Sport

Voneus Village Cup debutants Neyland flying the flag for Wales

Published

3 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!”

News

Free disability sports event heads to Pembroke Leisure Centre

Published

2 days ago

May 16, 2024

Tom Sinclair

PEMBROKE Leisure Centre will play host to a free disability sports and physical event later this month with lots of sports and activities to try.

The insport series, in partnership with Disability Sport Wales, Sport Pembrokeshire and Pembrokeshire Leisure is an inclusive sport and physical activity event.

It offers opportunities for disabled young people (ages 5 years+) and adults across Pembrokeshire and friends and family are welcome.

On offer to try are: boxing, boccia, swimming (on a separate first come first serve booking basis), football, wheelchair rugby, target shooting, adaptive bikes, cricket, golf, multisport, and more.

The event takes place Pembroke Leisure Centre, on Wednesday May 29^th between 10am-2pm.

Booking for the event and swim places is required.

For more information please contact: Jess West from Sport Pembrokeshire byemail [email protected] or by calling 07795305871.

News

Two changes to Scarlets side for Zebre match-up

Published

3 days ago

May 16, 2024

Tom Sinclair

HEAD coach Dwayne Peel has made two changes to his Scarlets starting XV for Friday’s BKT United Rugby Championship round 17 clash with Zebre Parma at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi (19:35 BBC Wales).

Alex Craig has recovered from a hamstring issue to take his place in the second row, while behind the scrum Ioan Lloyd replaces fellow Wales international Sam Costelow at fly-half.

Ioan Nicholas, Tomi Lewis and Ryan Conbeer continue in the back three; Johnny Williams again partners Eddie James, while Lloyd links up with the experienced Gareth Davies at half-back.

In the pack, the front row of Kemsley Mathias, skipper Ryan Elias and Harri O’Connor get the nod to start again. Craig partners Morgan Jones at lock, while Taine Plumtree, Dan Davis and No. 8 Carwyn Tuipulotu are selected in the back row.

On the bench, Wales U20s centre Macs Page – part of Llandovery’s Indigo Premiership title-winning side last weekend – is set to make his URC debut.

Scarlets scrum and contact skills coach Emyr Phillips said: “We are looking to build some momentum in these last two games to fire us into pre-season. We are encouraging the boys to play high-tempo rugby and get the ball moving because that’s when we are at our best. We know Zebre will bring emotion to the game and we need to match that.”

Scarlets team to play Zebre Parma at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi on Friday, May 17 (19:35; BBC Wales)

15 Ioan Nicholas; 14 Tomi Lewis, 13 Johnny Williams, 12 Eddie James, 11 Ryan Conbeer; 10 Ioan Lloyd, 9 Gareth Davies; 1 Kemsley Mathias, 2 Ryan Elias (capt), 3 Harri O’Connor, 4 Alex Craig, 5 Morgan Jones, 6 Taine Plumtree, 7 Dan Davis, 8 Carwyn Tuipulotu.

Reps: 16 Shaun Evans, 17 Wyn Jones, 18 Sam Wainwright, 19 Jarrod Taylor, 20 Ben Williams, 21 Kieran Hardy, 22 Sam Costelow, 23 Macs Page

Players unavailable because of injury

Tom Rogers, Sam Lousi, Vaea Fifita, Steff Evans, Joe Roberts, Josh Macleod, Teddy Leatherbarrow, Jac Davies.

News

Charity football match scores big for mental health awareness

Published

1 week ago

May 11, 2024

Tom Sinclair

IN an inspiring display of community spirit and sportsmanship on Friday (May 10), the Ogi Bridge Meadow stadium hosted a charity football match that saw local mental health charity, Give The Boys A Lift (GTBAL), triumph over 2Wish, with a final score of 5-1. The event drew a large crowd, who gathered to support both organizations dedicated to mental health and well-being.

GTBAL, a renowned Pembrokeshire charity known for its efforts in mental health advocacy, put on a strong performance, leading to a decisive victory that was met with enthusiastic applause and cheers from the spectators. The match not only provided an evening of thrilling sports action but also raised significant awareness and funds for the causes represented by the two teams.

Maria Elena Smith, a spectator and supporter, praised the event, commenting, “Amazing effort from everyone involved. As always, the charities that support so many families and individuals have come out in force. Well done all and thank you for all the support.”

Adrian Smith, another attendee, highlighted the importance of the charities’ work, stating, “Don’t underestimate what both these charities do. It was a fantastic evening raising awareness.”

The event served as a reminder of the vital role these organizations play in the community, offering support and resources to those facing mental health challenges. Congratulations to all involved for a successful event that went beyond just a game, fostering community unity and support for pivotal causes.