Aberavon Quins RFC

Aberavon Quins RFC

Full name	Aberavon Harlequins Rugby Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Mighty Quins
Founded	1891
Location	Port Talbot, Wales
Ground(s)	Harlequin Road (Capacity: 2,000)
President	Ken Morgan
Coach(es)	Chris O'Callaghan
Captain(s)	Craig Cox
League(s)	WRU Division 2 West Central
2014-15	4th
Team kit
Official website
www.aberavonquins.com

Aberavon Harlequins RFC (nicknamed "The Mighty Quins") is a Welsh rugby union team located in the Fairfield area of Port Talbot, a few minutes away from the town centre and Aberavon. In 1955, the team gained membership of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU). Today the club is a feeder club for the Ospreys.^[1]

History

The club was founded in 1891, and they become known as the Aberavon Excel, playing in an all-white strip.^[2] After the First World War in 1918, the Excels formed the Aberavon Harlequins R.F.C. which it has been known as ever since. They played on a waste site at what is now the Sandfields Estate, later renamed the Harlequins Field.^[2] In 1932-33, the club was reformed by Dick Lody, Dill Stanford, Don Mainwaring and H.Williams, and the club grew until the start of Second World War.

In 1951, the club received a boost when the former Maesteg RFC, Wales and British Lions scrum half Trevor Lloyd returned to Aberavon Harlequins, his original club.^[2] The 1955/56 season was the best ever playing record in the Quins' history, playing over thirty matches and losing only once.^[2]

At the start of the 21st century, in an attempt to modernise the governing body of Welsh rugby union and to bring Wales fully into the professional era, it was decided to restructure the Welsh leagues and to source new sponsorship revenue for them. Teams would be allocated a division depending on their recent season’s order of merit and their geographical location. In the 2001/02 season, the Quins were placed in Lloyds TSB Division Two West, along with their local rivals Corus (Port Talbot) RFC.

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player Position Union Dan Helson Prop Wales Dan Morgan Prop Wales Mike Burgess Prop Wales Joshua Pugh Prop Wales Thomas Morley Prop Wales Thomas Williams Prop Wales Luke Davies Hooker Wales Tyler Hopkins Hooker Wales Jordan Hunt Hooker Wales Karl Davies Lock Wales Lloyd Hayden Lock Wales Gareth Capper Lock Wales Callum Beynon Lock Wales Liam Oates Lock Wales Dale Bowen Lock Wales Aris Koulisakis Flanker Wales Billy Rowlands Flanker Wales Glenn Williams Flanker Wales Sam Richards Flanker Wales Adam Dawe Flanker Wales Ben Bragger Flanker Wales Dylan Mclachlan Flanker Wales Craig Cox (c) Flanker Wales Connor O'Callaghan Number 8 Wales David Lloyd Number 8 Wales

Player Position Union Jacob Flynn Scrum-half Wales Mathew Morgan Scrum-half Wales Marcus David Scrum-half Wales Marc Shepard Fly-half Wales Kristian Roberts Fly-half Wales David Morely Fly-half Wales Neil Pugsley Centre Wales James Peploe-Williams Centre Wales Jack Dacey Centre Wales Gareth Pugh Centre Wales Dean Scully Centre Wales Stuart Broad Wing Wales Jamie Gibbs Wing Wales Jamie Lean Wing Wales Kyle Williams Wing Wales Steven Colarusso Wing Wales Richard Wanklyn Wing Wales Gavin Andrews Wing Wales Jordan Crealock Fullback Wales Ryan Pugh Fullback Wales

References

1. "Wales' regional rugby map". BBC News. BBC. 8 July 2004. Retrieved 4 June 2008.
2. "History". Thequinsrfc.com. Retrieved 14 April 2014.