Price]], [[David Watkins (rugby)|Watkins]], [[Keith Jarrett (rugby)|Jarrett]] etc.
*Beat Australia 1957, NZ 1963, SA 1969, Tonga 1974.
*Welsh Club Champions 1951, 1956, 1962, 1969.
*Won Welsh Merit Table and Anglo-Welsh Merit Table.
*Provided 7 Welsh, 1 Czech Rep, 2 Canadian, 1 Fijian captains.
*Provided 15 British Lions.
*Introduced 7s to Wales and won Snellings 10 times and R/U 9 times.
*One of pioneers of floodlights in Wales.
*Introduced squad systems / players playing on rota in Wales.
*Won Welsh Cup twice, R/U 3 times.
*Welsh Premier League winners and R/U – twice.

In 1963 Newport, captained by Brian Price, claimed perhaps their greatest victory by defeating [[New Zealand national rugby union team|New Zealand]] led by [[Wilson Whineray]] 3–0. This turned out to be the All Blacks' only defeat on their 1963 tour.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/3225389.stm Newport beat New Zealand].</ref> The club was granted [[Newport, Wales#Freedom of the City|Freedom of the City of Newport]] on the 50th anniversary of this victory.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newport.gov.uk/_dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=news.pressrelease&contentid=CONT717978|title=Newport rugby freedom presentation|publisher=Newport City Council|access-date=2013-10-31}}</ref>

After rugby turned professional in 1995, Newport initially struggled, being relegated after finishing bottom of the eight-team Welsh Premier Division in 1998, only to be reinstated after Cardiff and Swansea [[temporarily left the league|1998–99 Welsh rugby union rebel season]] over a dispute with the WRU.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby-union-great-welsh-divide-1174805.html|title = Rugby Union: Great Welsh divide|website = [[Independent.co.uk]]|date = 28 August 1998}}</ref> After staying up, Newport then moved to full-time professionalism for the 1999–2000 season with the help of benefactor Tony Brown, who financed marquee signings including former South Africa captain [[Gary Teichmann]]. The first game of the season against Cardiff drew a crowd of almost 7,000, the biggest since the visit of the All Blacks in 1989.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby-union-sun-rises-on-bright-new-newport-era-newport-18-cardiff-13-1116816.html|title = Rugby Union: Sun rises on bright new Newport era: Newport 18 Cardiff|website = [[Independent.co.uk]]|date = 5 September 1999}}</ref> This was accompanied by a rise in season ticket sales from 700 the previous season to 3,300, with a further increase to 4,000 expected the following year.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/6555590.profit-of-doom-for-pro-rugby/|title= Profit of doom for pro rugby}}</ref>

In 2003, Newport merged with Ebbw Vale to form the Gwent Dragons side (soon renamed Newport Gwent Dragons) as part of the [[Introduction of regional rugby union teams in Wales]]. Newport RFC continued to compete as an amateur side, later semi-professional, in the Welsh club league.

===2003–Present===
Newport finished the [[2021–22 Indigo Group Premiership]] in second place, having sat the top of table of most of the season. They did, however, win the Premiership Cup with a 25–21 victory over [[Aberavon RFC|Aberavon]] at the Millennium Stadium.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/sport/20090388.match-report-newport-rfc-v-aberavon/|title=Match report: Newport RFC v Aberavon|publisher=South Wales Argus|date=24 April 2022|access-date=6 November 2022}}</ref>