Taibach RFC
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| Full name | Taibach Rugby Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Tigers | |
| Founded | 1894 | |
| Location | Taibach, Wales | |
| Ground(s) | The Plough | |
| Chairman | Paul Parry | |
| Coach(es) | Richard Hopkins, Steve Oliver | |
| League(s) | WRU Division Three West Central A | |
| 2021/22 | 1st[1] | |
| ||
| Official website | ||
| www | ||
Taibach Rugby Football Club are a Welsh rugby union club based in Taibach of Port Talbot in Wales, UK. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is also a feeder club for the Ospreys.[2]
Taibach RFC were the winners of the inaugural Glamorgan County Silver Ball Trophy competition during the 1956-57 season beating Skewen RFC.
Youth policy
Current Junior & Mini Section Coaches.
Dev / U7, U8’s - Dean Scully, Stuart Evans, Chris Thomas
Under 9’s - Sam Coombes, Dafydd Johnston, Marcus Francis
Under 10's - Phil Evans, Stuart Mason, Mike Kelly, Stuart Evans, Ryan Thomas
Under 12’s - Matthew Hare, Andrew Roche, Gary Jenkins, Carl Hillier
Under 15’s - Rob Shaw, Simon Rees, Anthony Terry, Steve Lloyd, Andrew Morris, Alan Davies
Junior Section Coordinator- Simon Rees
Taibach has a history of producing young talent. Coached by Phill Terry and Steve Gadd the 1999-2003 team were a success. In recent years Taibach have produced two full British Lions, James Hook and Richard Hibbard, as well as three Welsh youth player (under 18's) Michael Kelly, Matthew Bradley and Richard Hibbard.
In 1999 no fewer than seven Taibach youth players gained international honours with the 'Boys Club of Wales' Andrew Gadd (Captain), Matthew Bradley, Richard Hibbard, Michael Kelly, Andrew Redmore, Daniel Cumberlin and Craig Harding.
In the youth team's first year, the young side finished second, losing a title decider on the last game of the season to Tonmawr, and losing in the final of the Neath/Port talbot cup to Aberavon.
In their second season the team proved to be unbeatable in the league, winning 18 out of 18 games and narrowly losing, again to Aberavon, in the cup final. The season saw notable performances from Michael Kelly, Matthew Rowland, Richard Lewis, and Richard Hibbard with Matthew Bradley and Mark Fender finishing joint top scorers with 26 tries apiece.
The final season saw the team promoted to the 'Premier' league of youth rugby, but a mix of injuries, international call ups and college rugby affected the team's results, who finished mid table and lost both cup final semi finals to Skewen and Resolven. The team did however claim the Neath/Port Talbot 7's and 10's tournaments.
The club have a vibrant Junior & Mini Section made up of under a teams including:- Development Squad, Under 7's, 8's, 9’s, 10's, 12's and U15’s. The mini section of Taibach RFC are nicknamed "The Tiger Cubs".
Club honours
- Glamorgan County Silver Ball Trophy 1957 - Champions
Notable former players
International players
Richard Hibbard- James Hook
- Dan Jones
- Trevor Lloyd
- William Mainwaring
- Alan McCarley
- Bryn Phillips
- Walter Vickery
- Evan Williams
- Gerwyn Williams
- Andrew Millward
Senior players
Players who went on to represent 'Premiership' clubs at senior levels are.
- Swansea RFC- Richard Hibbard, Matthew Bradley, Mark Fender, Richard Lewis
- Aberavon RFC- Denzil Jones, James Jones, Matthew Bradley, Michael Kelly, Mark Fender
- Bridgend RFC-Michael Kelly
- Neath RFC-James Hook
- Ospreys-James Hook, Richard Hibbard
Notes
- ^ WRU official website
- ^ BBC News (8 July 2004). "Wales' regional rugby map". BBC. Retrieved 11 June 2008.