Aberavon RFC
| Full name | Aberavon Rugby Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Wizards Welsh Wizards |
| Founded | 1876 |
| Location | Port Talbot, Wales |
| Ground(s) | Talbot Athletic Ground (Capacity: 3,000) |
| Chairman | Andrew V John |
| Coach(es) | Jason Hyatt, Lyndon Lewis |
| Captain(s) | Ian Moore |
| League(s) | Welsh Premier Division |
| 2014-15 | 7th |
| Official website | |
| www |
|
Aberavon RFC (Welsh: Clwb Rygbi Aberafan) is a rugby union club located in the Welsh town of Port Talbot, although the club's name refers to the older settlement of Aberavon which lies on the western side of the town. It was founded in 1876 as Afan Football Club, and changed names several times before settling on Aberavon Rugby Football Club. They are feeder club to the Ospreys regional team.
Although not a founding member of the Welsh Rugby Union rugby has been played at Aberavon since before the union's conception. In the 1870s Mansel tinplate works was built in the area, and its proprieters, Col. D. R. David and Sir Sidney Byass encouraged the local workers to form a rugby team. The earliest game being recorded in the Western Mail on 4 November 1878 against a team from Bridgend. Like many early Welsh clubs the teams met at a local hotel, originally the dour Castle Hotel before moving to the more luxurious Hong Kong Hotel.
In 1882 Aberavon took part in the South Wales Challenge Cup, their first competitive game, and in the 1886/87 season Aberavon RFC applied to and were accepted into the WRU. By 1897 Aberavon RFC were able to boast their first capped player, when Dan Jones was selected for Wales to play against England.
In 1907 Aberavon RFC moved to the Central Athletic Ground and in 1913 Miss Emily Charlotte Talbot gave exclusive rights to the club to use the pitch and granted them a lease for 39 years, giving needed stability. An indicator of Aberavon's growing success occurred in 1908, when a joint Neath/Aberavon team was chosen as one of the teams to face the first touring Australian side. The match turned out to be an ill played affair with poor discipline on all sides, the Wallabies eventually won the game 15-0.
In 1914 following the outbreak of World War I, the committee of Aberavon RFC decided that rugby football should cease until the end of hostilities. During the war years their ground was sectioned off to be made into allotments to help the war effort.
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