Rugby’s poor relations lift silver flying high on community spirit
One of Wales’toughest estates has produced Welsh rugby’s most successful team. After five promotions Hartridge have just made it an unprecedented five league titles in a row. Anthony Woolford reports
TALYWAIN’S 28-10 victory over Cwmbran on Tuesday night in Division Two East may not have sent shockwaves reverberating through Welsh rugby... but some 15 miles down the valley on the tough Ringland estate, in Newport, it cemented a club’s place as the most successful in recent oval-ball history.
For if Hartridge RFC having secured five successive promotions from the bottom rung of the Welsh rugby ladder wasn’t an achievement in itself, they’ve managed it as title champions on each occasion.
It came a week after the club secured the Newport and District Cup silverware, beating Caerleon in the final, the club Hartridge will be rubbing shoulders with in Division One East next term.
Yet “Harts”, who were only formed in their current guise back in 2005, have now won five consecutive National League titles with nothing more than what would be loose change in Sir Terry Matthews’ back pocket at the nearby Celtic Manor Resort.
In fact, they’ve lifted more silver than has been rung through the Hartridge cash register in the last 13 seasons with three Gwent, Pontypool and Newport Junior Union League titles before embarking on the most meteoric rise up the WRU National League ranks ever seen.
That their ascent through five divisions to One East next season came without a penny of WRU funding makes the tale all the more remarkable.
Hartridge remains a minnow swimming with Union-funded sharks (they’ve been unable to meet the criteria set by the WRU to achieve cash backing) but what club officials didn’t bank on when forming the club back in 2005 was a remarkable community effort from residents and businesses on the Ringland estate to help plug the shortfall.
From the local fast-food takeaway supplying chips for the after-match meal to an award-winning butcher cooking up the curries free of charge, the Newport club admit they would have folded like the area’s nowdefunct, yet once famous High School Old Boys club had it not been for the local community.
What the club have achieved in the 12 years of their existence is probably illustrated in no better way than when they pipped former Welsh Premier League club Caerphilly to the Division Three East A title last term.
Back in 2003 when the HSOB were coming to the end of the trophy-laden road that saw them win nine Newport and District Cups – eight on the trot – Caerphilly were playing a star-studded Castres team in the final of the Parker Pen Shield at the Madejski Stadium, in Reading.
It took another year before HSOB admitted defeat and in 2005 Hartridge were formed from the remnants and players from fellow strugglers Llanwern RFC. The first few seasons were a real tussle, with one low point coming with a 70-0 defeat against Caldicot’s second team.
This season the circle was finally rounded off when Hartridge played their first team and did the double en route to the title.
And it means Hartridge can now head to Cwmbran today with the title and promotion firmly secured when only a few weeks ago the clash at the King’s Head ground was being billed as a trophy decider.
The club became serial silver ware lifters with three successive Gwent, Pontypool and Newport Junior League titles before a restructure of Welsh rugby saw them come under the WRU National League umbrella in Division Six.
Another revamp happened in 2013, with Harts placed in the bottom tier – Division Three East D – before the incredible journey up the grassroots game.
Facilities have also improved markedly, with the club playing their games at the pristine Llanwern High School while a first clubhouse is being planned slap bang outside the school gates.
“I pinch myself daily to think how far we’ve come and I thought it would be two or three seasons in each division before we could make more progress,” said secretary Bill Berry, who was a key man in the club being founded 12 years ago.
“Llanwern rugby was going downhill and Hartridge HSOB was also struggling at the time so Chris Evans and myself amalgamated the two clubs in 2005.
“For the first two years we really struggled and then we won the League. Since then we’ve gradually grown through the system.
“The next phase is our own clubhouse and we have the plans in place.
“We’re doing so well on the field we need to be generating money from our own clubhouse because at the moment we remain a junior union side.
“Any money generated by Hartridge has come through sponsorship. They are the lifeblood of this club.
“The local chip shop supplies all the chips and does sausage and chips for the second team. Our local butcher, Palfreys, supplies all the curry and we really wouldn’t be able to do it without the community.
“All the old players are chipping in and they haven’t forgotten the club.
“The Llanwern boys as well haven’t forgotten their roots and it’s been quite easy for me as I can go to people and ask for something and I’m given it.”
Despite being just 12 years old, Hartridge haven’t forgotten their HSOB roots, with sons and grandsons of former players now turning out for the first team while granitehard ex-centre Mark Wheeler is their backs coach.
Wheeler’s return from Newport rivals Pill Harriers five years ago right at the start of their journey through the National League ranks is a prime example of the pulling power of Harts.
“We’ve got a saying that’s served us pretty well, that Hartridge are ‘one big family all on the same journey’ and we truly believe that,” said Wheeler.
“Ringland is an estate and that tight community spirit comes out in the rugby and the support we get from the surrounding area.
“Since we’ve been getting some success here people have been coming over from the estate to watch the game, and it’s nothing to get 300-400 supporters over from the estate to watch our home games.
“When you’re close knit as we are, everyone wants to die for one another out on the pitch, but that doesn’t mean we’re a dirty team.
“The spirit within this club is crazy.”