Sport
Otters remain unbeaten after beating Trebanos
Report by Club Chairman Rob Lewis
IN Saturday’s (Sept 11) Championship match Narberth’s First Team entertained visitors Trebanos in what is always a free flowing and close encounter.
After only five minutes Narberth were first on the score board. When a penalty was awarded to the home side for the visitors being offside at a ruck winger Nick Gale kicked the ball close to Trebanos’ 22 metre line. From the lineout the Otters set up a rolling maul and drove towards the visitors try line. Trebanos conceded a penalty and Gale again kicked for the corner. From the lineout the Otters again drove towards the visitors try line and Prop Tom Kaijaks powered over to score. Nick Gale kicked the conversion (7 -0).
Shortly afterwards a missed tackle in midfield saw Trebanos fly half Tom Dew break through and kick ahead. Fortunately, home fly half Ashley Sutton got to the ball first and put in a relieving kick downfield to avert a near score for the visitors.
Ten minutes later Trebanos again infringed at a breakdown and Narberth were awarded a penalty, but Gale narrowly missed the kick from about 40 metres out.
Narberth continued to attack with driving runs up field by their lively forwards but couldn’t break the visitors’ solid defence.
Then after quick ball from a lineout the ball spread across the Narberth back division and centre Jake Jenkins made a lovely outside break. He attempted to pass to his supporting winger Dafydd Pritchard but unfortunately the Trebanos winger got his hands on the ball first to avert a certain try.
However, the ball was carried over the Trebanos line resulting in a Narberth five metre scrum. The Otters continued to threaten the visitors’ line for a good ten minutes but just couldn’t manage to break down the Trebanos defence.
Then, from yet another attacking ruck the ball was spun wide to flanker Guto Davies who went over in the corner only for the referee to adjudge that there had been a forward pass. Narberth continued to have most of the possession and from a lineout on the Trebanos 22 metre line Narberth scrum half Rhys Lane made a decisive break. When tackled, the ball was quickly recycled, and hooker Rhodri Owens dashed down the blindside of the ensuing ruck and gave a lovely pass to winger Pritchard who scored in the corner. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful (12–0).
Within five minutes Trebanos were back on the attack and won a lineout on the Otters 22 metre line. They attempted to set up a rolling maul but when this failed, they moved the ball out and a fine angled run saw the Trebanos centre break through the Narberth defence and score near to the posts. Fly half Dew converted making the score (12–7).
This lifted the Trebanos team, and they spent some time in possession attacking the Otters line but excellent defence by the Narberth team kept them from scoring.
Eventually, however, the Otters were penalised for offside at a ruck and Dew was again successful with the kick (12–10). Then a further infringement at a ruck by the Trebanos hooker resulted in Narberth being awarded a penalty on the visitors ten metre line and this was kicked successfully by winger Gale to make the score 15–10.
Almost from the restart at a ruck on the Otters 22 metre line the Trebanos Second Row deliberately elbowed a Narberth forward with a direct blow to the head. The referee had no hesitation in issuing a red card reducing the visitors to 14 men for the rest of the game.
As often happens, this galvanised the Trebanos team and with some scintillating runs by Dew they were once again stretching the Narberth defence. Eventually Trebanos were awarded a penalty in front of the posts which Dew again kicked to bring the score at half time to 15–13.
Shortly after the restart Narberth managed to increase their lead once again. From a scrum the ball was moved wide to winger Gale who raced upfield only to be tackled close to the visitors try line. A series of scrums followed where the Otters held the ascendancy and eventually the ball was switched to the blind side of a ruck where captain and No.6 Richie Rees scored in the corner. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful (20–13).
Almost from the kick-off Narberth scored again. A relieving kick upfield saw the Trebanos full back drop the ball and it fell into the hands of Rees. He gave a quick pass to No.8 Steff Phillips who charged upfield and then passed to supporting flanker Guto Davies who was tackled just short of the visitors try line. From the resulting ruck the ball was quickly passed out wide and winger Dafydd Pritchard beat his opposite number with a great change of pace to score in the corner. The try went unconverted (25–13).
Narberth then made several changes with Rhys Williams replacing Lock Ryan Banner, Tom Clarke replacing hooker Rhodri Owens and Adam Thomas replacing Prop Bradley Davies.
Shortly afterwards Trebanos kicked a penalty for a Narberth infringement at a breakdown to narrow the score to 25–16.
Narberth once again got back on the attack and forward drives by Tom Kaijaks and Richie Rees took the Otters to within five metres of the Trebanos try line where they were awarded a scrum. At this point fly half Ashley Sutton was replaced by Jonathan Rogers.
The Narberth pack drove Trebanos back towards their line and Scrum Half Rhys Lane picked up the ball and looked to have grounded the ball over the line, but the referee was unsighted and ruled that he had been held up over the line.
Narberth then made their final change replacing Lane with George MacDonald. With very little time left Narberth were again pressing very close to the Trebanos try line and were awarded a scrum. No.8 Steff Phillips picked the ball up and went to the blindside and passed to the supporting MacDonald who unfortunately was adjudged to have stepped into touch before crossing the try line.
Trebanos continued to throw everything into attack to try and gain a losing bonus point, but the Otters defence held firm, and the game came to a close with the score remaining at 25–16.
In the Clubhouse after the game Match Sponsor Graham Searle awarded the Man of the Match to captain Richard Rees.
Sport
This weekend’s Division 4 West rugby roundup
THE latest fixtures in Division 4 West delivered intense clashes, narrow escapes, and exhilarating victories as teams showcased their determination and skill. Here’s a breakdown of the matches and standout moments.
Dreigiau Emlyn 7-10 St Davids
St Davids claimed a narrow 10-7 win over Dreigiau Emlyn in a hard-fought match. Celt Davies put Dreigiau Emlyn on the scoreboard with a try, converted by Llew Morgan. St Davids responded with tries from Ethan Griffiths and Dan Murphy, with Bob Froy converting one. Despite Dreigiau Emlyn’s strong defensive stand, St Davids held on for a slim victory.
Llangwm 23-21 Pembroke Dock
In a thrilling contest, Llangwm edged out Pembroke Dock by just two points, finishing 23-21. George James led Llangwm’s scoring with a try, two conversions, and three penalties. Gethin Thomas added a try, pushing Llangwm into a narrow lead. Pembroke Dock fought back with tries from Harry Owen, Danny Wilkes, and Morgan Rogers, all converted by Ben Hathaway. However, Llangwm’s precise penalty kicks clinched the close contest.
Llanybydder 24-31 Pembroke
Pembroke emerged victorious in a high-scoring 31-24 match against Llanybydder. Llanybydder displayed resilience with tries from Arwel Williams, Matthew Rollings, Ifan Mason-Evans, and Griff Morgans, two of which were converted by Rollings. Pembroke’s offense proved too strong, with tries from Robin Badham, Jack Oliver, Fraser James, Dai Rogers, and Toby Edwards, alongside three conversions by Josh Greenwood. Pembroke’s offensive depth secured the win in this lively encounter.
Neyland 20-23 Narberth Athletic
Narberth Athletic pulled off a close 23-20 victory over Neyland, with Shane Rossiter at the heart of the action, scoring all of Narberth’s points through three tries, two penalties, and a conversion. Neyland responded admirably, with tries from Luke Griffiths-Dawes (2) and Josh Watts, while Oli Rothero added a conversion and a penalty. Rossiter’s consistent performance under pressure proved decisive, securing Narberth Athletic’s hard-earned win.
Sport
WRU to apologise over contract dispute but denies sexism claims
THE WELSH RUGBY UNION has announced it will apologise for its handling of contract negotiations with the senior women’s team but refutes recent allegations of sexism.
WRU Chair Richard Collier-Keywood and Chief Executive Abi Tierney acknowledged significant failings in the process, admitting that it is “absolutely clear” the governing body owes an apology to the players.
The BBC reported this week that a leaked email showed players were threatened with exclusion from both WXV2 and next year’s World Cup as talks deteriorated. On August 2, players were given a “final offer” ultimatum with a strict three-hour deadline. If they didn’t sign, matches against New Zealand, Scotland, and Australia were set to be cancelled, and contracts withdrawn.
This episode surfaces amid recent claims of sexism and inequality, less than a year after an independent review condemned the WRU’s internal culture following a BBC Wales investigation.
“This is not a good day for us; we totally accept that. We should have done better and didn’t, but we’ve learned our lessons and will keep trying to improve,” said Collier-Keywood.
The WRU is expected to publish recommendations from a review of the negotiation process later this month, which has been fast-tracked following a Telegraph report on Thursday.
Key findings of the report
The WRU has disclosed early findings, which include:
- A failure to recognise the growth and change in the women’s professional game.
- An error in issuing the three-hour signing deadline.
- Strong differences on how to develop women’s rugby in Wales.
- Players were inexperienced in negotiations and left isolated.
- Players considered striking before a match against Scotland on September 6.
- Poor communication and lack of transparency escalated tensions, worsened by inappropriate behaviour at various stages.
The report states that sexism was not a factor behind the failings.
“There are sweeping criticisms in the report along with clear recommendations for change,” Collier-Keywood said, emphasizing the need for an apology and further engagement with the national team.
‘Sexism not apparent’
Independent board members Alison Thorne and Claire Donovan, who conducted the review, stated that while inappropriate behaviour was noted, sexism was not evident.
“After more than 50 hours of discussions with everyone involved, I did not sense that sexism was part of the issue,” said Donovan. Reflecting on her own 15-year rugby career, she acknowledged the past prevalence of sexism but said the grievances in this case appeared to stem from “a lack of respect and understanding of power dynamics.”
The WRU has also committed an additional £6 million toward women’s and girls’ rugby over the next five years, raising the total investment to £26 million.
Accusations of ‘blackmail’
Despite the WRU awarding 37 full-time contracts, Jess Kavanagh, a former Wales wing, criticised the WRU, suggesting the contract process bordered on “blackmail.” She questioned if the WRU had genuinely learned from past mistakes.
“We’ve heard apologies for years about various issues in the WRU, but apologies mean nothing until we see real change,” Kavanagh said. “Being forced to sign a contract under threat – that’s blackmail. In 2024, that should not happen in any workplace.”
Performance impact
Wales’ performance has suffered during the dispute, with the team finishing at the bottom of the 2024 Women’s Six Nations, managing only one win against Italy. Collier-Keywood acknowledged that the tension surrounding contracts may have contributed to the poor performance.
“There was unnecessary stress, which I believe affected performance. People were distracted, and that’s on us,” he stated.
The contracts were eventually signed just before Wales traveled to South Africa for WXV2 in September, although they lost their opening two matches.
The Welsh government, previously critical of the WRU over a misogyny scandal last year, expressed concern over these latest issues, calling for an urgent meeting with the WRU.
A spokesperson added: “We expect our national sporting bodies to lead by example.”
Government response
On Monday (Nov 5) Jack Sargeant, Minister for Culture, Skills & Social Partnership made a statement in The Senedd. He said: “Today, I met with the Chair of the Welsh Rugby Union, Richard Collier-Keywood, Chief Executive Officer, Abi Tierney, and Nigel Walker, Executive Director of Rugby. This meeting was arranged urgently following media focus over the weekend regarding allegations of sexism faced by the women’s national team in their contract negotiations.
“I expressed my disappointment that Welsh rugby was in the headlines for the wrong reasons, especially in the context of recent history. The aim of the meeting was to seek clarity around the circumstances that have taken place in relation to contract negotiations for women’s players and how improvements to existing process can be taken forward more positively in future.
“The WRU is in the process of concluding an internal review and has already accepted some failings of process and areas for improvement have been identified. I have not yet seen a draft of the review, but a summary has been published by the WRU. The WRU will be looking to meet with the players shortly to issue an apology for those aspects of the process that fell below the standards we would all expect.
“Over coming days, I will be seeking to understand various perspectives on this process and to satisfy myself that lessons are being learned. I am offering to meet with the players to understand directly from them the nature of their concerns and see how we can help all parties move forward constructively. I will also be seeking a meeting with the review’s authors.
“I want to see Welsh rugby, at all levels, grow and thrive. I am committed to working closely with the WRU and the players to deliver a successful sustainable game in Wales which provides better outcomes for everyone.
“I will keep members updated as we make progress matters over the coming weeks.”
Sport
Swansea sign free-agent defender Cyrus Christie
SWANSEA CITY have bolstered their defence with the signing of 32-year-old Cyrus Christie on a contract until the end of the season.
The former Hull City defender, who has been a free agent since his departure at the close of last season, has been training with Swansea since early October. Head coach Luke Williams views Christie as a versatile addition, capable of covering any position across the backline.
Christie returns to Swansea for a second stint, having previously impressed during a loan spell in the second half of the 2021-22 season. During that period, he made 23 appearances and scored three goals after joining from Fulham. While former Swansea boss Russell Martin had shown interest in making Christie’s move permanent, the Republic of Ireland international ultimately opted to sign with Hull City.
“He is experienced at this level, a powerful athlete who can both defend and attack, so I am really happy,” Williams commented. “We lack some Championship experience, and Christie provides a physical presence that’s especially valuable in the absence of players like Ben Cabango and Harry Darling.”
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