Sport

Angling: European Championships

Published

11 years ago

December 9, 2014

Tom Sinclair

Gala dinner and presentation: A great night had by all.

IT WAS the Dutch and not the Welsh anglers that swept virtually everything before them in European Federation of Sea Anglers 2014 European Shore Championships, organised by the Welsh Section, winning Individual Gold and Bronze as well as Team Silver and Bronze. Only German angler Volker Claus, winning the individual Silver and the Irish who won the International team competition, prevented the Netherlands from cleaning up completely It all started on the evening of Wednesday November 5 when 68 competitors, from 8 countries across Europe returned to Caernarfon to the Celtic Royal Hotel to attend registration for the event.

It was back to Llandudno’s northern foreshore, the only place it was possible to fish the opening Thursday 5 hour session, fished from daylight into dark. Following that gruelling session, not fish wise, but weather, as there were plenty to catch; the weather moderated and behaved itself for the second day of the competition when they could fish the intended beach at Pwllheli.

The final session, to be fished on the Saturday, again over 5 hours and entirely in the daylight, so that everything was done and dusted before the Gala Dinner, Presentation and Closing Ceremony that same evening, was again fished on the same stretch exactly as the previous evening so it was fair for all, none being able to snipe that someone only did well because they fished new ground during this last session.

At registration, on that first evening, the anglers were drawn 14 each into 5 zones, in which the matches would be fished, there being one angler from each international 5 man team in each zone, in this strictly catch, measure and release event, with individuals fitted in around them. Individual pegs were drawn on the beach in the zones 1 hour prior to the start, which worked and went down very well with all the anglers as a fair way to do things.

Where you finished in your zone would determine the points you were awarded with numbers of fish caught being used for count back purposes in the event of any ties. Fish caught were mainly whiting with quite a few Lesser Spotted Dogfish, with some Dabs, Flounder and the odd Codling.

So, how did the Welsh Lads and Ladies do? Well they had the winning Junior which was Daniel Tucker from Milford Haven and in the 5 man International Team event, in which the worst score is discarded each day, the Welsh A team, winners in 2010 at the same venue came a creditable 4th but by only 2 points, having held the lead after the first day.

This time the team consisted of, Philip Lustig (Stackpole), Haydn Cole (Lamphey), Derek Gregory (Milford Haven), Ken Gainfort (St Ishmaels) and John O’Connor (Llanycefn), Ken and Haydn finishing 7th & 9th respectively in the individual standings and Wales B team members Mike Flynn and Steve Lewis (Tenby) were 8th & 11th individually. Haydn was in the winning 3 and 4 man teams, Ken in the winning 2 man team. Mike was in the runners up 3 man and in the fourth placed 2 man team. Steve was in the runners up 2 man and in the third placed 3 man team. Tina Lustig (Stackpole), Derek and John managed a fourth in the Ladies, Senior and 4 man categories respectively. Finally, Daniel also had the longest round fish of the whole competition, a Bass of 43cm caught on the last day.

News

Sport Pembrokeshire Awards finalists announced

Published

1 day ago

November 15, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE FINALISTS for this year’s Sport Pembrokeshire Awards have been revealed, with 39 individuals and clubs shortlisted for honours at the annual celebration of local sporting achievement.

Cllr Rhys Sinnett, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, said: “A big thank you to everyone who sent in nominations. The judging panel had an extremely tough task narrowing down such a strong field of candidates.

“Pembrokeshire continues to punch above its weight when it comes to sporting prowess, and I’m sure the awards will once again showcase both on-field success and the incredible efforts of the volunteers and coaches who make it all possible.”

The winners will be unveiled at a gala ceremony at Folly Farm on November 28, organised by Sport Pembrokeshire.

The event is sponsored by Valero, Folly Farm, and Pure West Radio, and will also see the presentation of three special accolades — the School Award, Lifetime Achievement Award, and Chairman’s Special Achievement Award.

The awards recognise those who have excelled in sport over the past year or dedicated their time to coaching, organising, and supporting grassroots sport across the county.

Finalists (in alphabetical order)

Girls U16

Mary Falconer (Climbing)
Cerys Griffiths (Swimming)
Ava Tyrie (MMA)

Boys U16

Conor Cremona (Weightlifting)
Elijah Jones (Surfing)
Ned Rees-Wigmore (Hockey)

Club of the Year

Carew Sports Club
Chaos Netball Club
Milford Haven Hockey Club

Junior Disability Award

Jake Evans (Llangwm RFC)
Jack Gray (Fishguard Thunderbolts)
Ella Meacham (Windswept Watersports)

Young Volunteer of the Year

Enfys Battelley-de Torres (Camrose AFC)
Alannah Field (Fishguard & Goodwick Hockey Club)
Alannah Heasman (Haverfordwest High School / Pembrokeshire College)

Junior Team

BJJ Pembrokeshire Junior MMA Team
HHVCS Year 7 Girls Rugby
Merlins Bridge FC Under-14s

Unsung Hero

Sarah Bagley (Windswept Watersports)
Geoff Daye (Lamphey Cricket Club)
Jenny Lewis (Clarbeston Road AFC)

Senior Team

East Williamston Short Mat Bowls Club
Fishguard & Goodwick Ladies Hockey Club
Pembrokeshire Hockey Club – Ladies 1s

Male Achievement

Llew Bevan (Darts)
Liam Bradley (Triathlon)
Reuben Lerwill (Gymnastics)

Female Achievement

Sanna Duthie (Running)
Ria Jones (Judo)
Amelia Nuttall (Sailing)

Disability Sport Award

Rachel Bailey (Boccia)
Evelyn Thomas (Weightlifting)
Hannah Webster (CrossFit)

Club Organiser

Huw Jones (Haverfordwest Golf Club)
Leanne Jones (Camrose AFC)
Silfan Rhys-Jones (Fishguard Table Tennis Club)

Coach of the Year

Jamie Barrellie (Tenby Sharks Girls Rugby)
Rob Codd (Fishguard & Goodwick Hockey Club)
James North (Kilgetty AFC)

Sport

BBC Cymru Wales to show festive Welsh URC derbies free-to-air

Published

3 days ago

November 13, 2025

Herald Sport

WELSH rugby fans are set for a strong line-up of festive fixtures after BBC Cymru Wales confirmed it will broadcast three BKT United Rugby Championship derbies over Christmas and New Year.

The matches will be shown live on Scrum V Live as part of a co-exclusive agreement with Premier Sports, meaning both broadcasters will carry the games simultaneously. The fixtures include Cardiff v Scarlets on Thursday, 19 December at 7:45pm, Cardiff v Dragons on Boxing Day at 3:00pm, and Ospreys v Cardiff on New Year’s Day at 5:30pm.

All three programmes will be presented by Catrin Heledd, with commentary from Gareth Rhys Owen. Former Wales stars Alun Wyn Jones and Jonathan “Fox” Davies are among the guests lined up to offer analysis.

Garmon Rhys, Interim Director of BBC Cymru Wales, said the broadcaster was pleased to showcase the festive derbies once again. He said the games had become a key part of many Welsh households’ Christmas sporting traditions and praised the production teams delivering the live coverage.

United Rugby Championship chief executive Martin Anayi welcomed the arrangement, describing the derbies as an important part of the Welsh rugby calendar and saying the partnership would help the matches reach as wide an audience as possible.

Sport

Euro 2028: Historic opportunity for Wales to shine on world stage

Published

3 days ago

November 13, 2025

Herald Sport

Calls for investment in transport as Principality Stadium confirmed as host

Wales is set to take centre stage in 2028 after UEFA confirmed that Cardiff’s Principality Stadium will host matches – including the opening game – of the Euro 2028 tournament.

The announcement has been welcomed across Welsh football, with senior figures saying the event will deliver a major boost to the economy, raise Wales’ global profile, and give supporters the chance to witness elite tournament football on home soil for the first time.

The Principality Stadium, which can host more than 70,000 spectators, was selected as part of the UK and Ireland joint bid. It will be the first time Wales has staged fixtures at a major men’s international tournament.

Transport concerns raised

Responding to the news, the Welsh Conservatives urged ministers in Cardiff Bay to address long-standing transport capacity issues and reconsider proposals for a tourism levy, arguing that both could affect the fan experience during the tournament.

Gareth Davies MS, the party’s Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and Sport, said: “This is fantastic news for Wales and will be a huge boost for the economy in Cardiff and beyond. It’s a brilliant opportunity to showcase our culture and our ability to host major international events on the world stage.

“We’ve already proven our credentials with the UEFA Champions League Final in 2017, and on an even bigger stage, I’m confident we can deliver an even better tournament experience.”

He added that Euro 2028 will be “a historic opportunity for Welsh fans to experience a major international tournament on home soil – something that will inspire a new generation of supporters and players alike.”

Davies said the Welsh Government should “rethink their toxic tourism tax to ensure visitors and fans can experience the best of Welsh hospitality.”

Background

The UK and Ireland were confirmed as hosts of Euro 2028 in October 2023 after Turkey withdrew from the bidding process. The tournament is expected to generate hundreds of millions of pounds in economic activity across the host nations through tourism, accommodation, transport, and hospitality spending.

Cardiff previously hosted the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final, the world’s largest annual sporting event, drawing an estimated 300,000 visitors to the city and providing a major test of transport and policing capabilities.

Exact fixtures for Euro 2028 will be confirmed closer to the tournament, but Cardiff’s opening match is expected to attract international attention and bring tens of thousands of overseas supporters to Wales.

Welsh Government ministers have previously said the tournament will be a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to showcase Wales on a global platform.