Cross Keys RFC

Cross Keys RFC, Stade Bergeyre, France, 1 November 1921

The club achieved first class-status in 1909, winning the Monmouthshire league three times.

By 1920 the team had their first international player, when Steve Morris won a cap for Wales. Morris would win 19 caps and captained Wales in 1925.[3] Caps followed during the 1920s for Ossie Male and Lonza Bowdler, both returned over several seasons for Wales, facing not only Five Nations Championships but also touring teams.

In 1926 Cross Keys RFC found themselves in dire financial trouble, and requested help from the Welsh Rugby Union. The WRU refused an appeal for a cash loan, but instead agreed to send the Welsh national team to play in an exhibition match at Pandy Park. The sell-out crowd assured Cross Keys future and resulted in an historic win for the home team thirteen points to eight.[4]

Rugby observers have noted the high level of talent in the Cross Keys pack, and criticised the fact they went under represented in the national team during the 1920s[5] and 1930s.[6]

Cross Keys reached the final of the 2011–12 British and Irish Cup, losing to Munster A.[7] Cross Keys won their first Swalec Cup, defeating table topping Pontypridd at the Millennium Stadium in 2012.[8]

• Welsh Club Champions - 1921–22, 1935–36
• Welsh Division One Champions - 1992–93,[9] 1999–00[9]
• British and Irish Cup Runners-Up - 2011–12
• Swalec Cup Winners - 2011–12
• Swalec Cup Runners-Up - 2013–14
• Welsh Premier Division Runners-Up - 2013–2014

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Connah Vaughan Hooker Wales John Lavender Prop Wales Louis Tovey Hooker Wales Leon Brown Prop Wales Lewis Pryce-Jones Prop Wales Richard Cornock Prop Wales Jordan Rogers Prop Wales ?? Wales ?? Wales Matthew Hall Lock Wales Brian Feeney Lock Wales Callum Hague Lock Wales Tom Lampard Lock Wales Harvey Reader Lock Wales Alfy Johnson Flanker Wales Ashley Gibson Flanker Wales Morgan Koloi Flanker Wales Will Gregory Flanker Wales Lewis Robey Number 8 Wales Chris Johnsey Flanker Wales

Player Position Union Scrum-half Wales Zach Bartlett Scrum-half Wales Sam Ireland Scrum-half Wales Fly-half Wales Harri Ford Ben Murphy Fly-half Wales Centre Wales Centre Wales Centre Wales Liam Thomas Corey Nicholls Centre Wales Adam Tetley Centre Wales Wing Wales Will Rees Walker Price Wing Wales Tom Gillespie Wing Wales Tom Davies Wing Wales Jake Hillman Fullback Wales Morgan Johns Fullback Wales

The following list is made up of ex-Cross Keys players who have all won international caps as either a rugby union or rugby league player.

See also Category:Cross Keys RFC players

• George Boots
• Taulupe Faletau 38 Wales caps, 1 British and Irish Lions cap
• Frederick Arthur Bowdler (15 caps)[10]
• Archibald "Archie" Brown
• Lloyd Burns (7 caps)
• Mervyn Hicks (Great Britain Rugby League)
• Ron Herrera (8 caps)[11]
• Jack Hurrell (1 cap)
• Ossie Male (11 caps)[12]
• Steve Morris (19 caps)[12]
• Con Murphy (3 caps)
• Gerwyn Price
• Dai Rees
• Fred Reeves (2 caps)[13]
• Rex Richards (1 cap)[13]
• Russell Taylor (3 caps), 1938 British Lions[14]
• Joe Thompson (1 cap) for Wales (RU).[14] Whilst at Leeds (Great Britain RL 12 caps, Wales RL 8 caps, Other Nationalities RL 5 caps)
• Trevor Williams (8 caps)[15]
• Stanley 'Docker' Winmill (2 caps)[16]

• Smith, David; Williams, Gareth (1980). Fields of Praise: The Official History of The Welsh Rugby Union. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-0766-3.

• Official Site of Cross Keys RFC