NEWPORT RFC inducted more great names from their illustrious past at their fourth annual Hall of Fame event, writes Iwan Gabe Davies.

The event, organised by the club and the Friends of Newport Rugby Trust, was held at Rodney Parade.

The inductees were Marc Batten, Andrew Brown, Brian Cresswell, William Morris, Alfred J Panting, Peter Rees, the Travers family and John Widdecombe.

The evening saw former Black and Ambers and Newport Gwent Dragons favourite Jason Forster act as master of ceremonies.

And club legend Brian Jones was enrolled as honorary vice patron of the Friends of Newport Rugby Trust.

Deadly wing Batten played for the club in the 1980s and scored 109 tries in 197 appearances, also representing Wales B in 1983.

As assistant head teacher at Bassaleg School, in 2006 he won the Guardian’s Teacher of the Year award in a secondary school for excellent standards in physical education.

During his time there, he helped develop countless students, including Wales stars Alix Popham and Ryan Jones.

Hooker Brown, a popular member of the current side, has made 277 appearances, scoring 34 tries, was captain during the 2011-12 season and also represented the Newport Gwent Dragons.

He was inducted for “more than ten years of performances of a consistently high standard – demonstrating leadership on the field of play appreciated by his fellow players and spectators”.

Skilled blindside flanker Cresswell played 236 times, touching down for 39 tries, and was part of the team which downed Australia 11-0 in 1957.

A winner of four Wales caps during the 1960 Five Nations campaign, he made up the all Newport back row, along with Glyn Davidge and Geoff Whitson, who played Scotland and Ireland that year.

Colourful Australian-born lock Morris, whose induction was received by club legend Brian Price, made 167 appearances, scoring 16 tries.

Capped twice by Wales, in wins over Scotland in 1965 and France in 1966, the solicitor from Wrexham was inducted for “memorable and consistent performances on the field of play to the credit of Newport RFC”.

Late outside-half Panting, whose enrolment was received by son Roger, was born in 1914 and played between 1944 and 1949 before devoting most of his time to the club through membership of numerous committees, as match secretary and manager of the 1973 tour of South Africa.

He was inducted for his “dedicated lifelong service to Newport RFC”.

Prolific try-scorer Rees touched down for 158 tries in 330 appearances during his glittering club career.

Capped four times for Wales on the wing between 1961 and 1964, he remarkably played in every one of the club’s 51 matches when he was vice-captain during the 1967-68 season.

In 1969 he overtook the great Ken Jones’ record of 146 tries when he scored at Plymouth Albion.

The Travers Family, whose induction was received by ‘Bunner’ Travers’ grandson Eddie, are a proud Newport rugby dynasty.

Great forward George Travers, who played most of his club rugby at rivals Pill Harriers, was a key part of Wales’ First Golden Era and a member of the national team who famously downed the All Blacks in 1905.

He had eights sons, Robert, George, Leonard, William, Chris, Matthew, Jack and Jim, five of whom played for Newport.

A winner of 12 Wales caps, he was hailed as the ‘Prince of Hookers’ by the Springboks during the 1938 British Lions tour of South Africa.

The last inductee was lock Widdecombe, an Englishman who was an enormously popular fans’ favourite in the 1980s.

He made 260 appearances, scoring 37 tries, four conversions and seven penalties, making the round trip of more than 200 miles from his home in Devon to play.

Still coaching, he didn’t hang up his boots until he was 50.