Llantwit Fardre Rugby Football Club is a

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the Comparison of rugby league and rugby union, two codes of ru ...

team from the village of

Llantwit Fardre Llantwit Fardre ( cy, Llanilltud Faerdref) is a large village and community (and electoral ward) situated on the A473, Pontypridd to Bridgend, road near the Welsh towns of Pontypridd and Llantrisant. Llantwit Fardre is also the name of the old ...

, South

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

. The club was formed in its present state in 1946 and obtained membership of the

Welsh Rugby Union The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU; cy, Undeb Rygbi Cymru) is the governing body of rugby union in the country of Wales, recognised by the sport's international governing body, World Rugby. The WRU is responsible for the running of rugby in Wales, ove ...

in 1949. Llantwit Fardre RFC is a

feeder club In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...

for the

Cardiff Rugby Cardiff Rugby ( cy, Rygbi Caerdydd) are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and in European Professional Club Rugby competitions. Based in Cardiff, the team play at Cardiff Arm ...

Early history

'Parish Rugby was played as early as 1886 on the Duffryn Bach field and continued to be played there until 1908 when the team moved to Tynywaun field, Hollybush, where the game continued until the Great War. At about the same time as the senior side, a junior club came into existence. Before 1908 this team played in the field where, later, The Parade and Lewis Street were built.' A South Wales Daily News article for December 1900 named a Llantwit Fardre team that played Ystrad Stars. Some of these players appear in photographs of the 1908 and 1911 Llantwit Fardre teams in the clubhouse, giving credence to the assumption that Llantwit Fardre RFC was in existence in the season 1900–01. After the First World War, Llantwit Fardre Rugby Football Club was a member of the Pontypridd and Rhondda League, but little evidence exists after 1926, where it appears the team disbanded.

History after the Second World War

The present day club was founded in 1946 as a result of a casual meeting at the

Carpenter's Arms Carpenters Arms is a common British pub name. The Carpenters Arms are today an unrelated series of public houses informally referred to as "Pubs" within the United Kingdom. Historically the first such named "Carpenter Arms" was based on a forfeit ...

, Efail Isaf. A public meeting was held at Bethel Baptist Church in The Parade, Church Village, on Wednesday 22 May 1946. This was later to become the site of the new clubhouse in 1961 On Saturday 19 September 1946 the Club played its first match in the Pontypridd & Rhondda League away to Rhondda Transport. The Club colours were black shirts with white collars. From 1946 to the end of the 1949 season home fixtures were played on fields at Duffryn Dowlais Farm. At the beginning of the 1949–50 season the team transferred to the Vicarage Field. Club Headquarters and changing rooms were based at the Cross Inn, Church Village, some distance from the playing fields. Within three seasons the Club achieved membership of the WRULlantwit's election to membership of the Welsh Rugby Union after three full seasons since the formation of the club has caused a surprise in Welsh rugger circles, writes Frank James. The Observer, Leader & Free Press - Saturday 7 October 1950. In 1951 the

Llantrisant Llantrisant (; " Parish of the Three Saints") is a town in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales, lying on the River Ely and the Afon Clun. The three saints of the town's name ar ...

and Llantwit Fardre Rural District Council made a field available at Cae Fardre, Church Village. It was officially opened on 1 September 1951 with Pontypridd RFC providing the opposition.

Colours

Club badge

The club badge comprises a Welsh dragon holding a bunch of five keys, symbolic of

St. Illtyd St Illtyd is a hamlet near Aberbeeg, in southeast Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It is situated on the mountain road between Pontypool and Abertillery in Blaenau Gwent. It rests at about 1200 feet above sea level. ...

, celebrated as the saint of the five keys. The five keys symbolise:- Youth, Learning, Chivalry, Priesthood and Knighthood.

Club honours

* 1994-95 Welsh League Division 8A Central - Champions

Notable former players

Neil Jenkins Neil Jenkins, (born 8 July 1971) is a Welsh former rugby union player and current coach. He played fly-half, centre, or full back for Pontypridd, Cardiff, Celtic Warriors, Wales and the British & Irish Lions. Jenkins is Wales' highest ever p ...

- the first player to break the 1000 points barrier on an international level.

External links

Llantwit Fardre Rugby Football Club

References

{{Rugby Wales links Rugby union teams in Wales Rugby clubs established in 1946