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Pontypool Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in the town of Pontypool. They play in the WRU Championship (Known as SWALEC Championship for sponsorship purposes) and due to the regionalisation of Welsh rugby in 2003 Pontypool RFC is now a feeder club to Newport Gwent Dragons regional team. Pontypool play their home matches at Pontypool Park. Their traditional home kit is Red, White and Black hooped shirt and socks with white shorts, although they did gradually shift to wearing black shorts post-2003. Pontypool RFC has a long history within Welsh rugby and is one of the most notable clubs, being present at the formation of the Welsh Rugby Union in 1881, but disbanding before the turn of the 19th century. The club reformed in 1901, the club's accepted formation date, and produced many notable Wales and British Lions international players; most notably the Jones brothers in the early 20th century and the ''Pontypool Front Row'' of Charlie Faulkner, Graham Price and Bobby Windsor in the 1970s. The club's 'Golden Era' is generally accepted as the 1970s and 80s when under the coaching of Ray Prosser the first team won the Welsh Club Championship in 1973 and 1975. ==Early history== Although the club state that their formation date is 1868, there is no written proof to substantiate the claim. The club was definitely in existence in the later 19th century, with Cardiff playing a team called Peglers Pontypool during the 1877-78 season and a Pontypool club were one of six teams that created the South Wales Cup competition that same season.〔Smith (1980), pg 43.〕 In 1881, Pontypool was one of the eleven clubs present at the formation of the Welsh Rugby Union in Neath,〔Smith (1980), pg 41.〕 but by the end of the century the club had disbanded. In 1901 the club reformed, launching at a public meeting at the Pontypool Town Hall. The club was derived from a combination of three local clubs, Pontypool Thursdays, Pontypool Saturdays and Pontymoel.〔Thomas (1980), pg 222.〕 Pontypool RFC played their first official match at the Recreation Ground against Cardiff Romilly on 21 September 1901,〔 and by 1904 the club had won the Monmouthshire League.〔Thomas (1980), pg 223.〕 After winning the Monmouthshire League again in 1907 Pontypool was recognised as having 'first-class' status for the 1907/08 season, allowing the club to face more notable opposition. Pontypool's first international player to be capped directly from the club was Cliff Pritchard, who after playing his first games for Wales as a Newport player, joined Pontypool in 1905 and was capped as part of the 1906 Home Nations Championship. Closely following Pritchard were the Jones brothers, David (known as 'Ponty' Jones), Jack and 'Tuan'. All three were capped for the Wales team, representing their country over the period 1907-1921. As well as representing Wales, Jack and 'Tuan' both played for the British Isles team, making them the first British Lions to be selected from Pontypool. In season 1913/14 Pontypool became the unofficial Welsh Club Champions for the first time. During the early 1920s Pontypool was one of several major Welsh clubs to suffer from the emergence of professional rugby in England. The club's second Welsh Club Championship came in 1920/21. In the 1921-22 season Pontypool RFC began with only seven players available to them on their roster as players moved to clubs that paid a wage to play.〔Smith (1980), pg 209.〕 Pontypool RFC continued to struggle through the 1920s, even though their success on the field was impressive. In 1927 Pontypool were victorious against the Waratahs and the Maoris but were two thousand pounds in debt, and the WRU's refusal to allow them a fixture against the South African national team caused local resentment.〔Smith (1980), pg 260.〕 However Pontypool won back-to-back Welsh Club Championships in seasons 1931/32 and then 1932/33. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Pontypool RFC」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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