- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 21, 2026
Make Friends After 40 in Newport, New to Sport
Newport’s 40 to 49s make up about 13% of the city, a little more than the national share, and there is beginner tennis, a riverside 5k and lane swimming for a fresh start.
168,000+
people counted in Newport by the ONS in mid-2025
13%
Newport residents in their forties, a point ahead of Wales overall (ONS mid-2025)
32.4%
Newport households paying off a home loan; Welsh share 28% (2021 Census, ONS)
Newport beginners get a second wind
Taking up a racket or running shoes in Newport as a woman in her 40s, following a house move, a separation or years on the sidelines, is easier when everyone else is learning too. Tennis Xpress at the Regional Pool and Tennis Centre is a six-week course for adults who have never played, Riverfront parkrun follows the Usk on Saturday mornings, and Walk Your Way To 5k builds you up gently. Gofrendly connects you with Newport women making the same restart.
Questions from Newport beginners in their 40s
Can adult beginners learn tennis in Newport?
Yes. Tennis Xpress is a six-week course at the Regional Pool and Tennis Centre in Newport for adults who have never played or have not played for a long time. It costs £60.85, or £48.05 for Newport Live members, and the centre gives current dates on 01633 656757.
Is there a tennis session in Newport for all levels?
Cardio Tennis runs at the Regional Pool and Tennis Centre in Newport on Tuesdays from 6pm to 7pm and Saturdays from 8am to 8.45am, welcoming any age and standard, at £6.15 or included for members. On Thursdays there is an Adult Matchplay Social from 8.30pm to 10pm.
Where do Newport beginners in their 40s meet friends?
Choose something with a beginners stage, such as tennis, a walk-to-5k group or a choir, and stay for the full run. Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, lets you send a first message to women close by in Newport, so you can arrange a short meeting before or after a session.
Is there a walk-to-5k programme in Newport?
Yes. Walk Your Way To 5k is a six-week programme from Newport Live’s Momentwm Walking Network, with two led walks a week for £20, building confidence, fitness and endurance until you can comfortably cover 5km. The final week includes a walk alongside Riverfront parkrun, so a Newport group finishes together.
Newport friendships that begin with a rally
Learning a sport from zero levels the field. Nobody on a beginners court in Newport knows quite what they are doing yet, and a shared groan at a missed shot does more for introductions than small talk ever could. If you are rebuilding your life after a separation, a move or a long gap from exercise, a course with a fixed end date hands you a weekly reason to return and the same faces waiting when you do.
Roughly 13 in 100 Newport people are 40 to 49, slightly more than the Welsh average, so expect to meet other 40-somethings in the group. Starting over is often lonely in the first weeks, and a joint target like a first 5k or a first proper rally takes the pressure off conversation. Go for something with a beginners stage and a social side, and you can make friends after 40 while you learn. Worth a look:
1
Tennis Xpress at the Regional Pool and Tennis Centre, six weeks for adults new or returning to tennis.
2
Riverfront parkrun, which loops the paths beside the River Usk each Saturday.
3
Newport Live’s Momentwm Walking Network, with social walks and a six-week Walk Your Way To 5k.
4
The Regional Pool at Newport International Sports Village, with lane swimming sessions.
5
The People’s Show Choir at Stow Park Community Centre, Wednesdays from 7.45pm.
LOCAL TIP
Book the whole course, not a single session, so the group gets to know you.
How to
Making friends in Newport as a beginner again
1
Call the Regional Pool and Tennis Centre on 01633 656757 for dates of the next Tennis Xpress course.
2
Try Cardio Tennis on a Tuesday evening, a session open to every level.
3
Look on Gofrendly for nearby women starting something new and suggest Riverfront parkrun together.
4
Swim lengths at the Regional Pool before work and nod to the early regulars.
Restarts and one friendship that stuck
Behind the Newport beginners page
Our editors and Gofrendly founders Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja wrote this Newport page with 40-something women starting again in mind, putting beginner tennis, a riverside 5k and early swims at its heart.
Friendship looks different at every stage
More guides for women in this area – each with its own local advice.
Friendship looks different at every stage
More guides for women in this area – each with its own local advice.
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