Garndiffaith Rugby Football Club are a Welsh rugby union club based in Garndiffaith in South Wales. The club is a member of theWelsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.
The first games played by Garndiffaith RFC took place in 1922 against local sides such as Caerleon College and Pontypool Quins. The club disbanded after the outbreak of World War II, and reformed on 28 June 1946.
Garndiffaith Rugby Club (known to locals as Garn) consisted of prominent ex-schoolboys who served as a nursery side for many of the senior clubs. The boys changed and bathed at the Band Club (now the Garndiffaith Workingmen's Club). Washing in half barrel's, with hot water carried from a house opposite the club. Mr Josh Bannions trained the side and they played their rugby on a field which now houses Rock Villa Close.
The first Garndiffaith Rugby side was formed in 1922 and their fixtures then consisted of sides like Caerleon College, Llanhilleth All Blacks and Pontypool Quins (who later became Pontypool United RFC) . All were respected sides in the Monmouthshire area and during these early years the Garn side were winning more games than they were losing. Gardiffaith's home record occurred in the mid-1920s to the mid-1930s when the club went without being defeated at home for nine seasons. That level of performance attracted a large following of supporters but the record finally broke when Pontypool Quins visited the Garn and won by 3 points to nil.
The level of Garndiffaith's play during this period attracted other clubs of senior level, who came to watch them play, which resulted in them becoming a nursery side for other clubs. On one occasion Pontypool RFC committee watched the senior ream play and within two weeks the whole of the back division turned out for Pontypool.
Garndiffaith's top players include Billy Werret, who for five years was reserve inside half to Wick Powell of London Welsh and who went on to Captain Pontypool and Arthur Fynn went on to play at Pontypool and gain a Monmouthshire cap
Garndiffaith had to disband during the Second World War. When the war was over there was a local meeting to reform the team, and at a meeting on 28 June 1946 the club was recreated.
Players paid one shilling to join and threepence contributions each week. Their ground was Pen-y-lan fields and the committee held their meetings at the Rose & Crown public house which became their headquarters. Their first game was against Talywain on September 1, 1946. The result was Garndiffaith 5 Talywain 3.
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