Since the regionalisation of Welsh rugby in 2003, Pontypool RFC is now a feeder club to the Dragons regional team.
The club reformed in 1901 and produced many notable Wales and British Lions international players, including the Jones brothers in the early 20th century and the famed 'Pontypool Front Row' of Charlie Faulkner, Graham Price and Bobby Windsor in the 1970s.
[9] Pontypool RFC played their first official match at the Recreation Ground against Cardiff Romilly on 21 September 1901,[9] and by 1904 the club had won the Monmouthshire League.
[10] After winning the Monmouthshire League again in 1907 Pontypool was recognised as having 'first-class' status for the 1907/08 season, allowing the club to face more notable opposition.
During the early 1920s, Pontypool was one of several major Welsh clubs to suffer from the emergence of professional rugby in England.
In 1927 Pontypool were victorious against the Waratahs and the Maoris but were two thousand pounds in debt, and the WRU's refusal to allow them a fixture against the South African national team caused local resentment.
The club's strength during its glory days was its forwards, particularly the legendary Pontypool Front Row celebrated in song by Max Boyce.
The second half saw the 5,000 strong crowd witness some superb Fijian play and the tourists ran out easy winners by 74-16 In May 2003, the same scenario as the previous season occurred with both Pontypool and Aberavon locked in a two horse race for the title.
Due to the clubs' original January fixture being rearranged, the league title would be decided in a winner-takes-all clash at the Talbot Athletic Ground on 13 May 2003.
Pontypool defeated Aberavon 40-12 (outscoring the Wizards 5 tries to nil) and were crowned Welsh National League Division One Champions for season 2002–03.
His three tries against Aberavon in the 13 May game took his tally for the season to 44 (39 league tries and five in the Principality Cup) and earned him the accolade of having Pontypool's best try aggregate since the First World War, surpassing the 39 by David Bishop in 1983–84, but still falling behind the 55 obtained by wing Tom Robbins in 1913–14.
Therefore, Tonmawr were not invited to contest the single promotion place against Pontypool RFC in a play off game.
It was announced that four clubs, Pontypool, Tonmawr, Bridgend and Carmarthen had not achieved the required criteria to be included into the new league.
However, pressure from Ospreys and Scarlets backers led to the league being extended to 12 teams with Bridgend and Carmarthen included.