The Black & Ambers are hoping to go one better than the runners-up spot they finished in during last season’s Indigo Premiership campaign. The previous season they were runners-up in the WRU Premiership Cup.
The opening game of their pre-season at Usk was a game between two clubs who are both celebrating 150 years of rugby this season and was played at Red Shed Meadow. Newport twice met a Vale of Usk side in their second season, beating them at Newport Marshes and then again in Abergavenny in 1876.
The game against Blackheath the following weekend was at Newport Stadium. The first fixture between the two world renowned clubs was at Rodney Parade on Thursday, 21 November 1879.
As one of the oldest Anglo-Welsh fixtures it was a game with a huge amount of history. It was the 153rd meeting between the two ancient rivals. Whereas a Blackheath side stacked with seven English internationals won by 4 goals, 9 tries and three touch downs in self-defence to nil when the teams first met, Newport triumphed 40-24 this time.
The Newport RFC website says this about that first fixture against Blackheath: “The defeat by Blackheath was probably a blessing in disguise as they realised that England could teach them a thing or two about new techniques and methods. From that day Newport were students and teachers, learning from the English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh teams in turn. A shattering defeat planted the seed of Newport RFC’s future greatness.”
The Newport team back in the day contained some very famous names. Horace Lyne became a Welsh international, an international referee, member of the International Rugby Board and was president of the Welsh Rugby Union for 40 years.
Charlie Newman and George Harding were in the first Welsh team to play on the international stage, against England in 1881, and his brother Theo also won three caps. The umpire for the match was Newport and Welsh rugby’s ‘Mr Fixit’, Richard Mullock, who singlehandedly arranged and picked the team to meet England in 1881 before becoming the first secretary and treasurer of the WRU a fe months later
Newport (v Blackheath 2024): Ioan Davies; Iwan Pyrs Jones, Chay Foster-Smith, Dai Richards, Elliot Frewen; Matt O’Brien, Luke Crane; Tom Workman, Wade Langley, Ollie Drake, Joe Peard, Rynard Landman, Josh Skinner, Kyle Tayler, Ben Roach (captain)
Reps: Archie Callaghan, Henry Palmer, Tyler Olding, Nathan Evans, Louie Pullen, Lewis David, Dafydd Buckland, Jac Lloyd, Tom Hughes. Jon Morris, Dray Jack Griffin
Former Wales U20 lock Joe Peard has returned to Wales after a spell in the English Championship with Paul Turner’s Ampthill and started against Blackheath, while tight head prop Ollie Drake has joined Newport from Pontypool.
Ty Morris’ men have another run out against Dings Crusaders on the other side of the Severn Bridge on 31 August before kicking off their Super Rygbi Cymru campaign against Bridgend at Newport Stadium on Saturday 14 September.
