October Origins - Back in Black!

So why ValleyAllBlack? Well for one I'm from the valleys, and two I support the best rugby club in the world (despite what WelshSi and PontyCyclops might say lol), the one, the only, the original All Blacks, Neath Rugby Football Club (RFC). Coming from Aberdare, rugby was not really the first sport for the valley as it is more associated with football, but luckily part of my family come from the Neath area and so supporting the All Blacks was always going to be on the agenda.

Neath R.F.C. is recognised as being the oldest club in Wales, originally thought as being formed in 1871 although recent evidence suggests it was actually even earlier in 1864. Despite the Welsh Rugby Union being formed in Neath in 1881, strangely Neath were apparently not present and not part of the original founding clubs. I don't know whether this has stuck, but we always feel as if we are not part of the establishment and are constantly battling them to protect our club.

For those of you who don't know Neath playing in an all black kit, with the Maltese cross as our badge. The origins of this kit came about in sad circumstances, when one of our players was killed after being injured while playing for the team, from then on in we wore an all black kit. I think the Maltese cross was added later to break up the monotony of the all black, and it is one of the most iconic kits in world rugby.

The Gnoll is our ground and always creates a great atmosphere, and has seen some terrific matches over the years, both club and international opposition. From my international memories were Neath v New Zealand in 1989, a humdinger of a match where we pushed the great All Blacks team of Buck Shelford, the bag snatcher game against Australia in 1992 and then the battle of the Gnoll against South Africa in 1994, which was an all out war.

With the advent of Regional Rugby in Wales we are now a semi professional side in the Welsh Premiership, which is the top echelon of Welsh club rugby with the likes of Cardiff, Newport, Pontypridd, Swansea and our arch enemies Llanelli. Success has been part of the history of our club and we've been regular winners of the cup and league over the years, and continue to be competitive in the Welsh Premiership.

Whilst we were originally part of the regional setup with Neath merging with Swansea to form the Ospreys, we are no longer formally associated with the regional setup, but this hasn't stopped us producing players for regional rugby. Here are just a few: James Hook, Andrew Bishop, Aled Brew, Paul James, Craig Mitchell and Tom Smith. Great names from the past include Jonathan 'Jiffy' Davies, Adrian Davies, Chris Bridges, Kevin Phillips, Rowland Phillips, Lyn Jones, Adrian Varney, Mark Jones, Colin Laity, Leigh Davies, Arwel Thomas and one of the biggest crowd favourites ever, but sadly no longer with us, prop Brian Williams.

I've given up with regional rugby but will always be an All Black!

Neath, Neath, Neath, Neath!

This Origins Blip was brought to you by PontyCyclops' October challenge.

P.S. Ahem I've strategically avoided talk of today's match. Lol!