Merthyr RFC
| Full name | Merthyr Rugby Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Ironmen |
| Founded | 1876 |
| Location | Merthyr Tydfil, Wales |
| Ground(s) | The Wern (Capacity: 4,500) |
| President |
 Sir Stanley Thomas |
| Coach(es) | Garry Horrigan, Lee Jarvis, Dale McIntosh,Jamie Ringer |
| Captain(s) | Craig Locke, James Howe |
| League(s) | Principality Premiership |
| 2015-16 | WRU Championship, 1st (promoted) |
| Official website | |
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Merthyr RFC is a Welsh rugby union club based in Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales. Merthyr RFC are members of the Welsh Rugby Union, playing in the Principality Premiership, and are a feeder club for the Cardiff Blues.
The first recorded rugby game involving Merthyr was on 25 November 1876 against a side from Brecon. The result is believed to have been a draw. Merthyr RFC are recognised as one of the eleven clubs present on 12 April 1881 for the formation of the Welsh Rugby Union. The club, along with Brecon, Pontypool, Llandovery College, Lampeter College and Llandeilo then inaugurated the South Wales Cup competition in the 1877-78 season.
During these early years Merthyr RFC played at the Plymouth Ground at Pentrebach and were known as Merthyr Alexandra.
Following the First World War the Club played at Gwynnes Field, Cefn Coed and also at Penydarren Park although during the Second World War there was very little rugby played in Merthyr, a situation reflected throughout Wales. However, in 1948 a meeting governed by Cyril Williams, Monty Warrington and Ron Gethin was enthusiastically supported and the game of rugby union returned to Merthyr Tydfil. The club played out of Dix's field, Danydarren, and then on to Glyndyrus field Abercanaid, before moving to the current ground, the Wern in Ynysfach in 1958.
In September 1960 the New Clubhouse opened in Ynysfach, and two years later, Merthyr Youth were formed.
Merthyr RFC played Amateur District Rugby in the Rhondda and East Glamorgan District until they defeated Mold RFC at Abercynon to secure promotion and entry to the Fifth Division of the Heineken League under the Captaincy of Craig Dummett in 1993/4. Promotion immediately followed from the fifth to the fourth, then the third to the first in successive years (The two division jump caused by WRU restructuring of the league). Merthyr remained in the First Division for six seasons before being relegated to Division 2 following a players' strike. It took three seasons to achieve promotion back to the first division.
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