Porthcawl look to future after superb league and cup double
RUGBY UNION
THEY say that sometimes things take a while in the making and if it all comes together then all the hard graft will have been worth it. So it is with Porthcawl Rugby Football Club this year, as they bring their season to a close celebrating a superb League and Cup double, having won the WRU Bowl at the Principality Stadium, whilst topping Division Three West Central A.
The achievement itself is probably enough, however the manner in which it’s been reached is shown clearly by the statistics.
Out of twenty-two league matches played, they lost just one, to local rivals Pyle and by a margin of three just points. The overall number of points scored by the Seaweeds in all league matches was the fourthhighest in the whole of the WRU community game league structure, below the Championship.
Whilst the all-out open Rugby yielded a torrent of tries, Porthcawl also boast the lowest number of points scored against them by their league opponents, in any division, so a mean defence also.
In the WRU Bowl, there were no byes and Porthcawl played in every round, culminating in that marvellous match against Pembroke at the Principality stadium, where the result could have gone either way; but then, one thing the side has shown throughout the season is a steely determination to play to the end of each match, hence shading one or two close encounters against some other very good sides, particularly Abercwmboi and Pembroke.
Formed in 1882, the same year as the forma- tion of the WRU itself, Porthcawl has produced a huge number of fine players over the years, including Wales and British Lions stars and if only those clubmen no longer with us could have witnessed what has been the best ever season in terms of results, they would have been thrilled at the way the team has performed as well as the superb support from the South Road faithful who have turned out in all weathers and locations, to support the players and coach Rhys James, whose hard work and respect from his players, have resulted in such a fine outcome.
Skipper Richard Hnyda has been an influential player and has led by example and the return of the vastly experienced John Phillips and Aled Davies has been pivotal to the team’s success.
That said, so many players deserve their share of the credit for what the team and Club has achieved overall and it would be wrong to name just a few to the exclusion of the others.
Certainly, the contribution made by every single squad player to ensure that all matches were played and results achieved in the closing frenetic, physically-challenging last few weeks of the season cannot be overstated, with as many as three matches played in certain weeks.
The off-the-field personnel who run the Club and make Rugby possible, as in most clubs, have also been a marvellous troop of volunteers and the season’s achievements will mean so much to them, as reward for supporting the players in so many ways, engendering a spirit of togetherness and creating an atmosphere second to none in the Club.
The season will draw to a proper close on Friday with the Annual Players Presentation Dinner and it is there that the justlyearned plaudits will be handed out.
Porthcawl’s players can now look forward to a few weeks well-earned rest now before they return to training to contemplate what lies ahead in Division Two next season, when some old foes from some seasons ago reemerge, with also a few new places to visit and hopefully conquer.