History of Newport RFC :: 1874

A sad day in the history of Newport RFC: the last home game before the introduction of the Welsh Rugby Union's so-called "regional" system.

From the match programme:-

"It's going to be a difficult afternoon for many of the players today. For many of us it will be a farewell appearance at Rodney Parade, a rugby home we have all come to respect and love. Not that sentiment is going to get in the way of our desire to sign off our season in front of the best fans in the business with a victory."

"A lot of the players on the field today will be joining forces next season to form the new Gwent Rugby regional team. I will be heading back to the Zurich Premiership to link up with Saracens."

"I will never forget my time here in Wales. How could I? My youngest son was born here and is Welsh qualified and as a family, we've had a wonderful four years. Let me take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported myself and my family so wonderfully well in that time."

"But all good things come to an end eventually and, in professional sport in particular, there is never too much room for sentiment."

"I will however, always remember Rodney Parade and the wonderful Newport fans for the rest of my life and I hope that some of you will recall the big Fijian who played his heart out for one of the greatest club sides in the world."

"It has been an absolute joy for me, although I do wish we had enjoyed a bit more success. Whilst there have been some great days, they have perhaps been a bit too far apart."

"To the coaches and players, I say another huge "Thank You" for backing me and for helping me become a better player. There have been some great players at this club during my time and it has been a privilege to play with them all."

Today is a very important game for all of us. We want to sign off it style, although I'm sure Mike Ruddock's Ebbw Vale side will have a different plan."

"Thanks for everything."

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"What a way to bring down the curtain on the season at Rodney Parade with a game against my former club, Ebbw Vale!!"

"And what an opportunity for the players from both sides to get to know each other ahead of next season's merger!"

"If anyone thought this was going to be an end of season frolic, then think again. Today's game is going to be deadly serious and we will be going full steam to win the final professional game played by Newport at Rodney Parade."

"At the end of a long campaign you always reflect on what has gone on. The results haven't been as good as we all hoped. It would have been nice to have won the Principality Cup having reached the final and we might have won a few more of our European games. It hasn't been an easy season, although I think we've all learned a lot."

"I would like to thank everyone who has worked so hard alongside me in preparing the players. Darryl Jones has kept us all together in his role as director of rugby, Jim McCreedy has managed the team affairs superbly in his role as team manager, Richard Hill and Trystan Bevan have helped me coach and condition the team and Mike Delahay and the medical team have patched up the players in troubled times. It has been a superb team effort off the field as well as on it."

"To the players, I would like to offer my grateful thanks for putting in so much effort. There have been times during the season when we played some great rugby and achieved some good results. The disappointment has been that we haven't been able to string together a run of results to prove what a good team we are capable of being."

"But at least we have got two more chances to end on a high. Today's game is vitally important to everyone connected with the club and the players respect the significance of the day. They will be looking to put on a top class show."

"Next week it's off to Neath for the last game. For many of the group it will be the last time they play together before they go their separate ways. Whilst that'll be very tough, everyone accepts that's life."

"As for myself, the future is not certain, although I haven't lost faith in my ability to coach at the highest level. I will remain in coaching and will be looking forward to the new season once I've had a bit of a break."

"Finally, thank you to. the fans. Newport is blessed with some of the best supporters in the world and it has been a joy for the players to play in front of you."

"Leigh Jones - Head Coach"

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"Legends in Black & Amber..."

"Today witnesses the end of an era - the last home match played by Newport Rugby Football Club at the highest level the domestic game in Wales has to offer."

"From next season there will be a new tier introduced which will see some clubs combine forces to compete in the Heineken Cup and a full blown Celtic League. Newport is one of those clubs and it is rather ironic that today's visitors will be our partners in the yet to be named regional team that will represent Gwent."

"Newport and Ebbw Vale, together with a possible fourteen other clubs will compete in a Welsh League but the level of competition will be greatly diminished."

"Over the last two seasons the Legends in Black & Amber column has identified several of the clubs great players. However, today the attention is focused not on one player but as many as two pages permit; no photographs, just names. Many will not be mentioned and apologies are due to them together with a thank you for the part each and every one played in the history of Newport R.F.C. Reader, prepare yourself for a journey back in time;-"

"Dennis Perrott, Haydn Mainwaring, Des Greenslade, Neville Johnson, Barry Edwards, Geoff Whitson, Neil McPherson, Richard Barrell, Mapson Williams, Paul Young, Jeff Squire, James Richards, Percy Jones, Keith James, Chris Webber, Reg Plummer, Gordon Ross, Norman Morgan, David Cornwall, Len Martin, Lynn Jones, Stanley Williams, Gary Sutton, Matt Mostyn, Albert Fear, Andrew Wagstaff, Robert Ackerman, Del Haines, Ivor Taylor, Bryn Williams, Gareth Gravell, Phil Ward, John Evans, Andy Allen, Vincent Griffiths, Harry Gould, Reg Edwards, John Ryan, Bob Phillips, John Herrera, Nigel Callard, Tom Sterry, Ernie Hammett, Alf Panting, Jerry Shea, Alun Carter, Brian Mills, Gareth Rees, Robert Dibble, Gareth Taylor, Phil Waller, Justin Thomas, Simon Raiwalui, Richard Rees, Willie Llewellyn, Alan Billinghurst, Roger Francis, Shane Howarth, Keiron Gregory, Sean Duggan, Percy Montgomery, George Andrews, Onllwyn Brace, Simon Enoch, Richard Goodey, Roger Bidgood, David Ford, Luke Nabaro, John Jeffrey, David Gray, W H "Duff" Lewis, Andy Marines, MarkYendle, Leighton Davies, Matthew Veater, Wallace Watts, Tom Pearson, Jason Jones-Hughes, Andrew Evans, Steve Ojomoh, Peter Williams, Jack Hancock, Robin Williams, Gary Hicks, Richard Smith, Joe Powell, Bill Morris, MikeVoyle, Richie Wills, Peter Rose, Jon Pritchard, Rob Guilfoyle, Dr. W J Roche, Rhys Jones, Kevin Withey, Alan "Algy" Thomas, David Jones, David Pattison, Geoff Evans, Norman Edwards, Stuart Kimpton, James Hannan, Tom Clapp, Martyn Llewellyn, Phil Waters, Frank Hillman, Andrew Powell, Ricky Stewart, Chris Manley, Paul Rees, Lawrence Gray, Eric Phillips, Haldane Luscombe, Tony Hurford, Chris Wyatt, Richard Stride, Richard Parks, Jason Strange, Brian Cresswell, Keith Poole, Jack Wetter, Rod Snow, W."Bunner" Travers, Raymond Ralph, Martin Webber, Jason Forster, David Rogers, Peter Buxton, Ofisa Tonu'u, Darren Edwards, Emyr Lewis, Peter Rees, Steve Geary, Clive Boulter, Gerry Fuller, Ian Hall, Garfield Owen, Harold Davies, Stuart Barnes, Colin Smart, Bill Everson, Roy Burnett, "Ike" Williams, John Churchill, Steve Lewis, Keri Williams, Peter Bolland, Nigel Wilkes, Keith Rowlands, Danny Wilson, Steve Willis, Adam Palfrey, James Alvis, Gareth Cull, Chris Scott, Alun Harries, Rhys Morgan, J.E.C. "Bird" Partridge, Stuart Watkins, Gwyn Nicholls, Ken Plummer, Lee Fortey, Lloyd Davies, Dennis Hughes, David Burcher, Glyn Davidge, Gus Gould, Jason Hewlett, Sven Cronk, David Smith, Louis Phillips, Will Dowell, Jonathan Westwood, Neil Brown, Bryn Meredith, Arthur Gould, David Waters, Del Haines, Simon McCracken, Adrian Garvey, Andrew Lewis, Matthew J. Watkins, Robbie Kempson, Andrew Peacock, Ceri Jones, Andrew Dibble, Tommy Vile, David Watkins, Ken Jones, Colin Smart, Peter Williams, Byron Hayward, Ben Atkins, Shaun Connor, Keith Lee, Ian Jeffreys, Nicky Lloyd, John Colderley, Jan Machacek, Vince Davies, Walter Martin, Ian Gough, Ben Watkins, Matthew Robinson, Billy Watkins, Jeff Palmer, Gary Abraham, Andy Pocock, Teddy Morgan, Gareth Evans, Laurie Daniels, Martin Parry, William Phillips, Harry Packer, George Boots, George "Twyber" Travers, Dr. C.A. Anderson, Andrew Perry, Adrian Parry, Matt Pini, Percy Jones, Chris John, Eddie Mogford, Richard Taylor, Harry Day, Trevor Brewer, Ben Breeze, Reg Skrimshire, Damien Cummins, Mark Davis, Chris Scott, Bobby Owen, Jack Morley, Ken Richards, Neil Jones, Doug Ackerman, Brian Perrins, Graham Bevan, Ron Herrera, Keith Orrell, Colin Prescott, Bob Prosser, W Clifford Phillips, Tom Graham, Tom Baker Jones, Alix Popham, Ben Edwards, Gary Abraham, Jeff Hazzard, David Barry, Brian Scrivens, Fred Sagoe, Hassan Ali, Keith Jarrett, Chris Anthony, Llyr Lane, Brian Price, Gary Teichmann, Jim McCreedy, Nigel Wilks, Chris Scott, Franco Smith, Ian Ford, Gordon Britton, Theo Harding, Nathan Brew, Vivian Law, Ian McJennett, Richie Collins, Jim Dale, John Widdicombe, Peter Rogers, Roger Powell, Mark Workman, John Mantle, Mike" Watkins, Matt Cardey, John Gwilliam, David Bale, Alan Skirving, Phil Steele, Roy Duggan, Frank Trott, Peter Davies, Brian Jones, Kevin Moseley, Steve Jones, Barry Llewellyn, Billy Raybould, Scott Mitchell, Dale Burn, Paul Cooke, Brynmor Williams, Walter Legge, Beddoe Thomas, Jeff Watkins, Peter Rees, R.T "Bob" Evans, Charlie Newman, Tony Mogridge, Paul Turner, Wyatt Gould, Gordon Pritchard, Ian Barnard, Brian Lease, Hedley Rowland, Mike Lewis, Gwilym Treharne, David Rees, Byron Thomas, Peter Smith, L.E.T Jones, Alex Cadwallader, John Rogers, Paul Evans, Adrian Hearn, Clive Jenkins, Arthur Boucher, Alan "Archie" Evans, Paul Watts, Vic Perrins, Malcolm Thomas, Jonathan Callard, Jehoida Hodges, Dr.Tom Smyth, Will Geen, Ian Jones, Duncan Hughes, Ben Atkins, Gwili Jenkins, Ken Spray, John Anderson, JacK Hurrell... and many, many more."

"Famous names and not so famous names. The above probably account for no more than 20% of the total number of players who have represented Newport."

"The club will continue but the history that all these players helped create realistically comes to an end at the Gnoll next Friday. Only time will tell if the new structure proves to be the great success some expect, whether the crowds turn up in sufficient numbers to make it economically viable and whether it will have the impact on improving playing standards which will lead to a better national team."

"At approximately 4.15pm today a one hundred and twenty eight year journey comes to an end at Rodney Parade and some time in August another begins which we all must hope succeeds because if it fails there will be no going back."

"It's just an incredible shame that throughout Wales nobody bothered to ask those who support domestic club rugby what they felt should be done - the supporters who, like lemmings, are now expected to turn up and pay for the future of Welsh rugby. Isn't it just possible that someone, somewhere has made the biggest error of judgment the game in Wales has ever seen?"