Theviewfrom Sardis Road
Pontypridd RFC chief executive Stephen Reardon opens up on all things rugby related:
Question: After winning the Premiership title four years in a row, your reign was ended in May when you lost the play-off final to Ebbw Vale. How tough was that to take?
Stephen Reardon: Ebbw Vale beat us three times last season, so nobody can argue with them being champions. They were very strong. At the end of the day, they beat us home and away in the league and beat us fairly comfortably in the final. We can’t argue with that result. We were comprehensively beaten. What hurt was the manner in which we lost game. It was a tough way to lose the title at home at Sardis Road, going down 38-12. I think our players and our management had a long searching look at themselves after that fixture.
When something like that happens, you’ve got to look at it and take stock. We didn’t have the best season last season. It was a period of transition. We are still in that period of transition but expect to be competitive. We are preparing well and raring to go after last season. We’re desperate to play well.
Q: It will be a new-look Premiership with an increase from 12 teams to 16, no relegation for three years and teams split into two groups of eight midway through the season. What are your thoughts on the changes?
SR: If you look at the reasoning behind it, the initial catalyst was the Premiership clubs wanted to expand to 16 teams to generate extra fixtures and additional revenue. The regions, for their part, want to generate quality of players and give them some rigour within that Premiership environment, so they develop to play at a higher level.
There view was that if you have more clubs, there’s a chance there could be a greater dilution of rigour, while they felt home and away games in a 16 team league wou ld mean too many fixtures.
More interest and more jeopardy The regions were prepared to support the expansion if there was some sort of jeopardy to keep more clubs interested through the season. The thinking behind splitting into two divisions was to maintain that element of jeopardy. So we will have 15 home or away games and then split into two groups of eight after Christmas. It’s not ideal, but it’s a compromise which has been arrived at by all parties. It isn’t ideal because you could have a situation where you only play some Premiership clubs once a season. There’s also the fact that clubs are businesses and it’s tough selling season tickets to supporters without really able to tell them who you are playing after Christmas. But I do think the split has concentrated a few minds and I am sure the season will be very competitive as a result. We certainly want to be in that top eight.
As for the ring-fencing for three years, that gives teams an opportunity to blood players and give them games in order to develop them without putting themselves at risk of relegation. Q: There will be regional select teams, rather than club sides, competing in the British and Irish Cup again this season. How do you react to that? SR: After his appointment to the WRU at the start of the year, head of rugby performance Geraint John undertook a review of the British and Irish Cup which involved all the stakeholders. Pontypridd’s position was clear. We were advocating a return to it being a club based competition. We thought it was very successful for us in terms of developing our coaches and players. One of the reasons why we have been successful domestically in recent years is because we were exposing players to high level of rugby in B&I. It was a level above the Premiership. It also gave our fans experience of cross-border competition. They loved it. We took 400-500 supporters wherever we went. When we played in Belfast, the Ulster captain said he thought they were playing away when he ran out.
The B&I really demonstrated the dedication of our supporters. When we played down at Cornish Pirates, I spoke to a reporter who had covered them for 30 years he said it was first he could remember them being outnumbered at home.
It gave out supporters an opportunity to aspire to something outside of domestic competition. And as a club it gave us an opportunity to aspire to a more rigorous level of rugby.
But when it came to the review, we were the only club that advocated a return to a clubs taking part in the competition.
The others effectively supported the Premiership Select system. I can’t speak for them as to their reason why.
That was the position of regions too. How they came to that decision I’m not in a position to comment. We are disappointed. Our view of the B&I hasn’t changed.
It worked at all levels for us in terms of us competing at a higher level, developing or coaches and players and giving our supporters something different.
It gave us something to aspire to.
One of reasons it came about in first place was Premierships clubs were asking for something different. It gave clubs a chance to play cross border rugby.
And if you are looking at the stark outcomes then I would say the switch to regional select teams was a negative. No region qualified from the group stage. But we are where we are. Pontypridd will continue to aspire to the highest level possible. We are ambitious. Its what drives us.
Q: Cardiff Blues will be running a smaller squad next season. How do you think that will impact upon you in terms of access to regional players?
SR: I know our coaches have met with the Blues coaching staff to discuss player allocation to our club.
That process is not finished yet, we are due to have more discussions. Yes, there will be a diminished allocation, but we will still have Blues players appearing on permit. We will continue to focus on developing from within.
It’s always been our role to develop players and out conveyer belt keeps on rolling. We have 300 players registered within our mini and junior section and we resurrected the youth team four or five years ago.
Q: Your Valleys neighbours Merthyr will be in the Premiership this season having been promoted from the Championship. What are your thoughts on having them on board?
SR: It can only be good for Welsh rugby. It’s certainly good for mid district rugby and good for Cardiff Blues as a region. They have only had two Premiership clubs in the region for a number of years, now they will have three.
Merthyr were very strong in the Championship and I expect them to be strong if not stronger in the Premiership.
They gave us a tough outing in the cup last season and they are going to be a force. They will be up there challenging and one of the teams to beat.
Q: You’ve got a new 3G pitch under construction at Sardis Road, so when is that likely to be ready for use?
SR: It should be completed by the end of September or the beginning of October. We will definite-