News

The first report of a match played under rugby rules by Brecon Rugby Football Club was published in the Brecon County Times on 7^th of March 1968. The report stated, “On the Cricket Field, 12 gentlemen from Abergavenny met 13 from Brecon and at no side the only score was a well-directed drop kick by the visitors, to nil.” It is interesting to note that now, more than one hundred and fifty years on, Brecon Rugby Football Club will commence its new season with a friendly match against Newport on Saturday 17^th August on the same ground, now known as Parc De Pugh. This friendly encounter will be a precursor to probably the most challenging season in the long history of the Club. Many things have changed through the years and there have been many ups and downs with the Club entering the era of league rugby in 1994, in Division 8 Central, the basement league at the time. Steady progress was made over some years with a rapid acceleration since 2015 when promotion to Division 1 East was secured and more recently over the last two seasons where promotion to Championship West was followed with promotion to the Premiership. Now, as the club starts its preparations for the enormous challenge ahead, several adjustments both on and off the field have taken place.

On the Club management side, a new committee was following elections at the Club’s AGM. The newly elected committee has broken new ground by appointing its first ever female Chair. Angharad Woodland, who takes up the challenge, is not new to the management of the Club. For many years she was involved in the management of the Mini and Junior Section as two of her three sons made progress through the age groups. Then some four years ago she stepped into senior administration, taking of the role of Senior and Youth Fixture Secretary. Last season she joined the Board of the Club as Membership and Communication Secretary while retaining her Fixture responsibility. Fully aware of the challenge ahead she stated, “I am honoured that members of the Club have put their faith in me to lead the new, enlarged and enthusiastic committee. We have been mandated to steer the Club through the uncharted waters with many challenges ahead. I believe that we have the right people in place, both on the management and playing side, to be successful at all levels, from our six-year-olds, right through to our senior sides. I strongly believe that as a club we must strive to engage fully with the whole of our community and work hard to become ever more inclusive, both in terms of gender and ethnicity. Our success will inevitably be measured by how our senior team rises to the challenge of facing illustrious clubs such as Pontypridd, Neath, Cross Keys, Merthyr and others, but we will ultimately be judged by how well we foster and develop community engagement, both on the playing side and socially. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to further develop a pathway that provided our youngsters with the opportunity to play at a high Community level with Brecon RFC, and to have the opportunity to progress to Regional Teams and even to play at an International Stadium wearing that illustrious Welsh shirt.”

“While there is a lot of work to be done, we are already well on the way to establishing that pathway to provide those opportunities. At a senior level we have a wealth of expertise and experience in Rugby Management under the leadership of Head Coach, Dale ‘The Chief’ McIntosh, Backs Coach Gavin Dacey, Forwards Coach Owen Sheppeard, Athletic Head and Backs Coach Gari Davies, Athletic Forwards coach Steve Sugar, Strength and Conditioning Coach Darran Harris, Physios Rory Duffield and Dane Griffiths along with Team Manager Huw Davies. They have already started their pre-season preparations with regular Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday coaching sessions underway. Dedicated squads have been assembled for both the Senior team and the Athletic team and while a number of new players have been brought in to bolster the senior squad of thirty, the core of the squad remains local with a total of nineteen Brecon and South Powys players included. This deliberate strategy allows players the opportunity to remain local and to play at the highest level of the Community Game. For the Athletic players also, there is a new opportunity to compete in Division 6 East Central of the National Leagues with the added incentive of showing that they can compete with those in the senior squad and make them fight for their places.”

“Below senior level the pathway is further strengthened by the youth squad that has been assembled under the guidance of club stalwart, Alan Taylor. Alan, after many years as chair of the Mini and Junior Section, has retired from that role to concentrate fully on the Youth team. The Youth are an essential part of the pathway, with 15 of the current squad of senior players and almost all the Athletic squad having progressed through the youth team.

The Mini and Junior Section remains by far the largest section of the Club and the foundations of our pathway have been strengthened following Alan’s retirement by the formation of a new and diverse committee under the leadership of its first female Chair, Rachel Evans-Taylor.”

“Finally, I would like to thank all those who encouraged me to stand for the role of Chair and all those who supported my election; I intend to prove in this role that I will play for the Brecon RFC badge even if Chief won’t let me on the field! I would also like to thank our sponsors and SunnyBarn Investments in particular, for their financial and practical support. I understand the challenge that I face as Chair but it is a challenge that I relish. The club as a whole is breaking new ground and I am determined to play my part in leading a successful and united Club, with the community at its heart.”