The fixture won’t merely be an on-field celebration because it will also mark the opening of Machen’s new floodlights. The near £30,000 investment in the LED lights was made possible by an 80% grant from Sport Wales.
“We’re delighted to be welcoming Monmouthshire County to our home for this very special event. We are very proud to still be playing 150 years on from the first rugby players in the village,” said Machen RFC chairman Paul Crowley.
“As well as opening our new lights, the game will also see the players take the field for the first time in our new 150th anniversary kit. It is the first one we’ve had under the new Macron deal with the WRU and we’ve purchased 248 strips to ensure that every team at the club will be wearing the same colours for the first time.
“We designed a special badge for the anniversary which combines elements of the oldest surviving club crest we could find from 1910 with our current logo. It also has ‘150 Years of Rugby’ underneath, with our playing dates ‘ 1871-2021’ above it.”
The festivities got off to a flying start last month with gathering of former players from the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties returned to the club on the eve of the Wales v New Zealand. The oldest attendee for a 92-year-old former prop!
There has been a rugby team playing fixtures in Machen since 1871, when a team made up of locals and new English workers who had played or watched a few games previously joined forces. The early matches were mainly works’ teams, like those at Pontymoile (Pontypool) and Tredegorville (Cardiff). The games were played to uncertain rules and by varying numbers of players.
The Irish-born Frank Purdon, who went on to play for Wales four times, including the first game against England in 1881, was the natural leader of the team in the early years. He also played for Newport and Swansea. Bill Everson and Mel Rosser were other players from the club who won Welsh caps, while Malcolm Thomas was a star for Newport, Wales and the British & Irish Lions.
“We been able to secure the President’s Suite for our end of season dinner at Principality Stadium and the celebrations will end with a tour to Hannover, in Germany,” added Crowley.
“We are taking three teams with us, Youth, 1st XV and Vets and so far there are 92 booked to go. It should be a great way to round off a momentous season.”
Monmouthshire County Squad
Back: Mitchell Rankine (Brynmawr), Casey Roomus (Blaenavon), Callum Rowland (Bettws), Kurtis Haile (Abertillery BG), Matthew Jones (Abertillery BG), Tom Edwards (Blaina), James Tidmarsh (Abercarn), Stefan Morgan (Newport Saracens), Matthew Doddridge (Caldicot), Kaine Davies (Abercarn), Tom Harris (Blackwood), Richard Powell (Nantyglo), Jay Millington (Blackwood), Conor Miles (Blaina), Liam Thomas (Pontypool United), Morgan Davies (Beaufort)
Forwards: Dan Scott (Pontypool United), Lewys Lippiatt (Pontllanfraith), Chris Doddridge (Caldicot), Rob Sevenoaks (Ebbw Vale), Sam Burt Ryan (St Julian’s), Jonathan Coleman (West Mon), Adam Lane (Brynmawr, captain), Dan Partridge (Newport), Ben Blakemore (Abercarn), Luke Rees (Blaina), Leigh Sweet (Trinant), Jon Davies (Ynysddu), Ryan Bevan (Nantyglo), Nathan Meyrick (Pontllanfraith), Pat James (Newport Saracens), Alex Howes (Abergavenny)
