Beaufort R.F.C - 1962 - 2006
The first known Beaufort Rugby Club was formed in 1948 and played on the lower Beaufort recreation ground Carmeltown until 1955. During their last spring one incident of note was the world famous British Rugby League International Billy Boston agreed to play for Wigan while at the ground. He was playing for the Cardiff C.I.A.C.S (Cardiff International Athletic Club) against the Beaufort team watched by many league scouts. The club was absorbed by the Ebbw Vale Rugby Club to become their second XV under the name of Ebbw Vale Athletic and two photographs from that era have survived and are among those on display in the clubhouse.
The first move to form the present club came from some members of the soccer playing Beaufort Hill Youth Club who used the White Horse pub after meetings in the hall. (The pub now demolished to form the Welfare Hall car park) Four matches were played in the spring of 1962:- Home and Away against Brynmawr and Usk Borstal.
In the early summer of 1962 an open meeting was held at the Bridgend Hotel, Ebbw Vale when it was decided to form a properly constituted rugby club and make an application to affiliate to the Monmouthshire Junior Rugby Union. Bill Howells was elected Chairman and Stuart KcKelvie became the first Secretary. Wally Talbot (EVRFC) presented two rugby balls to the club and Ken Jones (Newport, Wales etc) gave his support for the new venture.
At the beginning of the first season the club headquarters was transferred to the Farmers Arms and then later to the Beaufort Inn (now the Cendl) Also at this time the club badge was designed depicting the Seven Arches of the Rhyd-y Blew viaduct which carried the L.M.S railway linking Ebbw Vale to the Midlands and the North. This was demolished to make way for the Heads of the Valleys Road.
Thus in September 1962 with next to nothing to call its own and little or no experience Beaufort entered the world of organised rugby. The infant club survived both the season and the three month break caused by deep snow between January and March 1963. Although its early weakness was illustrated by the record of the first campaign which read played 23 won 4 drawn 5 lost 14 for 54pts against 154pts.
Within five years four players had played for first class clubs and another three had represented the Monmouthshire Rugby Union. Playing records improved, financial stability was achieved and training floodlights were built on the bowls green side of the pitch. The club was the first junior club in the area to pioneer fixtures in Mid Wales, the Midlands and the West Country. Whilst the first of many Past and Present matches was held on Thursday 26th December 1968 by which time the local authority had built the new dressing rooms next to the Groundsmans House.
The ground had
been built on what had been a rubbish tip, it had poor drainage, a bad surface
and much debris just below the top soil which would be uncovered in prolonged
wet weather. From 1972 until 1977 the council completely rebuilt the field into
one of the best grounds in the County Borough. During that time all games were
played away throughout the Heads of the valleys and beyond.
So to with the club headquarters from the Beaufort Inn, Beaufort Hill Welfare
Hall and ground, top Beaufort Arms and to Scarrotts (The Rassau and Beaufort
working Men’s Club known to all as Scarrotts because it was built on the
site where a nationally known boxing booth pitched its tent when visiting the
town) In November 2005 the name was changed to A Touch of Class.
Most of the club stuck together at this time but the experience of constant travel led to work to achieve the long held hopes of establishing its own permanent headquarters on the Carmeltown ground. The Clubhouse was opened on the 9th June 1985 and the following year the changing rooms were completed.