Abergavenny RFC
| Full name | Abergavenny Rugby Football Club |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1877 |
| Location | Abergavenny, Wales |
| Ground(s) | Bailey Park |
| League(s) | WRU Division Three East |
| 2011-12 | 7th |
| Official website | |
| www |
|
Abergavenny Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club team based in Abergavenny. Today, Abergavenny RFC plays in the Welsh Rugby Union Division Three East league and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.
The club runs sides from under 8's through to under 16's, a youth side, and two senior sides, a 1st XV and 'The Quins'. Club colours are claret and amber. Separate committees within the club oversee the Minis and Juniors and main club.
Although there is mention of rugby being played in Abergavenny as far back 1867, the Abergavenny club was formed in 1875 through Faithful's Army and Navy Training College. In 1877 Abergavenny played their first match under rugby rules against Monmouth School. Although there are reports of Abergavenny playing some matches on the Castle Meadows their first permanent ground was Ysgyborwen Fields which forms the Pennypound end of Park Crescent. In later seasons the club moved to the council owned Bailey Park, where the team plays to this day. Changing Rooms were built at the clubhouse in 1960.
The clubhouse sits in the top corner of Fairfield Car Park just north of the town centre off the A40 Brecon Road. The club backs onto the two rugby pitches at Bailey Park. The clubhouse was extended in 2004/05 to include new changing rooms, showers and physio room through a grant from the Sports Council of Wales in association with the Welsh Rugby Union. The club houses a ground floor lounge and a first floor function room, committee room and kitchen facility.
The rugby club grandstand in Bailey Park was built in 1999 and at that time had seating in from the old Cardiff Arms Park. It was officially opened by Sir Tasker Watkins President of the WRU. Over the years the stand has suffered much vandalism all the seating and later the Welsh slate roof has had to be removed for safety reasons due to vandalism. The roof has been replaced with steel sheeting. The project will take time and money is needed for new seating for supporters and also the stand needs vandal proof shutters to prevent its use to only rugby supporters.
During the 2010/2011 season new floodlights were erected following funding from the Millennium Stadium Charitable Trust, Monmouthshire County Council and a large donation from the Mini and Junior sections of the club raised through their successful annual Rugby Festival 'The Tournament' that takes place at Usk Showground each year. The lights cost in the region of £50K.
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