Sport

Emphatic win for Otters

Published

7 years ago

February 13, 2019

AFTER this emphatic, seven-try win over visiting Rhydyfelin on Saturday (Feb 9), Narberth climbed to third place in the WRU Championship and are still targeting second.

With just six games to go, Narberth have now won 13 of their 16 matches this season and are on course for yet another excellent campaign.

It was a double celebration for the Club on the day that local hero Jonathan Davies, who played all his junior rugby with the Otters, captained Wales for the first time in the victory over Italy in Rome.

The pitch was in remarkably good condition despite the battering it took in the rain of two weeks ago but the high winds that had dogged the Tata fixture were again evident. Narberth won the toss and again elected to play into the wind in the first half.

Narberth came into the game after a short break because of the calling off of their game at Maesteg Quins the previous Saturday. The postponement might well have been a blessing in disguise as it allowed the team to recover after the bruising encounters with Pontypool and Tata Steel.

Certainly, the Otters flew out of the blocks from the Rhydyfelin kick-off which was gathered by Richie Rees inside the Narberth 25 and moved slickly to the left. Fluent passing between forwards and backs and a strong run by wing Yannic Parker took the home side into the opposition 22. A neat chip by centre Jake Jenkins was gathered by flanker Tom Powell who scored unopposed in only the first minute. Against a gale force wind, Ianto Griffiths’ conversion attempt was just wide.

Rhydyfelin were stung into action and came back strongly and for the following 15 minutes, it was like Ground-hog Day with a stream of penalties – mostly in the visitors’ favour each leading to a five metre lineout. From the first of them, Rhydyfelin captain and outside half Ross Lucas kicked immaculately into the corner and the Otters were penalised for collapsing the ensuing rolling maul.

Again, the visitors went to the corner but knocked on in trying to force the maul over the line and Narberth cleared the danger.

The driving maul seemed to be Rhydyfelin’s only attacking ploy as, in the 10th minute, they were awarded a penalty on the 22 metre line directly in front of the posts and to everyone’s surprise, they again kicked to the corner.

This time, in a smart move, prop Chris Phillips crashed over in the corner but the try was disallowed as the referee Steffan Edwards had spotted that Phillips’ path had been cleared of Narberth defenders by Rhydyfelin players and penalised them for obstruction.

In the 15th minute, the Otters were rather harshly penalised for a high tackle and yet again the visitors opted to go to the corner. When Rhydyfelin openside flanker Luke Studley knocked on, Narberth had weathered the storm of four successive five-metre lineouts and Rhydyfelin never again threatened.

The Otters’ lineout has not been at its best in recent weeks and again lost some of its clockwork accuracy on Saturday but, even against the strong wind, they gradually took complete control of the game and in the 29th minute, flanker Powell crashed over near the posts for his second try after a spell of sustained pressure and some excellent approach work by Richie Rees and Jake Jenkins. Griffiths converted.

Five minutes later, Jenkins was again involved in a smart handling move and made a powerful run before being taken down just short of the line. The Otters regained the ball and Jenkins popped up to dive over and touch down just inside the corner flag.

The missed conversion meant Narberth went into half-time with a well-deserved 17-nil lead.

The whole game was peppered with penalty awards and in total, the home side were awarded 16 penalties against 10 for the visitors. Most of them were for niggly technical infringements and either side of half time referee Edwards issued yellow cards to second row Josh Hawkins for persistent offside offences and left wing Gavin Close for a deliberate knock-on.

For a couple of minutes early in the second half, Rhydyfelin were reduced to 13 men after replacement prop Callum Jones who had only been on the field six minutes was sin-binned when he was at the centre of a touchline fracas. There were a number of heated moments in the game as Rhydyfelin’s frustration boiled over but further trouble was avoided by the firm and decisive action by the young referee.

It took just six minutes of the second half for the home side to gain their bonus point try, this time from young scrum half Lewys Gibby. Receiving the ball from a lineout outside the Rhydyfelin 22, Gibby wrong-footed the back row with a cheeky dummy and sprinted in, completely unopposed. Again Griffiths converted.

The tide was now running fast against the visiting side and the two yellow card dismissals meant they were in some disarray, but they still tackled determinedly.

Their grit was not enough to prevent a 58th minute try when Jack Price, playing on the wing at the time, proved Rhydyfelin were suckers for the dummy as he showed fullback Chris Tottle the ball before stepping inside him to score at the posts. Ianto Griffiths duly completed his third conversion.

Two minutes later, it was two-try hero Tom Powell’s turn to see Narberth’s only yellow card of the game, this time for what the referee adjudicated was a deliberate knock on.

Two tries in the last five minutes rounded off the game for Narberth. The first, from a five metre scrum was made by a pickup by number eight Richie Rees who broke to the blind side and passed to Gibby.

The scrum half’s diagonal run brought him his second try of the game and then right on time, an elegant chip by full back Ianto Griffiths over the top of the approaching defence was kicked ahead by replacement wing Nick Gale just inside the left touchline and he neatly gathered to score in the corner.

The Otters completed the double over mid-table Rhydyfelin and in their two encounters this season, have amassed 77 points against the side from Pontypridd.

It was also a game in which the replacements also made a real impact, with props Dan Jacobs and young Ryan Rees making major contributions in both the tight and loose when they came on. Second row Roy Osborne made a robust and very promising debut for the Otters.

After the game, main sponsors Hywel Griffiths Plant Hire nominated Lewys Gibby as Man of the Match.

The Otters are home again on Saturday (Feb 16) with the visit of Trebanos, the Swansea Valley side who boast Justin Tipuric, the Welsh flanker as one of their coaching advisers. Trebanos always play an open style of rugby so it promises to be an attractive game to watch.

Related Topics:Championship Narberth Otters Rhydyfelin Rugby WRU

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Rosemarket Dawn Till Dusk golf club 18-hole plans lodged

Published

5 minutes ago

March 20, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL to extend a long-established Pembrokeshire golf club, bringing it up to a full 18 holes, has been submitted to county planners.

In the application, Mr and Mrs Young, through agent Preseli Planning Ltd, seek a change of use of land adjoining the Dawn Till Dusk Golf Club, Furze Hill Farm, Bastleford Road, Rosemarket, to form an extension to the existing golf course, along with landscaping and associated works.

A supporting statement through the agent says: “The application seeks full planning permission for the enlargement of the existing golf course to provide an additional six holes, to provide a total of 18 holes.

“The proposal would involve minor landscaping works to the fields and boundaries and the creation of a small number of ponds and bunkers. The extension would be located on land to the west of Furze Hill Farm and on the opposite side of the road to the existing golf course and clubhouse.

“An altered access to the land parcel is proposed as part of this application, which would provide an improved route for users crossing the public highway to avoid conflict with movements at the main entrance.

“The application site exceeds 1ha and therefore the proposal is considered major development necessitating a Pre-Application Consultation prior to formally submitting the planning application to the Local Planning Authority.”

It adds: “The existing golf course has operated in excess of 30 years and is popular with both visitors and locals. Club membership currently stands at approximately 350 and there is demand for enhancing the provisions of the course.

“The applicants’ sons have recently increased their involvement in the enterprise and in recent years wet winter months have necessitated the closure of the course, or parts of it, due to the ground becoming waterlogged, primarily due to the flat nature of the existing course.

“The extension would provide variation to the terrain, providing, dryer conditions, as well as the ability to alternate between the existing and proposed to maintain use, enhancing the viability of the enterprise.”

The application will be considered by Pembrokeshire County Council planners at a later date.

News

Haverfordwest sailor leads global team to historic victory in Korea

Published

2 days ago

March 18, 2026

Herald Sport

Lou Boorman celebrates home port win in round-the-world yacht race

A HAVERFORDWEST-born sailor has led her team to a landmark victory on the global stage, winning a major leg of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race as it arrived in South Korea.

Lou Boorman, aged 23, skippered Team Tongyeong to first place as the fleet sailed into the Korean port city this week (Mar 16), marking a historic moment for the race.

The win is particularly significant as it is the first time the round-the-world event has ever stopped in Korea – and the home team claimed the top spot.

Speaking from the yacht after crossing the finish line, Lou said: “We did it, we performed under the pressure! To get a win into our home port, I can die happy!”

From Pembrokeshire to the world stage

Lou, who grew up in Haverfordwest, has quickly risen through the ranks of competitive sailing. Before taking on the challenge of leading a Clipper Race team, she had already secured titles as British, Irish and Welsh Female Champion.

Now skippering one of the race’s international teams, she is responsible not only for navigation and strategy, but also for leading a diverse crew – many of whom had never sailed before joining the race.

The Clipper Race is one of the toughest endurance challenges in sport, covering 40,000 nautical miles over eleven months, with crews facing extreme weather conditions ranging from freezing Pacific crossings to equatorial heat.

High-stakes gamble pays off

Team Tongyeong took a major risk during this stage, playing its ‘Joker’ card – a race tactic that doubles points if successful.

The gamble paid off, earning the team maximum points and securing their place at the top of the leaderboard.

Lou said: “We’ve worked really hard and put a lot of pressure on ourselves. Going into our home port there is a lot of pressure to perform, and we added to that pressure by playing our Joker – and we got twenty points, so I’m very proud of the team.”

This marks the team’s second win in recent stages, building momentum as they pass the halfway point of the global race.

Life at sea and leadership challenges

Reflecting on her journey so far, Lou highlighted the challenges of leadership as much as the physical demands of sailing.

She said: “Sometimes the sailing comes second to the people because they are the important ones. To lead them through that is one of the toughest things I’ve ever done, but it’s also one of the most rewarding.”

She added: “My favourite thing about sailing is the magic of the sea, the stars, the storms and the remoteness. I feel free and at my happiest at sea.”

Global race continues

The Clipper Race fleet will remain in Tongyeong for a week of cultural events before setting off across the North Pacific towards Seattle.

The race will later visit Panama, Washington DC, and Oban before returning to Portsmouth this summer, completing a full circumnavigation of the globe.

For Pembrokeshire, Lou’s achievement puts a local name firmly on the world sailing map – and highlights the global reach of talent from West Wales.

Sport

New2Golf scheme returns to South Pembrokeshire Golf Club

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2 days ago

March 17, 2026

Herald Sport

Six-week beginner programme offers affordable route into the sport

SOUTH PEMBROKESHIRE GOLF CLUB is preparing to launch its popular New2Golf scheme for 2026, with the latest intake starting on Monday (Apr 13).

Now in its eighth year at the Pembroke Dock course, the initiative offers a low-cost and welcoming introduction to golf. All equipment and professional tuition are included for a small fee, making it accessible to people of all ages and abilities – including complete beginners who have never picked up a club before.

The scheme is also ideal for those who have previously played golf and are looking to return to the game after a break.

Participants will receive coaching from qualified golf professionals at the club’s practice ground during early evening sessions over a six-week period. There will also be an option to continue with further sessions after the initial programme.

Golf provides a great opportunity to stay active, enjoy the outdoors and meet new people. As a low-impact sport, it allows players to gradually build fitness while learning new skills. Whether approached competitively or socially, it offers a relaxed and enjoyable way to spend time outdoors.

Last year’s New2Golf intake ranged in age from eight to 70, highlighting the sport’s broad appeal and accessibility.

Located in Pennar, Pembroke Dock, South Pembrokeshire Golf Club enjoys scenic views over the Haven waterway. The club has a thriving membership across junior, ladies’, men’s and seniors’ sections, and prides itself on being friendly and supportive to new players.

Members regularly help newcomers develop their skills on the course, offering guidance on rules, techniques and course play.

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