Ponty duo are staying for another 12 months
PONTYPRIDD stalwarts Dafydd Lockyer and Chris Dicomidis will continue to add their wealth of experience to the Sardis Road squad next season after signing on for another 12 months of action in the Indigo Group Premiership.
Between them the two former Wales U21 caps have played 739 games for Ponty between them over the past 16 seasons. Lockyer will be 35 next month, while Cypriot international Dicomidis will reach the same landmark in September.
Lockyer stepped up to senior level with Pontypridd from the club academy in 2003. He won Wales Youth and U21 honours and, apart from a season at Neath in 2007, has given unstinting service to the club.
He took over as captain in 2014 and led Ponty to league and cup titles.
Dicomidis joined the Celtic Warriors Academy from home club Pencoed and became attached to Pontypridd in 2004 while studying at what is now Cardiff met University.
He won caps Welsh caps at U19 and
U21 levels and also played for Welsh Universities. He then switched allegiance to Cyprus, using his paternal grandfather as the link, and made his senior international debut form the Moufflons against Luxembourg in October 2011.
Dicomidis was made club captain in 2011 and lifted the WRU Challenge Cup at Principality Stadium that year. His consistent form in the second row earned him a call-up into the Cardiff Blues squad in 2013 and made 22 appearances for them before returning full-time to Pontypridd in 2016.
Joining them in re-signing for next season are full back Lloyd Rowlands and scrum half Joel Raikes, although former Wales U20 outside half Ben Jones, lock Sean Moore and scrum half Carl Blacker are all leaving the club.
Meanwhile, lock Kristian Parker has been nominated as Player of the Season by Pontypridd supporters.
In an online poll, Parker edged out winger Dale Stuckey for the accolade.
Parker made 18 appearances in his first full season with Pontypridd, all of those being in the starting line-up – more starts than any other of the squad.
His abrasive style of play, his versatility in covering both the second and back row positions, and his willingness to put his body on the line time and again were the attributes that made such an impression on the Ponty support.
Hailing from Church Village, Parker had previously played for Ebbw Vale in the Premiership before making the move closer home to Pontypridd.
Stuckey made 17 appearances during the season and was top try scorer with eight.