Our History

Where it all began

I was playing rugby for Bargoed RFC at the time and there was a good group of young players in the village that had come through the Abertysswg Youth side that was coached by former Cardiff RFC player Howard Dwyer.This age group of boys included Byron Payne, Dai Payne, Jeff Parry, Wayne Parry etc. All these very talented boys, like many others, were playing for for the likes of Tredegar RFC, Rhymney RFC, New Tredegar RFC and even Pontlottyn RFC at the time.These boys expressed a wish at the time to play for their own village. After a great deal of thought the decision was made that I would throw all my efforts behind starting our own village club, Abertysswg RFC.

With a few like minded people the first meeting took place in the old Top Club on 12/12/82. The people voted onto the committee that day were Gwyn Hughes(President), Monty Prosser (Chairman), Colin Osborne (Sec) and John (JPR) Williams (Treasurer).The committee members also elected that day were Gordon Osborne (Rips Father), Neil LLoyd (Fergie), Byron Payne, Colin Parry (Tred) and Jeff Parry. As secretary, along with getting quoite for kits etc, I was asked to find out about Joining the WRU. After telephoning the WRU I was instructed by letter (Dated11/1/83) to get in touch with the Gwent Districts RFU and take it from there. In order fo the club to form, we we required to find a proposer club (New Tredegar RFC) and a seconder (Tredegar Ironsides RFC). We will alswys be grateful to both clubs for their support.  However, It wasn't all plain sailing as there were initally objections from well established clubs in Rhymney RFC and Deri RFC. In order to proceed, we were reuired to set up a fixture list of at least ten fixtures in order to be insured through the WRU. The fixture list ws created and we bought our first kit of red and white hoops (for no particular reason only that it was cheap). A few months later  we purchased the now adopted colours of black and white and a hooped set of shirts when we had saved enough (Although this was also another cheap set of shirts). So the club colours were set by price not tradition. Now the club was set and Abertysswg RFC were finally accepted into the Gwent Districts at the AGM in August 1983 in readiness to participate in the 1983/84 season.

Our Captain for our friendlies up until then was Jeff May, while Wayne Parry led the team when we entered Gwent District Division 4. We then won each league consecutively up until we reached Gwent District Division 1. The rest, as they say is history and from back then until now is a long story whihc will keep for another day.

Colin Osborne ( Chairman of Abertysswg RFC)