Cross Keys RFC

History

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. 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.

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 and 1930s.

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

Club honours

• Welsh Club Champions - 1921–22, 1935–36
• Welsh Division One Champions - 1992–93, 1999–00
• 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
• WRU Admiral Championship East Promotion (3rd) - 2023-24

Current squad

pos=CE | name=Kellan Nicholls}}

Notable former players

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

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

Games played against international opposition

Past season performance

2006/06-2009/10

2010/11-2019/20

2020/21-

References

Bibliography

References

1. ''The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales'' page 178, John Davies, [[Nigel Jenkins]], Menna Baines and Peredur Lynch (2008) {{ISBN. 978-0-7083-1953-6
2. BBC News. (2004-07-08). "Wales' regional rugby map". [[BBC]].
3. ''A Century of Welsh Rugby Players 1890-1980'', Wayne Thomas; Ansells (1979) pg.61
4. ''The Rugby Clubs of Wales'' pp149, [[David Parry-Jones]] (1989) {{ISBN. 0-09-173850-4
5. Smith (1980), pg 259.
6. Smith (1980), pg 282.
7. "BBC Sport - British and Irish Cup: Cross Keys 20-16 Cornish Pirates". BBC Sport.
8. (7 May 2012). "Swalec Cup: Cross Keys 32-19 Pontypridd". BBC Sport.
9. "- the history of rugby through its competitions".
10. Smith (1980), pg 463.
11. Smith (1980), pg 466.
12. Smith (1980), pg 469.
13. Smith (1980), pg 471.
14. Smith (1980), pg 472.
15. Smith (1980), pg 473.
16. Smith (1980), pg 474.
17. (1986). "Rothmans Rugby Yearbook 1986-87". Queen Anne Press.
18. (3 November 2022). "Stoddart steals 'away' win at Pandy Park as Poles' triumph".
19. (3 November 2022). "Keys boss Stoddart happy with away win at Pandy Park earned by Polish power".