The club was formed in 1894 (or 1895) by a young curate of St Peter’s Church, the Rev Fred Peel Yates. Before the founding of the club it was said that the young men of the village played a form of rugby on St Goulders Common and on moonlit nights a ball covered in chalk was used to make it easier to see. In 1897–98 Newlyn RFC won the Cornwall Junior Cup, however the cup had to be returned to the
Cornwall RFU because of an un-registered player. As was usual for many clubs, Newlyn RFC did not operate during the
Great War but occasional games were played near the
Penlee Quarry by personnel of the Seaplane Base. Newlyn RFC final match was in December, 1939 when they beat St Ives. In November 1944, after a public meeting held in St Peter’s Schoolroom, it was agreed to hold talks with Penzance RFC with a view to amalgamation. A Penzance RFU committee meeting on 21 November agreed to wind up the rugby club; and at a public meeting at the Guildhall, Penzance on 12 December 1944, it was agreed to start a new club. Despite the animosity the two clubs combined to form Penzance & Newlyn RFC. ==Honours==