"Jonathan Thomas Jonathan Thomas (born 27 December 1982 in Pembroke) is a retired Welsh international rugby union player, who played mainly at flanker having also played at number eight and lock. Thomas was an international cricketer playing for Wales u.15’s Thomas started out playing for Pembroke RFC juniors, before playing for Swansea RFC when they were still a professional club, captaining them at the age of 19. With the regionalisation of Welsh rugby in 2003, Swansea combined with Neath to form the Ospreys, where over a 10-year period Thomas won four league titles and an Anglo-Welsh Cup. He is the"
"Welsh Football League was followed by a placing of seventh in their first season in the Welsh Premier League. During summer 2008, Neath RFC agreed to allow Neath Athletic to share its home ground The Gnoll. With the move to a new home, the club also decided to rename itself Neath F.C.. Following Neath's first match at The Gnoll against Swansea City, the two clubs announced a partnership that would enable Swansea to send players on loan to Neath to gain first team experience. The first such players to join Neath were Kyle Graves, Dion Chambers and Kerry Morgan. On"
"Haverfordwest RFC, Llandaff RFC, Llanelli RFC, Neath RFC, Newport RFC, Pontypridd RFC and Swansea RFC. The issue with accepting this meeting is that there is no written evidence, just oral repetition. On 12 March 1881, eleven clubs met in the Castle Hotel, Neath to form what would be accepted as a Welsh rugby union. After a humiliating defeat in the first Wales international rugby game, the Neath meeting was organised by Mullock to form a union that could organise regular international matches. The founding clubs of the WFU (Welsh Football Union), as it was originally known, were Swansea C &"
"on the field of play against Bridgend RFC in 1880. On 12 June 1881, eleven teams met in the Castle Hotel, Neath to form what would be accepted as a Welsh rugby union. The founding clubs of the WFU (Welsh Football Union), as it was originally known, were Swansea C & FC, Pontypool RFC, Newport RFC, Merthyr RFC, Llanelli RFC, Bangor RFC, Brecon RFC, Cardiff RFC, Lampeter College, Llandovery College and Llandeilo RFC. Strangely Neath RFC was not recorded as being present, even though the meeting took place in the town. It is unknown if this was an oversight by"
"Beattie, following the sacking of manager Garry Monk. Kristian O'Leary Kristian 'Kris' Denis O'Leary (born 30 August 1977) is a Welsh football coach and former professional footballer. He is best known for his spell's both as a player and coach at Swansea City. He formerly managed Welsh side Neath between 2011 and 2012. Born in Port Talbot, O'Leary began his career as a trainee at Swansea City, having signed for the club as a schoolboy at the age of 14 in 1992. He made his professional debut for the club during the 1995–96 season. His favoured position is in midfield,"
"Neath F.C. Neath Football Club was a Welsh professional association football club based in Neath last playing in the Welsh Premier League. The club was formed in 2005 following the merger between Neath and Skewen Athletic. Originally known as Neath Athletic A.F.C. the club played its first two seasons in Welsh Football League Division One before being promoted to the Welsh Premier League. The president of the club was Peter Hain M.P., the life vice-president was David Maddock who had been associated with the club and its predecessors (as player, committeeman and secretary) for over 56 years. ""Neath F.C."" were"
"watch them face European champions-in-waiting London Wasps and even beat the Wasps 9–14 at Adam's Park a week earlier. The team finished 4th out of 12 in the Celtic League in their only season of existence. Ospreys Rugby The Ospreys were formed in 2003 after the merger of Neath RFC and Swansea RFC, which took place after the Welsh Rugby Union forced through regional rugby as the top level of Welsh rugby. Bridgend became part of this region following the demise of the Celtic Warriors. Although the Ospreys play their home matches at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea, since 2010"
"to Neath is via the First Cymru 907 services to/from Coelbren; while the 158/X58 services run to Swansea's Quadrant Bus Station to/from Banwen. The former pit head baths were converted to an indoor swimming pool which was later converted into a multi-purpose Community Hall. Originally the colliery team, Seven Sisters RFC founded in 1897, are a WRU affiliated rugby union club. Seven Sisters, Neath Port Talbot Seven Sisters (: source of the (river) Dulais) is a village and community the Dulais Valley, Wales, UK. It lies north-east of Neath. Seven Sisters falls within the Seven Sisters ward of Neath Port"
"Kristian O'Leary Kristian 'Kris' Denis O'Leary (born 30 August 1977) is a Welsh football coach and former professional footballer. He is best known for his spell's both as a player and coach at Swansea City. He formerly managed Welsh side Neath between 2011 and 2012. Born in Port Talbot, O'Leary began his career as a trainee at Swansea City, having signed for the club as a schoolboy at the age of 14 in 1992. He made his professional debut for the club during the 1995–96 season. His favoured position is in midfield, although he has also played in central defence"
"Swansea and Neath & District) with all their champions potentially having to play-off for the one available promotion place. However, as few west Wales clubs can face the prospect of the travelling implications of moving up to the Welsh Football League, this four-way play-off idea is theory rather than practice. The latest clubs to gain promotion from this region were Llansawel in 2006 (""from the Neath & District League""), West End in 2005 (""from the Swansea Senior League""), Ystradgynlais in 2004 (""from the Neath & District League""), Cwmamman United in 2002 (""from the Neath & District League"") and Garden Village"
"rugby. On 12 March 1881, eleven representatives of rugby clubs and colleges from around Wales met at the Castle Hotel in Neath and formed the Welsh Football Union, which would eventually be renamed the Welsh Rugby Union. The biggest omission from the meeting was Neath RFC. Not only was the meeting held in Neath, the club was the oldest in Wales and both Clark as secretary and J.T.D. Llewellyn as president of the SWFU were both Neath men. The SWFU had decided not to attend the meeting, which would form a union, which in turn would replace itself. After the"
"the Welsh Football Union, later to be named the Welsh Rugby Union, at the Castle Hotel in Neath on 12 March 1881. The S.W.F.U. failed to attend the meeting, which led to their dissolution as the WFU was accepted as the official representative union of the Welsh clubs. The four major Welsh clubs, Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and Llanelli were all in favour of the new direction Mullock was taking rugby in Wales and gave their support to the formation of the WFU. Swansea in particular were impressed with Mullock and commended him for his organisation of the Welsh team, despite"
"23 April 2009, just a couple of days before the end of the 2008–09 Welsh Premier League season, Neath announced plans to go full-time for the 2009–10 season to challenge the likes of Llanelli AFC and Rhyl for the Welsh Premier League title. On 13 July 2010, Neath announced the double signing of two marquee players in readiness for the 2010–11 season, former Swansea City favourites Kristian O'Leary and Lee Trundle. A year later came the signing of Matthew Rees a former Swansea defender and ex Port Talbot Town captain. Several other key signings followed transforming Neath into title contenders"
"2012–13 season and were declared ineligible to participate in the end-of-season Europa League play-offs. On 28 May 2012, the club was wound up, at the High Court. When first formed, the club had a choice of both grounds of the merged clubs, Llandarcy Park of Neath F.C. and Tennant Park of Skewen Athletic F.C.. As Llandarcy Park was the better of the two Neath Athletic decided to call it home. UEFA Europa League: Neath F.C. Neath Football Club was a Welsh professional association football club based in Neath last playing in the Welsh Premier League. The club was formed in"
"debut 12 February 2011 in the 24-6 win against Scotland as a second-half replacement. During 1991 it became apparent that in order to develop its playing facilities to the standard required the club needed to purchase playing fields. An agreement was reached to purchase of land which was developed into three rugby pitches, one floodlit, a car park and changing rooms. On 27 August 1992, Neath RFC played a ‘trial’ match on the new fields and on Saturday 4 October 1992 the official opening ceremony of the field, floodlights and changing rooms was performed by the Welsh Rugby Union Chairman"
"Wyn Jones, Ryan Jones, Scott Baldwin, Nicky Smith, Matthew Morgan, Eli Walker, Gavin Henson and Dan Biggar. In 2014 the All Whites were relegated from the Welsh Premier league on the final day of the season when despite beating Neath at St Helens, a bonus point for Aberavon sent Swansea into the SWALEC Championship. This provoked a complete revamp of the club with Stephen Hughes taking the position of Chairman, Keith Colclough as Managing Director and Richard Lancaster leading a coaching team of former players including Rhodri Jones, Chris Loader and Ben Lewis. In their first season Swansea missed out"
"24–16 in 2006. On 24 July 2003 it was announced that the new team jointly representing Neath RFC and Swansea RFC would be known as the Neath-Swansea Ospreys. The Ospreys part of the team's name was inspired by the use of the bird as Swansea RFC's centenary badge. Former Neath RFC coach Lyn Jones was appointed as head coach, who named Scott Gibbs as the team's first captain. 5 September 2003 saw the region play their first competitive game, a 41–30 Celtic League home win over Irish province Ulster at The Gnoll in Neath. Leeds Tykes were the Ospreys' first"
"the game lost support. But in 1875 interest was rekindled by locals, and rugby was once again played, but now on Gurrey Fach Field. Competitive Rugby was first played by Llandeilo in the 1877-78 season when the club entered the South Wales Challenge Cup competition as one of the inaugurating teams; and on 12 March 1881, Llandeilo RFC was one of the eleven clubs who met in Neath to found the Welsh Rugby Union. George Davies was the first player to graduate from Llandeilo RFC to play for his Wales. He joined Swansea RFC in 1898 and became a Welsh"
"the clubs at the Tenby Hotel in Swansea which is incorrectly believed to have been the founding meeting of the Welsh Rugby Union. The accepted founding actually took place in Neath in 1881, at which Chepstow RFC were not in attendance. In 1881 Chepstow player Edward Peake was selected to represent the very first Welsh rugby international, played against England. In 1969 a match was held between Chepstow and a Welsh XV that included many famous players such as Brian Price. The match was supposedly held to commemorate the founding of what at the time was claimed to be the"
"FC, Pontypool RFC, Newport RFC, Merthyr RFC, Llanelli RFC, Bangor RFC, Brecon RFC, Cardiff RFC, Lampeter RFC, Llandovery RFC and Llandeilo RFC. Strangely the oldest rugby club in Wales, Neath RFC are not recorded as being present, even though the meeting took place in the town of Neath. It is unknown if this was an oversight by the committee to record the presence of the club, or if Neath RFC actually did not attend. The fact that two of the main committee members of the SWFU, John Llewellyn and Sam Clark were Neath men, and the creation of the WFU"
"departures of Neath's management team. He left the club at the end of the season following the club's liquidation. On 4 July 2012, he rejoined Swansea City, this time head coach of the newly formed U21 squad. His job at Swansea would involve coaching the young professionals as manager of the reserve team. In February 2014, he moved positions within the club to start working with the first team and he was made assistant first team coach, where he remained until December 2015. On 9 December 2015, O'Leary left his position at Swansea City, along with Pep Clotet and James"
"Minolta Cup final against Pontypridd. Thomas later reversed his decision and was given the captaincy of Neath for the 2009/10 season.. Arwel Thomas Arwel Camber Thomas (born 8 November 1974) is a native of Trebanos in Swansea Valley. He is a former Wales international rugby union player. An outside-half, he played his club rugby for Swansea RFC. Arwel Thomas won his first of his 23 caps against Italy in 1996 when he replaced the injured Neil Jenkins. He played club rugby for Swansea for seven years, scoring 1963 points including 40 tries. He turned down an offer to join Toulouse"
"season they won the Neath Premier League for the first time in their history by only dropping eight points all season. They also won the Premier Division Cup for the third time by coming from behind twice to beat Seven Sisters A.F.C. 4-3. Ystradgynlais F.C. Ystradgynlais FC are a Welsh football club based in the Swansea area and are a member of West Wales Football Association. After a mixed time playing in the Welsh League between 2004 and 2009, they now currently play in the Neath Premier League. During the 2009/2010 season they finished a respectable 4th in the league"
"as follows: The clubs were unable to agree on which plan they wished to submit as their preferred alternative to the WRU's provincial system. Llanelli were keen to stand-alone, citing their previous record in European competition while Neath were reluctant to form a partnership with Swansea, having already agreed in principle to pool resources with Bridgend for European competition. By the end of January 2003, six of the nine clubs in the Welsh Premiership agreed on a plan that would see 4 regional franchise, with each club holding 50% of a franchise. Unless otherwise agreed, matches would be equally split"
"Swansea University RFC Swansea University Rugby Football Club is a Welsh amateur rugby union club based at Swansea University, Swansea. It competes in the BUCS Rugby Union Premier South A division as of the 2011/2012 season. The club has experienced major success, winning the UAU Championship six times and the BUSA Championship twice. The club was founded in 1920. They play at Sketty Lane, also known as Sketty, in the city of Swansea. University College Swansea was formed in 1920 and the rugby playing students soon organised themselves into an active club. Although other Welsh University Colleges at Aberystwyth, Cardiff"
"Club (Swansea RFC), a founder member of the Welsh Rugby Union and one of the most important teams in the early history of Welsh rugby union. Playing out of St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground the club not only produced several of the greatest Welsh rugby superstars, including Billy Bancroft and Billy Trew, they also hosted national touring sides from Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. Known as the 'All Whites', Swansea kept a constant supply of players that filled the Welsh ranks in the early history of the game. In 1935 Swansea became the first club side to beat"
"but despite local rivalry the clubs merged in May 1950. In 1956 the club gained a new pitch adjacent to Maesmawr field and soon after gained ownership of an old shop and billiard hall which was converted into the clubs first permanent clubhouse. During the 1950s Crynant saw two more former players capped for Wales, Roy John and C.C. Meredith. Both men, at the time of being picked to play for Wales, were members of Neath RFC. Though Crynant saw little success on the pitch during the sixties, they did see a fourth former player go on to represent Wales."
"to Napoli. Swansea were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2017–18 season. The area around Swansea traditionally had been a rugby area, and despite previous attempts by a football club named Swansea Villa, there were no notable football clubs until the establishment of 'Swansea Town AFC' in the summer of 1912. Following the lead of many other South Wales sides, the club joined the Second Division of the Southern League for the following season. J. W. Thorpe was the club's first chairman. A site owned by Swansea Gaslight Co., called Vetch Field due to the vegetables"
"Swansea City A.F.C. league record by opponent Swansea City () is a Welsh football club based in the city of Swansea, which competes in the Premier League. The club was founded in 1912 as Swansea Town, and competed in the Southern Football League until they were elected to The Football League in 1920, as founders of the Third Division. The club changed its name in 1969, when it adopted the name Swansea City to reflect Swansea's new status as a city. In 2010, after winning a Championship Play-off final, Swansea became the first Welsh team to compete in the Premier"
"League. Wrexham F.C. had already joined the Birmingham and District League during the 1905–06 season, but the introduction of Swansea, Newport, Ton Pentre, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Riverside into the Southern Leagues saw an increase in popularity of the sport in Wales. This was cemented with vital wins in the league and then in 1915, Swansea's surprise win over the then reigning League Champions, Blackburn Rovers F.C. in the FA Cup. In May 2012 the FAW, Scottish Football Association and the Football Association of Ireland formally declared an interest in co-hosting UEFA Euro 2020. The two major trophies for Welsh"
"returned to the Welsh Premier League for the 2018-19 season. The game of Association Football was introduced to the town's people of Llanelli when workers from Staffordshire migrated to the town to work in the 'newest' of the town industries – the Pottery works from 1892 to 1920. Finding the game of rugby Football Union alien to their natural habitat whilst domiciled in the town, workers founded a team to play friendlies verses other teams from the various pottery works industry which had been set up in Swansea and Neath. However, by 1896 interest had waned due in the main"
"of Neath in the club's centenary year of 1971/72 and it was he who became the first captain to hold aloft the Welsh Cup and to then carry it on its now customary ""lap of honour"" around the old Cardiff Arms Park. Their 2008/09 cup winning season, in which they claimed a victory over Llanelli at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. This was the first year since the cup name changed from Konica Minolta Cup to Swalec Cup. Their 2007/08 championship season, their fourth in succession, was overshadowed by the death of scrum-half of Gareth Jones, on 16 June 2008. Jones"
"becoming the first Welsh team to play in the division since its formation in 1992. During Swansea City's centenary year (2012–13), the club won the League Cup for the first time under Michael Laudrup, the first major trophy in Swansea's 100-year history. Swansea City A.F.C. Swansea City Association Football Club (; ) is a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales, that plays in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1912 as Swansea Town and joined the Football League in 1921. The club changed their name in 1969, when they adopted the"