Caerphilly RFC

Welsh rugby union football club

Rugby team

Caerphilly RFC CR Caerffili

Full name| Caerphilly Rugby Football Club Clwb Rygbi Caerffili
Nickname(s)| The Cheesemen/The Castlemen
Founded| 1887
Location| Caerphilly, Wales
Ground(s)| Virginia Park (Caerphilly) (Capacity: 6,000)
Chairman| Gareth Ashman
Coach(es)| Gareth Short/Jon Hughes
League(s)| WRU Division One East Central

Team kit

Official website
caerphilly.rfc.wales

Caerphilly Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team founded in 1887. Their home ground is The Mollex stadium in Caerphilly and their nickname is The Cheesemen. Caerphilly RFC currently play in the WRU Division One East Central and are a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.[1]

Caerphilly RFC also run a thriving Mini and Junior Section with teams from Under 6's up to Youth. The Youth compete in the Dragons A League whilst the Seconds (known as the Diamonds) compete in a mid district 2nds league. Caerphilly Rugby Football Club is the largest Community Rugby Club in Wales by participation numbers

## History

[edit]

The club was formed on 17 August 1887,[2] and their first reported match was played on 20 October 1887, when Caerphilly played away to St. Andrew's (Cardiff), winning by 1 goal and 2 minors to 2 tries and 1 minor.[3] Caerphilly played 25 matches in their first season, winning 12, drawing 8, and losing 5.[4] Since then Caerphilly RFC have spent many years in the top divisions of Welsh league rugby. Caerphilly has twice been admitted as members of the WRU, once in 1900 and again in 1955 after the club had disbanded and then reformed.

## Home ground

[edit]

Their home ground, The Mollex Stadium (Virginia Park,) is a small stadium with all-seated stands on either side of the pitch and a non-seated stand at one end of the pitch. The ground has a maximum capacity 6,000. In World War II, German planes bombed Virginia Park, as they incorrectly believed it was being used as an airfield. On 6 May 2017 Caerphilly played host to the PRO 12 match between the Dragons (rugby union) and the Cardiff Blues which was switched from Rodney Parade. The match finished 26–24 to the Blues.

## Recent success

[edit]

Caerphilly made the national Bowl final in the principality stadium on 16 April 2017. The side lost to Shane Williams' Amman United 43-31.

Caerphilly have featured in two recent cup finals, the European Shield Final 2003 (losing to French team Castres Olympique) & the Welsh Cup Final in 2004 (losing to Neath RFC).

The club were also narrow runners up in Division One East in 2007/2008 season.

The club made it to the final of the Worthingtons Mid-District Bowl Final for the 2014/15 season, the final being held at Beddau RFC. Caerphilly lost to Porth RFC 29–23.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ BBC News (8 July 2004). "Wales' regional rugby map". BBC. Retrieved 19 May 2008.
2. ^ "CAERPHILLY". South Wales Daily News. 19 August 1887.
3. ^ "SATURDAY'S FOOTBALL". The Western Mail. 24 October 1887.
4. ^ "CAERPHILLY". The Western Mail. 7 May 1888.

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United Rugby Championship

Seasons|

| Celtic League|

* 2001–02
* 2002–03
* 2003–04
* 2004–05
* Celtic Cup
* 2005–06
* 2006–07
* 2007–08
* 2008–09
* 2009–10
* 2010–11

|

Pro12|

* 2011–12
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* 2013–14
* 2014–15
* 2015–16
* 2016–17

Pro14|

* 2017–18
* 2018–19
* 2019–20
* 2020–21
* Pro14 Rainbow Cup

United Rugby Championship|

* 2021–22
* 2022–23
* 2023–24
* 2024–25
* 2025–26

Teams|

| Active|

* Benetton
* Bulls
* Cardiff
* Connacht
* Dragons
* Edinburgh
* Glasgow Warriors
* Leinster
* Lions
* Munster
* Ospreys
* Scarlets
* Sharks
* Stormers
* Ulster
* Zebre Parma

|

Former|

* Bridgend
* Caerphilly
* Cardiff RFC
* Cheetahs
* Ebbw Vale
* Llanelli
* Neath
* Newport
* Pontypridd
* Swansea

Defunct|

* Aironi
* Border Reivers
* Celtic Warriors
* Southern Kings

Grounds|

* Aviva Stadium
* Cape Town Stadium
* Cardiff Arms Park
* Croke Park
* Edinburgh Rugby Stadium
* Ellis Park Stadium
* Hampden Park
* The Sportsground
* Musgrave Park
* Ravenhill Stadium
* Kings Park Stadium
* Loftus Versfeld Stadium
* Mapei Stadium – Città del Tricolore
* MacHale Park
* Murrayfield Stadium
* Parc y Scarlets
* RDS Arena
* Rodney Parade
* Scotstoun Stadium
* Stadio Comunale di Monigo
* Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
* Swansea.com Stadium
* Thomond Park

Grand Finals|

* 2010
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* 2016
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Player movements|

* 2014–15
* 2015–16
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* 2017–18
* 2018–19
* 2019–20
* 2020–21
* 2021–22
* 2022–23
* 2023–24
* 2024–25
* 2025–26

Current team seasons
2025-26|

* Benetton Treviso
* Bulls
* Cardiff Rugby
* Connacht Rugby
* Dragons RFC
* Glasgow Warriors
* Edinburgh Rugby
* Leinster Rugby
* Lions
* Munster Rugby
* Ospreys
* Scarlets
* Sharks
* Stormers
* Ulster Rugby
* Zebre Parma

Previous team seasons
2024-25|

* Benetton Treviso
* Bulls
* Cardiff Rugby
* Connacht Rugby
* Dragons RFC
* Glasgow Warriors
* Edinburgh Rugby
* Leinster Rugby
* Lions
* Munster Rugby
* Ospreys
* Scarlets
* Sharks
* Stormers
* Ulster Rugby
* Zebre Parma

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