BACK FROM THE BRINK, SO WILL IT BE SUCCESS ON A PLATE FOR BRYNMAWR?
FIVE years ago Brynmawr RFC nearly went out of business ... but now they face another thriving club in Nant Conwy in the final of the WRU National Plate at the Principality Stadium today.
“We only had a senior team and a youth side that season,” explained Brynmawr secretary Rob Kershaw.
“The seniors had a hardcore of eight players and we had a meeting with them that September to see if they wanted to carry on.
“We reached out to players who had gone to other clubs and asked them to come back. Some of them did, thankfully.”
Brynmawr were at one stage 32 points behind Cilfynydd in the dogfight to avoid relegation from Division Three East of the National League, but managed to pull off a true rugby miracle.
“We had 12 matches left, but we won 10 of them to stay up. We had to beat Croesyceiliog away in our final fixture of that season with a bonus point to survive, and the boys pulled it off,” said Kershaw.
“If we had folded I think that would have been the end of Brynmawr RFC. The following season saw the league restructured and we finished runners-up in Division Two East.
“We’ve also got a thriving youth section, an Under-16 team and want to start an Under-13 side. What’s holding us back is we have only got one pitch.
“We hope an artificial pitch will be laid at Brynmawr Comprehensive School, which our age-grade teams can use.”
Brynmawr are riding high at the top of Division One East and face League One North Nant Conwy with both clubs bidding for league and cup doubles.
North Wales club Nant Conwy has some 300 players on its books, running junior, youth, senior, girls and women’s teams.
“Because we’re known as a Welshspeaking club, people come from miles away to play,” said forward Ifan Pyrs.
His sister Gwenllian appeared for Wales Women this season and the pair have eight siblings.
Seven of the 10 play rugby and grew up playing it on the family farm, in a field complete with rugby posts.
This will be Nant Conwy’s third National Finals appearance and they are determined to head home having won at the Principality Stadium for the first time.
MERTHYR V NEWPORT
IF Newport beat Merthyr in the final of the WRU National Cup, it will be the perfect way to celebrate the club’s first major success 140 years ago. For the Black and Ambers were the first team to win the South Wales Challenge Cup, beating Swansea in the final in front of a then-record Welsh crowd of 2,000 at Bridgend.
The only score was a touchdown for Newport by E Jenkins, which was converted by A J Moggridge.
Current Newport captain Rhys Jenkins believes their run to this season’s finals is a signal of the new spirit at the world famous club, since separating from the Dragons following the WRU’s takeover of the Gwent region last July.
Their proud history has seen them beat New Zealand, South Africa and Australia, but the loss of ownership of Rodney Parade placed question marks over Newport’s very future.
“This final is about the transition the club has gone through in the last
year with the takeover by the WRU and the effort people have put in,” said former Wales Under-20 international Jenkins.
“We’ve got more of a community spirit behind us now, everyone is backing each other, whereas before, everything that happened was perhaps region-orientated, now it’s club-orientated.
“One of the good things to come out of the takeover is that our identity is back.
“I think the supporters are buying into it more because they can see the identity of the club more.
“There’s a lot more people coming back, some who haven’t been there for years, and I think the ticket sales for the final have gone through the roof.”
Jenkins played his first rugby in six months last weekend after recovering from ankle ligament damage.
“I managed 40 minutes at Aberavon, so I’ve had a bit of stick off the boys about it being a miraculous recovery just in time for the cup final,” he smiled.
“Matt O’Brien has been captain and I think I’ll have to give lifting the cup to him if we win it,”
Newport have already beaten Principality Premiership leaders Merthyr this season. “It’s going to be a massive challenge, but one we know we can take on,” said the flanker.
“We might be the underdogs to everyone on the outside, but inside the squad we know what we’re capable of.
“We’ve been up there and beaten them on their patch so we’ve got nothing to fear.”
Merthyr boss Dale McIntosh, who has lifted the cup on a number of occasions as a player and coach with Pontypridd, said: “It’s going to be tough. Newport have had a very good season. They’re very well-drilled up front, their set-piece has improved and they have got a big line-out while their backs are very dangerous, especially on transition.
“If we make errors young Matt O’Brien will make us pay – he’s their talisman.
“We’re expecting a physical game because that’s what you get in any final, with form going out of the window.” PEMBROKE V PORTHCAWL COMEDIAN Rob Brydon, fellow actors Hywel Simon and Jason Hughes, and Scarlets’ Wales internationals Tom Prydie Rob and Steff Evans have all tweeted messages of support to Porthcawl ahead of their National Bowl final with Pembroke.
The Seaweeds have rebuilt under the auspices of coach and former Celtic Warriors hooker Rhys James.
He said: “Porthcawl has got a wealth of rugby players, but they were tending to get stolen, so our first task was to make a better environment to attract players back.
“We got promoted last year to League 3A West Central and are challenging for the title this season so could conceivably do the double.
“We’ve sold more than 500 tickers for finals day and have had a social media campaign to generate support.
“Memberships have gone up and the club is thriving thanks to the efforts of the boys on the pitch,” beamed James, a teacher at Maesteg Comprehensive School.