Brecon RFC

63 The Watton
Brecon
Powys
LD3 7EL

Tel: 01874 624848
Fax: 01874 611719
contact@breconrfc.co.uk

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Club Newsletters

BRECON RFC NEWSLETTER May 2011

Seniors

On reflexion the season was probably a great disappointment in playing terms. We started the season with high hopes and although it was clear that we were lacking in depth in some areas our squad seemed strong enough to more than hold our own. An excellent win on the opening Saturday at St Peters was excellent preparation for the local derby against Gwernyfed. Sadly on the day we never “turned up” and we lost heavily to a good Gwernyfed team.
We bounced back well from that reverse and another good win away to Fairwater was followed by an outstanding home win against Pentyrch. With the second team also recording successive victories including a great win against Builth Wells the prospects for the season looked very bright. However, we soon lost the services of stalwart prop Andrew Davies and newcomer Steve Jackson who had made a big impression. Without that hard, experienced core in the front row we struggled. Before Christmas we picked up some good wins but slipped in others and held a comfortable mid table position.

The New Year match at Gwernyfed was the turning point. It was a game we could have won after an early red card forced us to battle through 70 minutes with only 14 players. In spite of the handicap we were competitive and in the game right up to the final whistle. What happened after was very disappointing.

In the remaining 13 matches we won just 2. Fortunately those two wins allowed us to avoid relegation and preserved our status in Division 3. The seconds also, after a brilliant start to the season, began to falter. As we continued to lose so morale suffered and we hit a crisis point when we lost the services of our coaches, captain and a few players. While fingers will be pointed as to the reasons for such disharmony it was essential that the club regrouped, drew a line under what had happened and pulled together. Fortunately with the help of Carl Scales, Regional Development officer, we acquired the services of Chris Yates as coach and he supported by Carl carried us through to the end of the season.
We were also fortunate in that the season’s outstanding player, Tom Daley, took on the mantle of captain. Also youngsters such as Jake Powell Thomas and Ryan Harris showed consistent improvement during the season and never lacked courage or commitment in the bruising area of the front row, while in addition the likes of Gari Davies showed a welcome return to form.

So the season, in spite of results, didn’t end in doom and gloom. However there is much now to do. With a new regime at the helm the first priority will be settle the coaching issue with the hope that we can continue our partnership with Chris and provide him with appropriate support.

In order to keep some continuity going the club is running a series of touch rugby sessions from 6:30 on Thursday evenings, commencing 2nd June. Anyone over the age of, 16 male or female is invited to attend what should be a series of enjoyable sessions.

Youth

As with the seniors the season was mixed but without the disharmony that afflicted that section of the club. Coaches, Trigger and Tapper continued their valued development work with the squad and were joined in Mid-Season by Jan Milsom whose input was highly valued. While the playing record wasn’t outstanding the young team showed considerable promise. With only a few departing to senior ranks the future looks bright.

Juniors

Once again our juniors performed admirably throughout what was a much disrupted season. The severe winter weather curtailed fixtures and a number of other fixtures were cancelled owing to the failure of opponents to raise a team. In spite of this there were notable highlights.

The under 13’s and 14’s travelled on tour to Belluno, Italy. Contact with Belluno had been established the previous year when they visited Brecon. The return to Italy was an outstanding success. Before the tour players were reminded that they not only represented themselves and the club but were also ambassadors for their town, Brecon and country Wales. All the players took the advice to heart. Not only did they impress their hosts on the field but they also won their respect off it.

The coaches and supporting organisers should be thanked and congratulated for providing our young players with such a fantastic experience and opportunity. I understand that our more senior supporters/parents who accompanied the team on the trip also had a wonderful time while being good guests and made no complaint as they were encouraged to partake in the local wine which flowed freely. Some even made the effort to learn the language so that late into the evening they were speaking something fluently although listeners were not sure what language they were speaking.

The under 15’s had a season to remember. They consistently improved throughout the season and were rewarded with a great cup winning performance against Abercynnon. Their passage to the Heart of Wales final hadn’t been easy but it illustrated the degree of progress that the side had made. Earlier in the season they suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of a powerful Merthyr side. When we faced the same opponents in the semi-final we outplayed them and deservedly earned our place in the final. That final match was a close encounter. With the final score at 24 all the under 15’s emerged as victors by scoring four tries to Abercynnon’s three.

The victory was well deserved and was a great reward for the hard work of coaches Kevin Prothero and Hefin Williams.

Minis

There can be no doubting the importance of the strength of the mini section of the club. Paul Amphlett and Neil Bragg have worked hard to continually improve the structure of the Mini and Junior Section and it is bearing fruit.
All the teams had their highlights with the under 11’s and under 9’s reaching the final of the highly rated Brecon Mini Tournament. In addition Callun James, Under 11, won an East Wales cap and the Man of the Match Award in the annual encounter against West Wales. He was the first South Powys player to receive such an award: an outstanding achievement for an outstanding player.

While there was success on many fronts there is no doubting that the outstanding Brecon, Blues and possible Welsh Mini Team of the season was our under 10’s. They boast a proud record of being unbeaten with just a draw against Pontypridd in the Semi Final of the Blues Cup which they later went on to win. They also defeated Pontypridd to end their unbeaten run when they played them in the final of the Brecon Tournament. In addition they won at the Llanidloes, Merthyr, Lucton and Kidwelly Tournaments. A truly outstanding season for an exceptional team of players and coaches.

Ron Rowsell