Treherbert RLFC
| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Treherbert Rugby League Football Club |
| Founded | April 1908 |
| Exited | 1910 |
| Former details | |
| Ground(s) |
|
| Competition | Welsh League Northern Rugby League |
| 1910 | 28th |
Treherbert Rugby League Football Club was a professional rugby league club based in Treherbert, Wales playing in the Welsh League and Northern Union. Based at the Athletic Ground, Treherbert were one of the first professional Welsh teams, formed in 1908 but folding after just two seasons. Treherbert also produced a single player, David Galloway, who gained international caps directly from the team.
In 1908 Treherbert was a large village at the head of the Rhondda Valley, a heavy industrial coal mining area. The village already had a rugby union team, Treherbert RFC, but after the creation of two rugby league clubs in 1907, Merthyr Tydfil RLFC and Ebbw Vale RLFC, attempts were made to form a professional team to play in the Northern Rugby League. In April 1908, the Treherbert and District Northern Union Club Ltd was formed with capital of £500. The team played at the Athletic Ground in the village, and set their headquarters at the local pub, the Dunraven Hotel. Treherbert were admitted to the Northern Union on 30 June 1908, along with fellow Rhondda team Mid-Rhondda. Treherbert not only joined the Northern Union, but with the addition of Barry and Aberdare, the six newly formed teams set up the Welsh League.
Treherbert's first game of the 1908/09 season was on 5 September 1908 against fellow Welsh club Barry, Treherbert lost 3-6. A week later the club faced their first team from the Northern Leagues, a home tie with Halifax which Treherbert being outscored seven tries to two, losing 6-27. The very next game was against Mid-Rhondda, and resulted in Treherbert's first win. Although failing to beat the north of England teams, they continued to do well against their fellow Welsh teams. On 17 December 1908, Treherbert faced the touring Australian national team. In front of a crowd of 4000, the Welsh club lost to Australia by a narrow 3-6 score, the 'Kangaroos' outscoring Treherbert by two tries to one. Treherbert's results continued to be poor in the second half of the season, including a heavy 29-0 defeat away to Dewsbury. More difficulties occurred when, in a 10-0 defeat to Merthyr, two newly acquired players, Bob Williams and H. Harding, were prevented from playing after their joining forms had been 'destroyed'. After a further loss to Ebbw Vale and a draw with Barry, Treherbert faced Merthyr again, this time a Welsh League match. Treherbert's win over Merthyr was described as 'one of the greatest surprises of the football season', but bad followed good, when in the last game of the season, in a Welsh League encounter with Mid-Rhondda, the referee left the pitch before the end of the game in protest of both teams' rough play.
...
Wikipedia