Abercarn Rugby Football Club are a Welsh

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

 rugby union

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

 club based in Abercarn

Abercarn

Abercarn is a small town community in Caerphilly county borough, Wales, 10 miles north-west of Newport on the A467 between Cwmcarn and Newbridge, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire.-History:...

 near the city of Newport

Newport

Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...

. They currently play in the Welsh Rugby Union Division 4 East

WRU Division Four East

The Welsh Rugby Union Division Four East is a rugby union league in Wales.-Competition:There are 12 clubs in the WRU Division Four East...

 having been relegated in two consecutive seasons; from Division 3 East in 2007 and Division 4 East in 2008. The club then immediately gained promotion back to Division 4 East in 2009. Abercarn RFC is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons

Newport Gwent Dragons

Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup...

.

Abercarn is a club with a long history having been founded over 100 years ago. In 1952 Abercarn RFC lost three members of their club including their club captain, Don Rowlands and coach, Ray Box in the Llandow air disaster

Llandow air disaster

The Llandow air disaster was an aircraft accident in Wales in 1950. At that time it was the world's worst air disaster with a total of 80 fatalities...

. The event is remembered by the club in their team badge, with a plane propeller sitting in its centre.

Abercarn RFC have produced some famous players including Paul Turner

Paul Turner (rugby player)

Paul Turner , is a former Wales international rugby union player and the former head coach of Welsh regional side Newport Gwent Dragons.- Playing career :...

 (Newport RFC, Pontypool RFC

Pontypool RFC

Pontypool Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in the town of Pontypool. Pontypool RFC has a long history within Welsh rugby and is one of the most notable clubs, being present at the formation of the Welsh Rugby Union in 1881, but disbanding before the turn of the 19th century...

, Newport Gwent Dragons

Newport Gwent Dragons

Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup...

 Coach) and Nathan Budgett

Nathan Budgett

Nathan John Budgett is a former Wales and Bristol rugby union player. Budgett announced his retirement on 15 February 2011. Before joining Bristol he played for Ebbw Vale RFC, Bridgend RFC, the defunct Celtic Warriors and then the Cardiff Blues. He is a former Wales international player, winning...

 (Wales & Bristol RFC).

Abercarn currently plays at the Walfare Ground, at the rear of Cwmcarn High School.

For the start of the 2009/2010 season, Abercarn RFC has reintroduced a development team known as the 'Abercarn Devils' who compete in the Worthington Gwent 2nd XV Division. The Devils play their home fixtures on Cwmcarn School Fields.

Former outside half Ben Farley made the locally hugely controversial move to rivals Risca RFC in the summer of 2010, the first time this has happened since 1937.

Notable former players

Norman Harris (7 caps for Wales rugby league) Dicky Ralph

Dicky Ralph

Dicky Ralph was a Welsh international rugby fly-half who played rugby union for Newport and rugby league with Leeds. He won six caps for Wales at rugby union and also represented his country at rugby league....

 (6 caps) David 'Dai' Rees

Dai Rees (rugby player)

David 'Dai' Rees is a Welsh former rugby union player. He attained four caps for the Wales B side, and was also a National Squad member in 1986....