Welshpool RFC
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| Welshpool RFC | |||
| Full name | Welshpool Rugby Union Football Club | ||
| Founded | 1923 | ||
| Location | Welshpool, Wales | ||
| Ground(s) | Maes y Dre Recreation Ground | ||
| President | Alun Gape | ||
| Coach | Aaron Hobson | ||
| League | WRU Division Five North | ||
| 2006-07 | 7th[1] | ||
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Welshpool Rugby Union Football Club. (Clwb Rygbi'r Trallwng) is a rugby union club based in the Mid Wales town of Welshpool, whose first XV play in the Welsh Rugby Union Division 5 North. The club also run a 2nd XV, who compete in the Cambrian Training Mid Wales League, as well as a women's side and several junior sides.
The club was originally founded in 1923, before later being disbanded and reformed in 1967. The club's playing field is based at the Maes y Dre recreation ground in Welshpool. Changing facilities and clubhouse are shared with the local cricket club.
The club's traditional home colours are blue, white and black.
Mr Ithel Gilbert Davies is the club's Patron, with Mr Alun Gape being current Club President. At present, the club's committee is as follows: Mr Frank Johns (Chairman), Mr Nick Larder (Vice-Chairman and Fixture Secretary), Mr Gary Williams (Secretary), Mr Tom Carter (Assistant Secretary), Mr John Hulse (Treasurer), Mr Mel John (Commercial and Membership Committee), Alun Gape (Commercial and Membership Committee, Club President), Mr Aaron Hobson (Commercial and Membership Committee, Club Coach), Mr Daley Jones (Social Committee), Mr Peter Davies (Social Committee), Mr Andrew Thomas (Social Committee). The club captain for the 2007-8 season is Alan Williams, with the 2nd XV captain being David Owen.
[edit] Brief History
Since reforming in 1967, Welshpool Rugby Club has become both a member of the Mid Wales District Rugby Union and the Welsh Rugby Union, which the club joined in 1990. At other times in the club's history it has also been a member of the North Wales Rugby Union and the Shropshire Rugby Union.
In the club's early days, there were no other clubs in the Montgomeryshire area, so most fixtures took place against sides from Shropshire: the club's first fixture after reformation was a 23-14 victory over Shrewsbury Wednesdays, and the 1967-68 fixture list included fixtures against English sides such as Bridgnorth and Newport (Shropshire), as well as Welsh opposition such as Builth Wells, Aberystwyth and Ruthin. To the current day, the club still play regularly against Shrewsbury and Oswestry in the pre-season. As more clubs were formed or re-formed in Mid Wales towns such as Newtown and Llandrindod Wells (both of whom played their inaugural fixtures against Welshpool), more fixtures came to be played against Mid Wales opposition, with the club being involved in the Mid Wales League from its earliest seasons, and where the club's 2nd XV play to this day.
Like many clubs, however, Welshpool wished to become a full member of the WRU, and was granted membership in the early 1990s, initially competing against teams from all over Wales in Divisions 7 and 8, before becoming a part of the new North Wales league structure, in which they compete now in Division 5 (in reality, this is essentially 'North Wales Division 2') alongside teams such as C.O.B.R.A., Machynlleth and Rhyl.
The club's on-field fortunes vary from one season to another, with the 1st XV finishing 7th in the 2006/2007 season, and the 2nd XV finishing next-to-bottom in the Mid Wales League. Whilst previous seasons have seen the club struggle to regularly field two sides on the same day, this situation appears to have been remedied somewhat in the present season: thus far, the club's 2nd XV are the only side in the Mid Wales League to have fulfilled all of their fixtures.
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