Sport

Otters return to second

Published

6 years ago

April 10, 2019

NARBERTH returned to second place in the Championship on Saturday (Apr 6), as they beat Maesteg Quins 16-11 at the Lewis Lloyd Ground.

It was the final home game of the season for the Otters and with so many of their players injured they had several permit players in the squad.

The Otters kicked off facing up field, and within three minutes were awarded a penalty for a high tackle which full back Ianto Griffiths kicked safely for a three point lead.

The visitors restarted the game and the Otters looked determined in their attacks but faltered through errors. From one of their attacking efforts Maesteg Quins were awarded a penalty which fly half Tadgh McGuckin safely kicked to bring the score level at 3-3.

Their scrum half during one of their forays actually crossed over the try line but dropped the ball as he attempted to touch down. The referee awarded a five-metre scrum which the Otters eight safely heeled for number eight Richie Rees to break clear up field before being laid low in a tackle at a ruck. After treatment he was able to continue.

A further scrum was set outside the five metre line and Maesteg Quins were able to slip the ball to left wing Alex Griffiths who evaded several tackles to touch down for an unconverted try which gave the visitors a 3-8 lead.

At a lineout a yellow card was issued to a Quins player at 26 minutes. Rogers placed the ball into touch again and the Otters pack gained clean ball and formed a rolling maul. They released the ball quickly to Rogers who kicked towards the corner. Wing Yannick Parker gathered the ball and quickly crossed the line to touch down. The referee indicated an opponent’s hand had foiled the touch down and then issued a yellow card which it is assumed was for taking down the rolling maul.

Taking advantage of the resulting penalty Rogers kicked towards the corner. Roy Osborne caught the throw cleanly and another rolling maul formed.

This was stopped by Maesteg Quins by taking down one of the Otters along with their player causing the maul to collapse. The visitors gained the ball and put in a relieving kick to touch. From the lineout, the Otters advanced and at the breakdown Maesteg Quins were penalised for interfering.

Griffiths came forward and placed his 30 meter kick between the posts bringing the score on 34 minutes to 6-8.

From the kick off the Otters advanced back into the opponents half with a series of pick and drives until the Maesteg Quins again were penalised for aggressive incidents.

The referee had a long talk with their captain before awarding the penalty which Griffiths safely placed through the middle of the posts putting the Otters back in the lead at 9-8.

From the restart the Otters gathered the ball then fed Rogers who again produced a long, high kick which was fumbled by the receiver and followed by obstruction by Maesteg Quins.

This time the penalty kick hit the post, Maesteg collected the ball and placed it in touch for the referee to blow for half time.

Clearly at half time, the Otters were given some home truths by the coaches for on return to the game they scored a converted try within four minutes.

The try was well executed, on the opponents forty metre line, the ball reached Jack Price who put pressure on the Quins defence with his forceful running.

Outside him was flanker Tom Powell who quickly sped forward before releasing winger Gethin Gibby who, when challenged, passed inside to the supporting Tom Powell and in turn when challenged fed Gibby who sped like a stag down the far touch line to cross over for a great try. Griffiths made sure with his conversion giving the Otters a 16-8 lead.

Maesteg came back strongly but the game remained tight with both defences holding firm. A potential Otters try was lost when from a scrum Rhys Lane fed Rogers who found Price with his long passing and for Price to spot a gap and made a break down field only to spoil his initiative with a forward pass.

Maesteg attempted to break out of their half only for Gibby, attempting to intercept the pass, to knock on. The referee decided it was worth a yellow card.

In the following ten minutes, in one of the Otters movements, Rhys Lane made a fine break before passing to the supporting Richie Rees who was tackled and for the opposition to be penalised.

Rogers placed the ball onto the twenty two. The Otters in numbers followed through but lost the ball in a strong tackle. This time the Otters were penalised.

With the ball ending in touch, at the lineout the opposition set up a series of pick and charge phases with the ball eventually reaching wing Alex Griffiths who crossed the try line, only for the referee to bring him back having received a forward pass. The Otters srummaged on the five metres line and were able to gain relief to their twenty two.

The Otters proceeded further down field but Maesteg regained the ball and set up a move when the referee awarded them a penalty with the Otters going offside. Fly half Tadgh McGuckin kicked from 40 metres to add three points.

The game ended shortly afterwards with Rogers in his twenty two putting the ball out of play in the knowledge that full time had been reached.

Whilst the Otters have played their final home game they will travel in three weeks time on Saturday, April 27, to Maesteg to play the Quins again in their final game of the season.

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Pembrokeshire the location for second Pro Wrestling School

Published

13 hours ago

June 16, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Royal Imperial Wrestling expands community-focused initiative in South Wales

ROYAL IMPERIAL WRESTLING (RIW), a growing name in the UK’s professional wrestling community, has opened its latest wrestling training school in Camrose, Pembrokeshire, aiming to discover and nurture local wrestling talent.

The new facility officially opened on Sunday, June 15, offering people of all ages and abilities the opportunity to learn and participate in professional wrestling.

The Pembrokeshire school’s launch follows the successful opening of RIW’s first school in Cefn Cribwr, Bridgend, just five months ago. The Bridgend location has quickly become a thriving community hub, with more than twenty regular trainees and several sold-out wrestling shows.

The schools are run by experienced wrestlers Andrew Griffiths, PJ Schulz, and Zac Parton, who collectively bring 68 years of wrestling and martial arts expertise.

Speaking about the opening, co-owner Zac Parton said: “We are thrilled to launch our second school in another vibrant Welsh community. Our aim at RIW is to make wrestling accessible to everyone, regardless of age, gender, weight, ability, or neurodiversity. We’re committed to expanding further across Wales and making wrestling an inclusive and exciting part of community life.”

Local councillor Huw David (Cefn Cribwr, Kenfig Hill and Pyle ward) also praised the company’s efforts: “It’s fantastic to see Royal Imperial Wrestling quickly become such a valued and integral part of the community in Cefn Cribwr. Their events and training sessions have provided great entertainment and meaningful community engagement.”

RIW’s next event, Heatwave!, under its developmental sister brand Next-Gen Wrestling, takes place at Cefn Cribwr Community Centre on Saturday, June 28. Tickets are available online for £5.

For more information, visit the RIW Facebook page: facebook.com/RiwWales.

Sport

Wales to become first ‘Marmot Nation’ in drive to tackle health inequality

Published

1 day ago

June 16, 2025

Herald Sport

Pioneering move builds on Torfaen success and Future Generations Act

WALES is set to become the world’s first official “Marmot Nation” as part of a bold new approach to tackling health inequalities, the Welsh Government has announced.

The initiative will see Wales adopt the eight Marmot Principles developed by renowned public health expert Professor Sir Michael Marmot. These principles aim to reduce the unfair and avoidable differences in health outcomes that are influenced by social and economic factors—such as housing, employment, and access to services.

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Jeremy Miles, confirmed the government will work closely with the Institute of Health Equity (IHE), led by Sir Michael, to embed health equity into policy-making across all government departments.

The move follows a successful pilot in Torfaen and the wider Gwent area, which became the first Marmot Region in Wales. Under the national plan, multiple communities across the country will now work to apply the same approach.

“This is a major step forward,” said Jeremy Miles. “We are placing health equity at the heart of government decision-making. By learning from the positive changes in Torfaen, we aim to support better health outcomes for people across Wales.”

The Marmot Principles focus on upstream action to address the social determinants of health. These include giving every child the best start in life, promoting fair employment and decent living standards, tackling discrimination, and supporting sustainable communities.

Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Sarah Murphy, will formally announce the commitment at the Canada-UK Council’s launch of the Fairer Society, Healthier Lives report in Cardiff on Monday (June 16).

“Becoming a Marmot Nation is about acknowledging that health is shaped by the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age,” she said. “By adopting these eight principles nationally, we are taking cross-government action to reduce inequalities and improve wellbeing for all.”

Sir Michael Marmot welcomed the announcement, saying: “Healthcare matters, but social circumstances matter more. Health equity must be a priority for all of government—not just the NHS. Wales is leading the way.”

The plan builds on Wales’ Well-being of Future Generations Act, which marked its tenth anniversary this year. The Act legally requires public bodies to consider long-term impacts and promote well-being in decision-making.

Professor Nicolas Maclean, UK Co-Chair of the Canada-UK Council, also praised the initiative: “This announcement sends a powerful message globally. Wales is setting an example for how governments can work to overcome unequal health outcomes.”

Sport

Comprehensive wins and close calls in Week 8 of Pembrokeshire cricket

Published

2 days ago

June 15, 2025

Herald Sport

Cresselly, St Ishmaels, and Pembroke Dock shine as season heats up

THE EIGHTH week of the Thomas Carroll Pembroke County Cricket League saw some dominant performances and thrilling finishes across the divisions, with Cresselly continuing their unbeaten streak in Division 1 and Pembroke Dock II producing fireworks in Division 5.

Division 1

Cresselly cemented their place at the top of the table with a commanding 146-run victory over Carew. Tom Murphy (82) and Simon Cole (68) led a strong batting display, while Tom Arthur (5-28) and Ollie Arthur (3-23) ensured Carew were all out for 140 in reply.

Neyland cruised to an eight-wicket win against Haverfordwest, restricting them to 94 all out before chasing down the target with ease, thanks to contributions from Ross Hardy (2-10 & 23*) and Dai Davies (22*).

Burton enjoyed a 75-run win over Saundersfoot, with Morgan Scale (4-15) and Luke Hayman (3-25) starring with the ball.

Lawrenny edged out Whitland by three wickets, with Jamie Lewis (3-22) and Oscar Lewis (3-24) pivotal in a tight low-scoring game.

Herbrandston’s Charlie Malloy took a sensational 7-27 as they skittled Llangwm for just 55 and wrapped up a seven-wicket victory.

Division 1 Table

Team	Pld	Points	W	L
Cresselly	8	150	8	0
Carew	8	141	7	1
Neyland	8	126	6	2
Saundersfoot	8	118	5	3
Lawrenny	8	98	4	4
Herbrandston	8	97	4	4
Burton	8	75	2	6
Whitland	8	69	2	6
Haverfordwest	8	66	2	6
Llangwm	8	34	0	8

Division 2

Pembroke dismantled Carew II by 196 runs, powered by Jack Harries’ century (102) and Billy Wood’s all-round performance (27 & 5-17).

St Ishmaels overwhelmed Cresselly II by 154 runs, with a standout 49 from Jonathan Pawlett and 4-19 from Andrew Pawlett.

Llanrhian beat Burton II by six wickets, chasing 86 with Tom Clarke (38) and Russell Watkins (27) leading the way.

Hook defeated Johnston by 64 runs, while Llechryd took a 35-run win over Narberth, with Jaap Harries grabbing 4-19.

Division 2 Table

Team	Pld	Points	W	L
Narberth	8	143	7	1
St Ishmaels	8	129	6	2
Pembroke	8	123	5	3
Hook	8	115	5	3
Johnston	8	100	4	4
Llechryd	8	99	4	4
Cresselly II	8	93	4	4
Carew II	8	89	3	5
Llanrhian	8	56	1	7
Burton II	8	47	1	7

Division 3

Lamphey’s David Blackwell struck a superb 82 not out as they secured a 52-run win over Neyland II.

Hundleton defeated Laugharne by seven wickets, with Craig Williamson (40 & 3-19) and Ava Midgeley (4-28) pivotal.

Stackpole edged Haverfordwest II by two wickets in a tight low-scorer, while Pembroke Dock beat Fishguard by 69 runs, thanks to George Smith’s all-round effort (42 & 3-4).

Kilgetty v Hook II was abandoned.

Division 3 Table

Team	Pld	Points	W	L
Fishguard	8	131	7	1
Pembroke Dock	8	127	6	2
Hundleton	8	124	6	2
Stackpole	8	113	5	3
Lamphey	8	98	4	4
Haverfordwest II	8	97	3	4
Laugharne	8	75	2	5
Kilgetty	8	66	2	5
Hook II	8	56	2	5
Neyland II	8	45	1	7

Division 4

Three matches were abandoned, but Llangwm II returned to winning ways with a 72-run victory over Narberth II, thanks to Finley Ellrick (84) and Callum Jenkins (58).

Pembroke II made light work of St Ishmaels II, chasing 81 with nine wickets in hand, Paul White unbeaten on 42.

Division 4 Table

Team	Pld	Points	W	L
Pembroke II	8	143	7	1
Saundersfoot II	8	132	7	0
Crymych	8	104	5	2
St Ishmaels II	8	100	4	4
Haverfordwest III	7	98	3	3
Lawrenny II	8	82	3	4
Carew III	7	75	3	3
Narberth II	8	67	2	6
Llangwm II	8	62	1	7
Llanrhian II	8	54	1	6

Division 5

Pembroke Dock II blew away Cresselly III by 137 runs, with Alex Fearson (84), Luke Murray (56), and Richard Scourfield (50) dominating.

Llechryd II won a nail-biter against Herbrandston II by just two runs, while Haverfordwest IV beat Neyland III by five wickets.

Whitland II v Hundleton II was abandoned.