South Wales RLFC (1995)

South Wales RLFC was a rugby league club formed in 1995. South Wales during their existence played at Morfa Stadium, Swansea, the Talbot Athletic Ground, Aberavon and Cardiff Arms Park.

A team formed in late 2009 also used the name South Wales RLFC before going on to become known as South Wales Scorpions then South Wales Ironmen before moving to West Wales and playing as West Wales Raiders.

The South Wales region had always been an attractive area to the rugby league because of its similarities to Yorkshire and Lancashire in having a mass industrial population which followed rugby enthusiastically. In 1907 a team representing Aberdare was formed, and by 1908-09 there were six Welsh rugby league teams with clubs based in Ebbw Vale, Merthyr Tydfill, Mid Rhondda, Treherbert and Barry. All of these clubs were defunct by 1912. Ebbw Vale survived the longest, five seasons.

Encouraged by the 22,000 strong crowd which attended the Wales vs England match in 1926, local promoters established a club in Pontypridd. The club initially experienced good sized crowds however poor results soon saw attendances drop, and the club only lasted eight games into its second season before folding.

A team was formed in Cardiff and played in the 1947/48 and 1951/52 seasons.

Rugby league would not revisit south Wales until 1981 to 1985 when the Cardiff City Blue Dragons existed as a club. Much like its predecessors initial interest waned when the club suffered from poor results, low attendances and a relocation to Bridgend before they finally disbanded at the end of the 1985 season.

South Wales RLFC during their first season (1996) in the Rugby Football League were reasonably successful and came fifth in the second division; winning twelve games and losing ten. Games were played at Talbot Athletic Ground Aberavon, one game was played at Morfa Stadium Swansea against Bramley and all the games for the second half of the season were at Cardiff Arms Park. They were coached by Clive Griffiths and assisted by Danny Sheehy.^[1]

Initially the club had no playing kit of their own so they borrowed the Welsh international team's kit for the first three games. After that they wore a specially designed plain red strip with the traditional three feathers logo to distinguish them from the national side.

The first home game played at Aberavon on 31 March 1996 saw an attendance of 1,876, when the club played Hull Kingston Rovers and lost 70-8. Crowds fluctuated depending upon where the club played, and the last home game of the season saw a crowd of only 400 witness the club defeating York 20-16 at Cardiff Arms Park.

Due to the relative success of the club and their geographical location outside the heartlands of British rugby league, the club had high hopes that it would be awarded a Super League franchise. A case was put forward by Mike Nicholas and Clive Griffiths and was initially accepted after a 16-11 vote by the RFL council. However at the beginning of September, the RFL Board of Directors refused a final endorsement of a Super League place with a £1 million guarantee of support deemed 'insufficient'. The franchise was then awarded to Gateshead Thunder instead. A meeting a few days later decided to place the South Wales in the second tier of British rugby league, the First Division, but the club decided that this would not be financially viable and the decision was made to disband the club altogether before the start of the 1997 season.

During their first, and only, season South Wales utilised forty-two players.^[2]

№	Name	Date of Birth (Age)	Début	Position	Appearances	Tries	Goals	Drop goals	Points	Age on Début	Representative	Records/Notes
1	Ioan Bebb	(1970-09-02) 2 September 1970 (age 54)	31 March 1996 (1996-03-31)	Fullback	16	7	45	0	118	25 yrs 6 mths 29 days		Search for "Bebb" at rugbyleagueproject.org
2	Ian Perryment	(1972-11-28) 28 November 1972 (age 51)	31 March 1996 (1996-03-31)	Right wing	12	6	0	0	24	23 yrs 4 mths 3 days		Search for "Perryment" at rugbyleagueproject.org
3	Andy Currier	(1966-04-08) 8 April 1966 (age 58)	31 March 1996 (1996-03-31)	Right-Centre	22	14	0	0	56	29 yrs 11 mths 23 days
4	Mike Riley	(1970-11-22) 22 November 1970 (age 53)	31 March 1996 (1996-03-31)	Left-Centre	22	7	0	0	28	25 yrs 4 mths 9 days		[3]
5	Sean Marshall	(1968-06-01) 1 June 1968 (age 56)	31 March 1996 (1996-03-31)	Left wing	21	15	0	0	60	27 yrs 9 mths 30 days		Search for "Marshall" at rugbyleagueproject.org
6	David Rees	(1965-09-23) 23 September 1965 (age 59)	31 March 1996 (1996-03-31)	Stand-off	3	1	4	0	12	30 yrs 6 mths 8 days		Search for "Rees" at rugbyleagueproject.org
7	James Churcher	(1973-05-28) 28 May 1973 (age 51)	31 March 1996 (1996-03-31)	Scrum-half	10	2	0	1	9	22 yrs 10 mths 3 days		for "Churcher" at rugbyleagueproject.org
8	Barry Picton	(1972-04-29) 29 April 1972 (age 52)	31 March 1996 (1996-03-31)	Left-Prop	5	0	0	0	0	23 yrs 11 mths 2 days		Search for "Picton" at rugbyleagueproject.org
9	Byron Lloyd	(1970-04-19) 19 April 1970 (age 54)	31 March 1996 (1996-03-31)	Hooker	4	0	0	0	0	25 yrs 11 mths 12 days		Search for "Lloyd" at rugbyleagueproject.org
10	Hugh Waddell	(1958-11-13) 13 November 1958 (age 66)	31 March 1996 (1996-03-31)	Right-Prop	15	1	0	0	4	36 yrs 6 mths 30 days		alternative (incorrect?) date of birth of 1 September 1959 given at walesrugbyleague.co.uk
11	Matthew Taylor	(1973-04-28) 28 April 1973 (age 51)	31 March 1996 (1996-03-31)	Left-Second-row	1	0	0	0	0	22 yrs 11 mths 3 days		Search for "Taylor" at rugbyleagueproject.org
12	Andrew Lippiatt	(1975-10-16) 16 October 1975 (age 49)	31 March 1996 (1996-03-31)	Right-Second-row	5	0	0	0	0	20 yrs 5 mths 15 days		Search for "Lippiatt" at rugbyleagueproject.org
13	Dave Williams	(1967-05-20) 20 May 1967 (age 57)	31 March 1996 (1996-03-31)	Loose forward	9	4	0	0	16	28 yrs 10 mths 11 days	Heritage № 376
14	James Alvis	(1970-09-01) 1 September 1970 (age 54)	31 March 1996 (1996-03-31)		14	5	0	0	20	25 yrs 6 mths 30 days		Search for "Alvis" at rugbyleagueproject.org
15	Mike Jarman	(1971-09-14) 14 September 1971 (age 53)	31 March 1996 (1996-03-31)		1	0	0	0	0	24 yrs 6 mths 17 days		Search for "Jarman" at rugbyleagueproject.org
16	John McAtee	(1975-11-11) 11 November 1975 (age 49)	5 April 1996 (1996-04-05)		3	0	0	0	0	20 yrs 4 mths 25 days		[4]
17	Anthony Hatton	(1975-10-09) 9 October 1975 (age 49)	5 April 1996 (1996-04-05)		21	5	0	4	24	20 yrs 5 mths 27 days		Search for "Hatton" at rugbyleagueproject.org
18	Nick Romanello	(1968-04-22) 22 April 1968 (age 56)	5 April 1996 (1996-04-05)		4	0	0	0	0	27 yrs 11 mths 14 days		Search for "Romanello" at rugbyleagueproject.org
19	Mark Isherwood	(1969-03-09) 9 March 1969 (age 55)	5 April 1996 (1996-04-05)		5	0	0	0	0	27 yrs 0 mths 27 days		Search for "Isherwood" at rugbyleagueproject.org
20	Clint Rylance	(1973-09-01) 1 September 1973 (age 51)	5 April 1996 (1996-04-05)		10	0	0	0	0	22 yrs 7 mths 4 days		Search for "Rylance" at rugbyleagueproject.org
21	Anthony Thomas	(1967-07-19) 19 July 1967 (age 57)	5 April 1996 (1996-04-05)		7	0	0	0	0	28 yrs 8 mths 17 days		Search for "Thomas" at rugbyleagueproject.org
22	Mike Healy	(1965-08-29) 29 August 1965 (age 59)	8 April 1996 (1996-04-08)		8	1	18	0	40	30 yrs 7 mths 10 days		Search for "Healy" at rugbyleagueproject.org
23	Mark Wysocki	(1965-06-16) 16 June 1965 (age 59)	8 April 1996 (1996-04-08)		6	2	0	0	8	30 yrs 9 mths 23 days		Search for "Wysocki" at rugbyleagueproject.org
24	Neil Kelly	(1973-01-20) 20 January 1973 (age 51)	12 April 1996 (1996-04-12)		5	1	0	0	4	23 yrs 2 mths 23 days		Search for "Kelly" at rugbyleagueproject.org
25	Ian Moffatt	(1970-06-30) 30 June 1970 (age 54)	12 April 1996 (1996-04-12)		1	0	0	0	0	25 yrs 9 mths 13 days		Search for "Moffatt" at rugbyleagueproject.org
26	John Fieldhouse	(1962-06-28) 28 June 1962 (age 62)	21 April 1996 (1996-04-21)		14	0	0	0	0	33 yrs 9 mths 24 days
27	Gerald Williams	(1968-01-04) 4 January 1968 (age 56)	21 April 1996 (1996-04-21)		18	2	0	0	8	28 yrs 3 mths 17 days
28	Nigel Morris	(1974-10-02) 2 October 1974 (age 50)	5 May 1996 (1996-05-05)		5	2	0	0	8	21 yrs 7 mths 3 days		Search for "Morris" at rugbyleagueproject.org
29	Paul Williamson	(1969-11-27) 27 November 1969 (age 54)	12 May 1996 (1996-05-12)		3	3	0	0	12	26 yrs 5 mths 15 days		[5]
30	Steve Warburton	(1969-02-06) 6 February 1969 (age 55)	12 May 1996 (1996-05-12)		6	1	0	0	4	27 yrs 3 mths 6 days		[6]
31	Paul Moriarty	(1964-07-16) 16 July 1964 (age 60)	17 May 1996 (1996-05-17)		5	1	0	0	4	31 yrs 10 mths 1 days	Heritage № 350
32	Gerald Cordle	(1960-09-29) 29 September 1960 (age 64)	26 May 1996 (1996-05-26)		6	4	0	0	16	35 yrs 7 mths 27 days	Heritage № 357
33	Mark Wallington	(1972-07-12) 12 July 1972 (age 52)	26 May 1996 (1996-05-26)		14	4	0	3	19	23 yrs 10 mths 14 days		[7]
34	Paul Mills	(1974-04-17) 17 April 1974 (age 50)	16 June 1996 (1996-06-16)		11	1	0	0	4	22 yrs 1 mths 30 days		Search for "Mills" at rugbyleagueproject.org
35	Nick Jenkins	(1974-02-24) 24 February 1974 (age 50)	16 June 1996 (1996-06-16)		11	2	0	0	8	22 yrs 3 mths 23 days		[8]
36	Stewart Cash	(1973-01-12) 12 January 1973 (age 51)	16 June 1996 (1996-06-16)		11	0	0	0	0	23 yrs 5 mths 4 days		Search for "Cash" at rugbyleagueproject.org
37	Shane McIntosh	(1968-12-22) 22 December 1968 (age 55)	23 June 1996 (1996-06-23)		2	0	0	0	0	27 yrs 6 mths 1 days		Search for "McIntosh" at rugbyleagueproject.org
38	Neil Mawdsley	(1972-07-28) 28 July 1972 (age 52)	30 June 1996 (1996-06-30)		5	1	0	0	4	23 yrs 11 mths 2 days		[9]
39	Marcus Barnard	(1970-10-07) 7 October 1970 (age 54)	30 June 1996 (1996-06-30)		8	2	0	0	8	25 yrs 8 mths 23 days		Search for "Barnard" at rugbyleagueproject.org
40	Nigel Edmunds	(1969-06-27) 27 June 1969 (age 55)	14 July 1996 (1996-07-14)		7	0	0	0	0	27 yrs 0 mths 17 days		Search for "Edmunds" at rugbyleagueproject.org
41	Paul John	(1970-01-25) 25 January 1970 (age 54)	14 July 1996 (1996-07-14)		3	0	0	0	0	26 yrs 5 mths 19 days		Search for "John" at rugbyleagueproject.org
42	John Doherty	(1977-01-06) 6 January 1977 (age 47)	28 July 1996 (1996-07-28)		5	1	2	2	10	19 yrs 6 mths 22 days		Search for "Doherty" at rugbyleagueproject.org

• Fletcher, Raymond (1997). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1997. Headline Book Publishing. p. 120. ISBN 978-0-7472-7764-4.
• Farrer, Dave (1995). Touch and Go: A History of Professional Rugby League in London. p.6: London League Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-0-9526064-0-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
• Golden, Ian (2009). A Welsh Crusade: Building Rugby League in Wales 1990 to 2009. London League Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1-903659-47-2.

• Sport in Cardiff
• Rugby league in Wales