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Cross Keys RFC
Full name	Cross Keys Rugby Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Keys
Founded	1885; 139 years ago
Location	Crosskeys, Wales
Ground(s)	Pandy Park (Capacity: 3,000)
President	Terry Howell
Coach(es)	Morgan Stoddart; Greg Woods; Gewsyn Price-Jones
Captain(s)	Corey Nicholls
League(s)	Welsh Premier Division
2023-2024	Welsh Championship East - 3rd (promoted)
	Team kit
	Team kit
Official website
	www.crosskeysrfc.com

Cross Keys RFC (Welsh: Clwb Rygbi Pont-y-Cymer) is a rugby union club located in the Welsh village of Crosskeys. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union, and is a feeder club for the Dragons regional team.^[2]

History

The club achieved first class-status in 1909, winning the Monmouthshire league three times.^{[citation needed]}

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]

Club honours

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
WRU Admiral Championship East Promotion (3rd) - 2023-24

Current squad

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

Player	Position	Union
John Lavender	Prop	Wales
Leon Brown	Prop	Wales
Lewis Pryce-Jones	Prop	Wales
Richard Cornock	Prop	Wales
Jordan Rogers	Prop	Wales
Jake Wisniewski	Prop	Poland
Aaron Dowse	Prop	Wales
Nathan Huish	Hooker	Wales
Connah Vaughan	Hooker	Wales
Connah Hughes	Hooker	Wales
Chris Davies	Hooker	Wales
Louis Tovey	Hooker	Wales
Josh Wall	Lock	Wales
Kiaran Lewis	Lock	Wales
Osian Rowe	Lock	Wales
Matthew Hall	Lock	Wales
Brian Feeney	Lock	Wales
Callum Hague	Lock	Wales
Tom Lampard	Lock	Wales
Harvey Reader	Lock	Wales
Sam Taylor	Flanker	Wales
Jake Davies	Flanker	Wales
Jack Davies	Flanker	Wales
Alfy Johnson	Flanker	Wales
Ashley Gibson	Flanker	Wales
Morgan Koloi	Flanker	Wales
Will Gregory	Flanker	Wales
Chris Johnsey	Flanker	Wales
Lewis Robey	Number 8	Wales
Joe Thomas	Number 8	Wales
Kobi Rees	Number 8	Wales

Player	Position	Union
Dan Babos	Scrum-half	Wales
Dan Buffrey	Scrum-half	Wales
Zach Bartlett	Scrum-half	Wales
Sam Ireland	Scrum-half	Wales
Harri Ford	Fly-half	Wales
Ben Murphy	Fly-half	Wales
Drew Musa	Fly-half	Wales
Owain Davies	Fly-half	Wales
Kieran Vodden	Centre	Wales
Alec Jones	Centre	Wales
Kellan Nicholls	Centre	Wales
Tom Sullivan	Centre	Wales
Liam Thomas	Centre	Wales
Corey Nicholls	Centre	Wales
Adam Tetley	Centre	Wales
Ralph Miller	Wing	Wales
James Smith	Wing	Wales
Lawrence Donnelly	Wing	Wales
Josh Congreve	Wing	Wales
Will Rees	Wing	Wales
Walker Price	Wing	Wales
Tom Gillespie	Wing	Wales
Tom Davies	Wing	Wales
Callum Tomsa	Fullback	Wales
Ben Elliott	Fullback	Wales
Jake Hillman	Fullback	Wales
Morgan Johns	Fullback	Wales

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

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]

Games played against international opposition

Year	Date	Opponent	Result	Score	Tour
1985	9 October	Fiji	Loss	12-26	1985 Fiji rugby union tour of Wales and Ireland^[17]
2022	2 November	Poland	Loss	37-12	2022 Rugby Europe Championship Preparations ^[18] ^[19]

Past Season Performance

2006/06-2009/10

Season	League	Finish	Number of Teams
2006-07	Premiership	13th	14
2007-08	Premiership	11th	15
2008-09	Premiership	9th	14
2009-10	Premiership	10th	14

2010/11-2019/20

Season	League	Finish	Number of Teams
2010-11	Premiership	6th	14
2011-12	Premiership	6th	14
2012-13	Premiership	5th	12
2013-14	Premiership	3rd	12
2014-15	Premiership	3rd	12
2015-16	Premiership	4th	12
2016-17	Premiership	12th	16
2017-18	Premiership	11th	16
2018-19	Premiership	14th	16
2019-20	Championship	7th	14

2020/21-

Season	League	Finish	Number of Teams
2020-21	COVID-19
2021-22	Championship	7th	14
2022-23	Championship	8th	14
2023-24	Championship East	3rd	12
2024-25	Premiership	TBC	13

References

^ The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales page 178, John Davies, Nigel Jenkins, Menna Baines and Peredur Lynch (2008) ISBN 978-0-7083-1953-6
^ BBC News (2004-07-08). "Wales' regional rugby map". BBC. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
^ A Century of Welsh Rugby Players 1890-1980, Wayne Thomas; Ansells (1979) pg.61
^ The Rugby Clubs of Wales pp149, David Parry-Jones (1989) ISBN 0-09-173850-4
^ Smith (1980), pg 259.
^ Smith (1980), pg 282.
^ "BBC Sport - British and Irish Cup: Cross Keys 20-16 Cornish Pirates". BBC Sport.
^ "Swalec Cup: Cross Keys 32-19 Pontypridd". BBC Sport. 7 May 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
^ ^a ^b "- the history of rugby through its competitions". Archived from the original on 2013-12-07. Retrieved 2014-06-06.
^ Smith (1980), pg 463.
^ Smith (1980), pg 466.
^ ^a ^b Smith (1980), pg 469.
^ ^a ^b Smith (1980), pg 471.
^ ^a ^b Smith (1980), pg 472.
^ Smith (1980), pg 473.
^ Smith (1980), pg 474.
^ Stephen Jones, ed. (1986). Rothmans Rugby Yearbook 1986-87. Queen Anne Press. p. 38. ISBN 0-356-12361-8.
^ https://community.wru.wales/2022/11/03/stoddart-steals-away-win-at-pandy-park-as-poles-triumph/ ^{[bare URL]}
^ https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/sport/23099522.cross-keys-beaten-poland-pandy-park-friendly/ ^{[bare URL]}

Bibliography

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.

External links

Official Site of Cross Keys RFC

[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. Retrieved 2008-06-03.

[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

[Smith259-5] Smith (1980), pg 259.

[Smith282-6] Smith (1980), pg 282.

[7] "BBC Sport - British and Irish Cup: Cross Keys 20-16 Cornish Pirates". BBC Sport.

[8] "Swalec Cup: Cross Keys 32-19 Pontypridd". BBC Sport. 7 May 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2012.

[rugbyarchive.net-9] "- the history of rugby through its competitions". Archived from the original on 2013-12-07. Retrieved 2014-06-06.

[Smith463-10] Smith (1980), pg 463.

[Smith466-11] Smith (1980), pg 466.

[Smith469-12] Smith (1980), pg 469.

[Smith471-13] Smith (1980), pg 471.

[Smith472-14] Smith (1980), pg 472.

[Smith473-15] Smith (1980), pg 473.

[Smith474-16] Smith (1980), pg 474.

[17] Stephen Jones, ed. (1986). Rothmans Rugby Yearbook 1986-87. Queen Anne Press. p. 38. ISBN 0-356-12361-8.

[18] ttps://community.wru.wales/2022/11/03/stoddart-steals-away-win-at-pandy-park-as-poles-triumph/ ^{[bare URL]}

[19] ttps://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/sport/23099522.cross-keys-beaten-poland-pandy-park-friendly/ ^{[bare URL]}

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