Sport

Voneus Village Cup debutants Neyland flying the flag for Wales

Published

4 years ago

July 17, 2021

A PEMBROKESHIRE cricket club’s journey to being two wins from playing at Lord’s is exactly why the tournament’s headline sponsors wanted to throw its weight behind the largest grassroots cricketing competition in the UK.

Voneus, one of the UK’s leading rural broadband specialists and sponsors of the Village Cup, has highlighted the run of Neyland Cricket Club, who are the sole Welsh team left standing in this year’s tournament.

The side will make the 500-mile round trip to face Derbyshire side South Wingfield on Sunday for a spot in the final four, with a Welsh side not progressing to the final since Vale of Glamorgan club Sully CC lifted the trophy in 2004.

A team from Pembrokeshire has never made the final in the history of the competition, but debutants Neyland are out to break that status, with the side’s entry in this year’s Voneus Village Cup the culmination of more than a decade of development amongst the club’s First XI squad.

Head of content and social media at Voneus, which has an office in Carmarthenshire, Mahir Prasad said: “Neyland’s run in the Voneus Village Cup is exactly the reason why we are passionate about backing grassroots competitions like this.

“Bringing rural communities together is what we do and throughout this cup run we’ve been able to see the entire community of Neyland and the wider county of Pembrokeshire get behind the club.”

Local businesses and sponsors have helped fund the club’s trips and other clubs have been willing to shuffle fixtures around to accommodate the side’s schedule during Neyland’s cup run.

Neyland CC First XI captain Sean Hannon said: “The squad has become one where when the chips are down, we are able to rally and pull through and a lot of that comes down to how long this team has been together.

“Nine of the 11 regular starters in the First XI have come through the junior system at Neyland and many of us have been playing together for more than a decade, so the squad has become a tight-knit group and even when we’ve had people from other squads step in, they’ve been quickly welcomed into the side.

“One of the reasons why the club entered the Voneus Village Cup for the first time this season was to see if we could test ourselves on a higher level, so to still be in the hunt and be one of the final eight sides has exceeded even our wildest expectations.”

Neyland booked their ticket to the quarters via a bowl-out, the Voneus Village Cup equivalent of a penalty shootout, downing Nottinghamshire side Clipstone & Bilsthorpe 4-1 after the game was rained out.

The victory was the latest in a busy season, with the side keeping its sights on a cup double after also progressing through to the final 16 of the Welsh Cup, but the side will be hoping they will be able to step foot on the hallowed turf which makes up the home of cricket.

Sean added: “We never want to get too far ahead of ourselves, especially as we are now the last Welsh team left in the competition, but the carrot of playing at Lord’s is definitely there for the side.

“The support from the community has been incredible and it really feels like this run has been something not only Neyland but Pembrokeshire has put their backing behind.

“Having that support has been invaluable to us as a team, it’s just a shame the quarter final is quite a long distance away as we would love to see that swelling of support behind us at the game, we just hope it is a happy trip back on Sunday evening!”

Sport

Previewing the 2025 Super Bowl

Published

2 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Staff Writer

Each year millions of people across the world gather to watch one of the biggest sporting events of the year – the Super Bowl. Last year, 3.4 million people in the UK watched the Super Bowl, up 1.1 million from the previous year. Considering the growth in popularity of American football in the UK, we anticipate the viewership will be even higher for 2025.

The 2025 Super Bowl is scheduled to take place on 9 February 2025 at Caesars Superdrome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

NFL teams

12 teams began competing for a spot in the 2025 Super Bowl when the playoffs began on January 11. At this point, four teams were eliminated. This now leaves eight teams to compete in the Divisional playoffs. Four of these will make it to the Conference Championships before contesting for a spot at this year’s Super Bowl.

The eight teams left with a shot at competing in the 2025 Super Bowl are:

Philadelphia Eagles
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Detroit Lions
Houston Texans
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Rams
Washington Commanders

Last year, the Kansas City Chiefs took the title for the second year in a row. However, the latest Super Bowl odds puts the Detroit Lions as the favourites to win this year’s Super Bowl, following a series of impressive performances in the regular season.

The national anthem and halftime show

Before the game commences, a special guest performs the national anthem. Last year, Reba McEntire offered a moving performance of The Star-Spangled Banner, and this year the task falls to jazz singer Jon Batiste.

It’s not just the football match that people look forward to. Super Bowl halftime shows are a spectacle in themselves and many look forward to the performance as much as the game itself. This year, 17-time grammy winner Kendrick Lamar is headlining the halftime show. Lamar previously headlined the Super Bowl in 2022.

How can I watch the Super Bowl in the UK?

The Super Bowl is being broadcast to fans free on ITV, including live online via ITVX on your laptop, mobile, or tablet.

Sky Sports is also broadcasting the event which you can watch online via Sky Go, NOW TV, or using the Sky Sports mobile app. You could also head to your local pub as plenty of pubs in Pembrokeshire will be showing the big game.

Will you be tuning in?

With a surge in popularity for American Football, it’s anticipated that more people from the UK than ever before will be turning their TVs on for the big event this year. Will you be watching this year’s Super Bowl?

Sport

Division Four West rugby: Thrills and tight contests on a chilly Saturday

Published

19 hours ago

January 19, 2025

Herald Sport

Exciting matches, hard-fought battles, and standout performances define the weekend’s action.

Dreigiau Emlyn Edge Harlequins in Close Contest
Dreigiau Emlyn 21 – Pembroke Dock Harlequins 15
Dreigiau Emlyn secured a narrow victory over Pembroke Dock Harlequins, strengthening their position in the top half of the table. Gethin Davies scored two crucial tries, while Deiniol Rees added three penalties and a conversion to steer the hosts to victory. The Harlequins kept the game competitive with tries from Craig Barnett and Tom Donovan, with Ben Hathaway converting one and kicking a penalty. However, Emlyn’s composed performance ensured they held on for the win.

Teirw Crymych Outgun Llangwm in High-Scorer
Llangwm 22 – Teirw Crymych 33
Teirw Crymych powered to a 33-22 victory over bottom-placed Llangwm, bolstering their challenge for the league’s top spots. Sion Williams and Morgan Jones led the visitors’ try-scoring efforts, with additional tries from Sion Owen and Nick Bevan. Adam Phillips was reliable from the tee, adding four conversions. Llangwm fought back with tries from Aidan Rees and Ryan Banner, while Harry Makepeace contributed two conversions and a penalty. Despite their spirited display, the hosts couldn’t match Crymych’s attacking prowess.

St Davids Win Key Clash Against Llanybydder
Llanybydder 17 – St Davids 29
St Davids took a significant step away from the relegation zone with a vital 29-17 win over Llanybydder. Harvey Godkin, Nathan Foster, Zac Morgan, and Morgan Griffiths all crossed the whitewash for the visitors, with Bob Froy converting three and adding a penalty to secure a bonus-point victory. Llanybydder’s John Evans delivered an impressive hat-trick of tries, with one conversion by Matthew Rowlands, but St Davids’ all-round performance proved too much for the home side.

Division Four West continues to deliver thrilling rugby as teams battle for position in a tightly contested league.

Sport

Division Two goals galore as Narberth continue to dominate

Published

19 hours ago

January 19, 2025

Herald Sport

Big wins and thrilling contests highlight the latest round of fixtures.

Narberth Crush Broad Haven
Broad Haven 1 – Narberth 11
League leaders Narberth delivered a masterclass, thrashing bottom side Broad Haven 11-1 in a one-sided encounter. Ryan Williams, Chris Brown, and Steffan Williams each netted hat-tricks, with further goals from Jordan Williams and Josh Jones. Broad Haven’s Ashley Bladen grabbed a consolation goal, but the hosts were no match for the rampant visitors, who tightened their grip on the top of the table.

Swifts Reserves Hammer Carew II
Monkton Swifts II 7 – Carew II 0
Rudy Poole’s incredible six-goal performance powered Monkton Swifts II to a commanding 7-0 victory over Carew II. Mark Jones added the final goal as the Swifts dominated from start to finish, boosting their push up the table with an emphatic statement win.

Johnston See Off Camrose
Johnston 2 – Camrose 0
Johnston earned a crucial 2-0 victory against fourth-placed Camrose in a tightly contested match. Marcus Allen’s opener and Josh Knapp’s second-half goal secured the points for the hosts. Johnston’s resolute defending ensured a clean sheet, helping them solidify their mid-table position while dealing a blow to Camrose’s hopes of catching the teams above them.

Merlins Bridge Reserves Edge Neyland in Thriller
Merlins Bridge II 3 – Neyland 2
Merlins Bridge II clinched a thrilling 3-2 victory over Neyland in a closely fought contest. Kian Lee opened the scoring for the hosts, with Bradley Barrett converting a penalty and Harrison Goddard adding a third. Neyland pushed back through Jay Johnstone and Ben Gale, but the Bridge held on to secure all three points in an exciting encounter.

Solva Outclass Lawrenny
Solva 5 – Lawrenny 0
Solva made light work of struggling Lawrenny with a 5-0 win. Kieran Price’s hat-trick stole the spotlight, with Luke Mason and Morgan Elliott also finding the net. The result leaves Lawrenny rooted near the bottom of the table, while Solva capitalized on their opponents’ weaknesses to secure a comfortable victory.

As the season progresses, Division Two continues to deliver high-scoring games and thrilling battles.