Talbot Athletic Ground
Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot, Wales
Talbot Athletic Ground, Port Talbot, Wales — opened 1921 (as Talbot Athletic Ground, on the site of the earlier Central Athletic Ground), 15 rugby league games hosted, home of South Wales RLFC, for its single full season, 1996 (the club also used Morfa Stadium, Swansea and Cardiff Arms Park as alternate home grounds that season).
Sourcing caveat: Capacity figures conflict sharply across sources (10,000 historical terracing vs. 3,000 vs. 6,000 seated), likely reflecting different eras, and are not stated here rather than guessed. Floodlight status could not be confirmed, though evening fixtures suggest they are likely present.
Ground facts
| Opened | 1921 (as Talbot Athletic Ground, on the site of the earlier Central Athletic Ground) (Sources conflict on the exact reopening/rebuilding date, with one giving 1926 rather than 1921; Aberavon RFC was granted exclusive use in 1913, predating the Talbot Athletic Ground name.) |
| Home club | South Wales RLFC, for its single full season, 1996 (the club also used Morfa Stadium, Swansea and Cardiff Arms Park as alternate home grounds that season) |
| Games hosted (rugby league, on record) | 15 |
| Top recorded crowd | 3,128 |
| Test matches hosted | 2 |
| Surface | Grass |
| First rugby league match | 31 Mar 1996, Hull KR 70-8 South Wales (Second Division) — recorded as a South Wales 'home' fixture despite the away-looking scoreline, possibly a data or neutral-venue quirk not independently resolved |
| Years used | 1996–2006 |
| Location | Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot |
Name history
- Central Athletic Ground — 1900s
- Talbot Athletic Ground — 1921-present
Rugby league history
A Port Talbot multi-sport ground, primarily and long associated with Aberavon RFC (rugby union), that hosted rugby league only in two distinct windows: South Wales RLFC's single 1996 season in the professional British league system (the club folded before 1997 after the RFL rejected its Super League franchise bid over insufficient financial guarantees), and a handful of Wales national team and lower-tier English club fixtures in the 2000s, including a 2003 Super League fixture (London 40-18 Widnes).
Primarily home to Aberavon RFC (rugby union) and used for Wales women's rugby union; recorded a rugby union record crowd of 19,000 for an Aberavon v New Zealand Army match in spring 1946.
Historic Test matches, Cup & Grand Finals hosted
- 26 Oct 2003 — Wales 74-4 Russia (European Championship), attendance 1,082
- 17 Oct 2004 — Wales 12-25 Ireland (European Nations Championship), attendance 1,296
Pre-dates the site's structured match-by-match records for these competitions, so listed here as sourced facts rather than linked match pages.
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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