Valero and Mainline back award-winning Broad Haven event ahead of July championships

A MAJOR sponsorship deal has been agreed to support one of Wales’ longest-running triathlon events, giving a boost to this year’s Pembrokeshire Coast Triathlon in Broad Haven.

Pembrokeshire Triathlon Club has confirmed that Valero Pembrokeshire Oil Terminal and Mainline Pipelines Limited will act as main sponsors for the 2026 race, providing financial backing to help deliver the popular community event.

First staged in 1994, the Broad Haven competition is widely regarded as the longest-running triathlon organised by a grassroots club in Wales. It was named Welsh Triathlon Event of the Year in 2025 and regularly attracts competitors from across the country.

Organisers say the 2026 event will host both the Welsh Standard Distance Triathlon Championships and a round of the Welsh Triathlon Super Series. The race is also set to be filmed for broadcast on S4C.

Jamie Dow, Senior Manager at VPOT, and Tim Rudd, Senior Manager at MLP, said supporting the event was a way of giving back to the local communities where staff live and work.

They said: “Being the longest-running triathlon event in Wales organised by a grassroots club makes this event really special to the communities we live and work in. We are delighted to be able to sponsor the Pembrokeshire Triathlon Club.”

Club chair Helena Tollick said the sponsorship would help keep entry costs affordable while maintaining high standards.

She said: “This support, alongside backing from other sponsors and the local community, enables us to deliver a top-quality event at a fair price in a stunning setting. It also helps the club continue to thrive.”

This year’s Pembrokeshire Coast Triathlon takes place on Sunday, July 5. Entries and further information are available via the club’s website.

CARMARTHEN West and South Pembrokeshire MS Samuel Kurtz has celebrated another Welsh victory after the Senedd rugby team defeated their counterparts from Westminster in the annual Rygbi Senedd Cymru fixture.

Posting after the match, Mr Kurtz said the Welsh side had once again come out on top against the combined Commons and Lords team, extending what is believed to be an unbeaten run stretching back well over a decade.

The friendly but fiercely contested match, played each year between Members of the Senedd and parliamentarians from London, has become a staple of the political calendar, raising money for charity while promoting cross-party camaraderie through sport.

Although he did not lace up his boots this time, Mr Kurtz was among those on the touchline backing the home side.

He said: “The annual Rygbi Senedd Cymru fixture versus the Commons & Lords saw us Welsh victorious yet again, which could well see our undefeated streak extended to 15 games. While the boots didn’t make it onto my feet this year, it was still good to support and sing the anthem.”

The match typically brings together politicians from across party lines, with rivalries set aside for eighty minutes of rugby and fundraising. Previous fixtures have been used to support a range of good causes, including community and health charities.

Supporters say the event showcases the strong sporting culture within Welsh politics and provides a rare chance for elected representatives to connect with each other – and the public – outside the debating chamber.

With another win under their belts, the Senedd side’s long unbeaten streak continues, adding bragging rights over their Westminster opponents for yet another year.

Senedd pride: Samuel Kurtz MS joined teammates and supporters for the annual Rygbi Senedd Cymru clash (Pics: social media / file).

Teen says Home Office decision stops him representing country he calls home

A CARDIFF-born footballer says he has been prevented from representing Wales after the UK government refused his citizenship application twice.

Enzo Romano, who was born and raised in Cardiff, says he has always considered himself Welsh and wants to play football for the national side, but claims he has been denied a British passport because of his parents’ financial circumstances at the time they lived in Wales.

The case has surfaced on social media this week after campaign group Abolish Westminster highlighted his situation, calling it “a disgrace” that a Welsh-born child cannot represent his country.

Romano said: “Just because I moved to Barcelona doesn’t mean I’m not Welsh.

“The first thing that comes into my mind every time is the dragon on my chest and, for me, the fact that they don’t want to give me nationality so I can get a passport is so unfair.

“To think that I can’t represent my country playing football just because of this situation really hurts me.”

Under current UK nationality rules, being born in Wales or elsewhere in the UK does not automatically guarantee citizenship. At least one parent must be a British citizen or have settled immigration status at the time of birth. Applications can also be refused on financial or residency grounds.

Romano claims his applications were rejected by the Home Office because his parents did not meet income requirements while living in Wales.

Without a British passport, players can face difficulties meeting eligibility rules to represent national teams, even if they were born in the country.

The situation has prompted criticism online, with supporters arguing that identity and birthplace should count more than paperwork.

The Football Association of Wales sets eligibility in line with international regulations, which typically require citizenship.

The Herald has contacted the Home Office and the FAW for comment and has asked Romano to provide documentation relating to the refusals.

If confirmed, the case is likely to raise wider questions about whether children born and raised in Wales should face barriers to representing the nation because of their family’s income or immigration status.

Photo caption:

Enzo Romano says he dreams of wearing the Welsh dragon but has been blocked by citizenship rules (Pic: supplied).