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Previous:
1947-48
The 1948-49 Season
Next:
1949-50

In 1948-49 Hedley Rowland took over the captaincy and proved to be a popular and inspirational leader. His influence provided highly entertaining rugby such that Newport had some of the biggest gates in their history. Hedley believed that attack was the best form of defence and as a result 532pts were scored and only 170 conceded. Illness meant that he only played 27 matches but he was still top try scorer with 19t, 1pg and 4c.

Apart from Hedley Rowland Newport had key players in half-backs Roy Burnett who was starting to come into his own and Haydn Thomas.

Bunner Travers made a magnificent comeback at hooker and pack leader and was ably supported by forwards Ernie Coleman, Tom Sterry, Peter Davies, L. E. T. Jones, R. T. Evans, Dando and Stewart Kimpton. Newbridge fullback Gerry Gibbons solved the fullback problem and became a key attacker when Jack Evans joined Hunslet.

Ken Jones was at Loughborough College, Malcolm Thomas had joined the Royal Navy, while Graham Ross and Deryck Jones missed many games through injury. This was a vintage year and Newport had gates of 19,500 and 24,000 for the two Cardiff games, 15,000 for the Watsonians and 14,000 for the Barbarians. Roy Burnett led the appearances on 39.

January of 1949 had seen the Secondary Schools "international" between Wales and Yorkshire at Rodney Parade. It was noted in the match programme that: "The Newport Athletic Club are happy to stage this match, and warmly welcome the Yorkshire and Welsh teams and officials to their grounds to-day. In this warm, generous atmosphere of Rugby football, steeped as all schoolboys must know, in such great and continuing tradition, there is source here in itself for inspiration to the 30 young men taking the fie!d this afternoon. It is right, as in the past, to anticipate football of a high standard, as befits the occasion, and to express the hope that for all concerned - players and officials alike - the Newport International of 1949 will be one memorable to recall." The Wales team included the legend-in-waiting that was Cliff Morgan of Tonyrefail, and an equal Black & Amber legend-in-waiting, a certain B. Meredith of West Mon Grammar School.



  • Results
  • Squad
1
Newport
19
- 8Penarth
04 Sep
2
Newport
26
- 3Abertillery
11 Sep
3
Newport
6
- 3Bristol Rugby
18 Sep
4
Swansea
10
- 5Newport
25 Sep
5
Newport
0
- 9Cardiff
02 Oct
6
Blackheath
0
- 25Newport
09 Oct
7
Newport
22
- 3Leicester Tigers
16 Oct
8
Llanelli
11
- 16Newport
23 Oct
9
Newport
6
- 0Neath
30 Oct
10
London Welsh
0
- 16Newport
06 Nov
11
Cardiff
5
- 3Newport
13 Nov
12
Newport
3
- 3Newbridge
20 Nov
13
Newport
16
- 6Gloucester
27 Nov
14
Bristol Rugby
8
- 10Newport
04 Dec
15
Newport
6
- 3Cambridge University
09 Dec
16
Newport
25
- 5Plymouth Albion
11 Dec
17
Newport
3
- 0Swansea
18 Dec
18
Newport
11
- 3Watsonians
27 Dec
19
Devonport Services
3
- 15Newport
01 Jan
20
Neath
11
- 3Newport
08 Jan
21
Newport
16
- 8Coventry
15 Jan
22
Richmond
3
- 33Newport
22 Jan
23
Wasps
3
- 19Newport
29 Jan
24
Newport
13
- 6Llanelli
05 Feb
25
Newport
10
- 3Oxford University
10 Feb
26
Leicester Tigers
3
- 22Newport
12 Feb
27
Newport
3
- 3Cardiff
19 Feb
28
Newport
20
- 3Blackheath
26 Feb
29
Cardiff
5
- 0Newport
05 Mar
30
Newport
18
- 0Wasps
12 Mar
31
Bath Rugby
0
- 18Newport
19 Mar
32
Gloucester
6
- 3Newport
26 Mar
33
Plymouth Albion
0
- 6Newport
02 Apr
34
Falmouth
3
- 10Newport
04 Apr
35
Penzance & Newlyn
3
- 11Newport
05 Apr
36
Cross Keys
0
- 13Newport
09 Apr
37
Newport
34
- 8Bath Rugby
16 Apr
38
Newport
8
- 16London Welsh
18 Apr
39
Newport
5
- 6Barbarians
19 Apr
40
Penarth
5
- 25Newport
23 Apr
41
Newport
9
- 0Devonport Services
30 Apr

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