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 November 2008

Senior Teams

The start of the new season hardly brought any joy. Our first game away to Nantymoel was a really poor affair. We lost to a team that looks destined to be relegated. We faired little better in our next two matches and then we turned things around. We won a scrappy game against Fairwater by six points to three and from then on we have built an impressive record with five straight league wins. Our only blemish in recent months has been a very narrow defeat in the SWALEC Cup. The match against Skewen was disappointing in that we could certainly have won the game. However, now in the new Cup structure we have continued to make progress with an away win against Penygraig.

With just three matches left in the first half of the season we face a real test to our new found confidence which has been based on a powerful pack with captain Andrew Davies in great form and leading by example. On December 6th we face unbeaten Treorchy at Parc de Pugh. This is a crunch match which could launch our challenge for promotion. With home advantage and hopefully large crowd at our backs, we must be in with a chance. Your support could be the edge we need to tip the game in our favour.

The remaining matches are Aberdare away, 13th Dec and Llantwit Fadre at home on 27th. Llantwit are the current unbeaten league leaders and so will present a challenge equal to that presented by Treorchy.

Our seconds have had a mixed season. They started well but then struggled only to reassert themselves with a fine recent win against Glynneath. With players returning from injury and others joining the club in recent weeks we can perhaps look for more consistency in the remainder of the season.

Youth

Coaches Brian Pritchard and Tony Price have a young but talented youth squad. Their inexperience and lack of bulk at this level has meant that they have had an up and down season so far. They have achieved some good wins but have found some of their opponents to be too powerful, although in every game they have been competitive and pushed their opponents to the limit. As the side matures so it will get stronger and the future is bright.

Mini and Junior

The Mini and Junior teams continue to be a great success apart from the under 16’s set up which has suffered as a result of its own success. With Alwyn Lee and Darren Harris not being available as a result of their selection in the Blues Elite Development Squad the team has suffered as have other squads such as Merthyr. However, with additional coaching help and the hard work of Huw Davies and Mark Newman supported by a number of parents there has been a resurgence in interest. This Sunday they face a local derby against Builth Wells with everyone hoping that their performance will stimulate renewed interest. There are talented young players in this squad and to ensure that their development and the progress of the club is not hampered we need to give the team all the support we can.

All our remaining junior/mini sides are in good spirits and are achieving good results. The mini’s in particular have been outstanding and a look at their results on the club website www.breconrfc.co.uk will clearly show just how successful they have been. The under 9’s won the Merthyr Tournament in September with the under 10’s and under 11’s coming second. The remainder of the season so far has been seen all our Mini sides winning all their games.

In addition to the club’s success, the South Powys Primary Schools’ Team, which is virtually a Brecon RFC team, have had unprecedented success. Their two matches against Cardiff B and Mynydd Mawr have been won and there is great hope that this talented group of young players will make a name for themselves this season.

Andy Powell

For all those connected with rugby in Brecon the sight of Andy Powell stepping out onto the Millennium Stadium to face South Africa was a special occasion. The fact that he deservedly won the man of the match award was particularly pleasing. A measure of his achievement is the fact that in the 140 years history of the club he is just the third senior Welsh international with Brecon connections. Mark Wyatt was the last and the occasion of his first cap against England in 1983, some 25 years ago, is still fondly remembered. You have to go back to 1885 to find another Breconian, E. P. Alexander, in the list of Welsh International Players.

Everyone connected with the club wishes Andy future success in the red shirt of Wales and we hope that in the no too distant future we can arrange an evening with him in the club to celebrate his success.

Vice Presidents’ Dinner – Mervyn Davies Friday 5th December

There are still a number of tickets available for this event. Similar dinners in the past have been enjoyable and successful occasions. If you are intending to attend then please do not leave it to the last minute to order tickets. Tickets are available from me on 624548 or ron.rowsell@btinternet.com

Lottery

A group of club members are hoping to restart a weekly Lottery in the New Year. Proceeds from the Lottery will go into the Club’s Development Fund with the first project being the provision of Floodlights at Parc de Pugh. If this is to be successful then we need all parents, players, supporters and officials to get behind the initiative. We need lights specifically to cater for our training demands and the more help and backing we receive the quicker we will achieve our goal.

Advance Notice – Brecon President’s XV v British Army Sat 14th March K.O. 12:00

This charity match in aid of the Keith Morris Memorial Fund and Rob Davies should be a great rugby occasion. Please put the date in your diary and join us for what should be a great rugby day out. Sponsorship packages are available and I can supply details to anyone who is interested.

Ron Rowsell