D.T. Davies Clubman of the Year Award: Roger James

The best behaved table at the Awards dinner: Mr & Mrs Gareth Jones, Mr & Mrs Roger  James, Mr Peter Clarke, Mr & Mrs Neville Morgan, Mr & Mrs Rex Jones, and your absent photographer Bryan Weaver

Just to show that there's more ways of looking at a season than one, here's Six Good Reasons To Stay Cheerful:

Cross Keys re-join us, no doubt pig-sick at only managing 1 win out of 22 in the Welsh-Scottish league, and looking for some more productive action over the next season.

Aberavon (well, no change there, actually), no doubt even more pig-sick at earning their entry to the Welsh-Scottish league for next season but being denied their place by WRU machinations designed to restructure the game by stealth.

Abertillery and Abercynon are off to ply their trade in Division Two (thanks, boys, for a while there it looked like one of those places was reserved for us).

And Bedwas and Whitland come up to join Division One from Division Two.

All the above comments subject, of course, to the usual possibility of the WRU changing their minds yet again.

As a new millennium starts and another rugby season draws to a close the destiny of our Ist XV for the second successive year hangs in the balance. Division One is referred to as "the Division of Death" and surely must be one of the most competitive divisions in Welsh Rugby. A win today will ensure Llandovery RFC will retain its Division One status for yet another season and will also maintain this Club’s proud record of never having been relegated since the inception of National Leagues some ten years ago.

Whilst we have on occasions produced excellent entertaining rugby - what a spectacle the home victory over Carmarthen Quins was - so too from time to time has our defence been particularly vulnerable. The interruptions caused by inclement weather and injuries sustained by players have not helped with continuity and the ability to field a settled side. Hopefully our remaining games will reflect the performances of our two most recent wins against Rumney and Newbridge, to bring joy and reward to our loyal band of supporters.

Geraint Williams and lestyn Thomas have re-formed an excellent coaching partnership and have been well supported through-out the season by assistant coaches Geri Davies and Alan Morgan together with 1st XV captain Andrew Jones, Team Manager Carwyn Williams and physiotherapist Dave Woolard.

The Athletic XV have also seen an upturn in fortunes compared with last season, finishing runners up in Division A and were unfortunate not to progress through to the Sportaprint Cup Final, losing out at the semi-final stage last Saturday.

Mention must be made to the Youth XV who have this season competed admirably in the top division in Wales against Premiership opponents such as Cardiff and Swansea. Nigel Watts and Neville Hughes are to be thanked for their efforts in maintaining the link from junior to senior level by helping provide up and coming talent for the club’s senior teams.

Dai and Helen Thomas continue to do a sterling job organising the Junior Drovers from under 8s to under 16s by providing rugby for as many as 150 youngsters every Sunday. Unfortunately the foot and mouth epidemic has caused the cessation of junior rugby over recent weeks.

The benefit of the Junior Drovers has this season manifested itself at the highest possible level with International Caps being awarded to prop Dafydd Thomas (son of Dai and Helen) at Wales u16 level, and 2^nd row Luke Charteris at Wales u19 level. Well done to you both and the very best of luck for the future.

In addition Dafydd Jones (our dual registered player with Llanelli RFC) has represented Wales recently in both the Hong Kong and Shanghai World 7s series. Whilst of course Mark Jones became the latest Club player to gain his full international Wales Cap in this year’s Six Nations games versus England and Scotland.

We also continue to monitor the progress of former players now with Premier Clubs including Barry Williams (next season’s Captain of Neath RFC), Cerith Rees (Swansea RFC), Simon Emms (Bath RFC), Emyr Lewis (Newport RFC), Paul Jones (Neath RFC), Aled Griffiths (Bridgend RFC) and Mark de Marigny who is now taking part in the South Africa Under 21s trial and is currently in the Natal Sharks B team.

Llandovery is one of only eight clubs in Division One to own its ground. The other eight play on council owned pitches and are therefore spared the overheads and running costs associated with ground maintenance. These clubs in reality have a greater share of their WRU funding available to attract and reward players. Couple this with the fact that some clubs do not field more than one or two teams and it does not take much to appreciate that Llandovery is doing remarkably well to compete year after year to remain as one of the top 20 or so teams in Wales. This is particularly surprising when the town itself has a population of under 2000 people. Surely the WRU should target their finance towards clubs such as Llandovery RFC on both counts, ie. For providing rugby for all ages, as many as 10-12 teams; and for continuing to progressively improve its facilities. Without question no other club in Division One (or in any other division for that matter) can compare with the set up we have at Church Bank Playing Fields. Long may this development continue and to this end, on behalf of everyone associated with the Club, may I extend a thank you to all the Players, Officials, Members, Sponsors and Supporters for their support in making it possible.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE WRU 12th March 2001

The Welsh Rugby Union is 120 years-old today. The meeting that founded the Union was staged on 12 March, 1881 at the Castle Hotel, Neath. The report of the founding of Wales' most important and influential governing body of sport read as follows:

WELSH RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION

A meeting was held at the Castle Hotel, Neath, on Saturday last (12 March, 1881), the following clubs being represented: Swansea, Lampeter, Llandeilo, Cardiff, Newport, Llanelli, Merthyr, Llandovery, Brecon, Pontypool and Bangor, to consider the question of establishing a Welsh Rugby Union.

The chair was taken by Mr Richardson, captain of the Swansea club, and after considerable discussion it was proposed by the Chairman and seconded by Mr F Meager, Swansea, that a Welsh Rugby Football Union be formed. This resolution was carried unanimously. It was then proposed by Mr Mullock, Newport, and seconded by Mr Margrave, Llanelli, that Mr CC Chambers, president of the Swansea Football Club, be elected president of the Welsh Rugby Football Union for the season 1881-2.

The next proposition by the Chairman and seconded by Mr Mullock, was that Mr EC Fry, and Mr CP Lewis, Llandovery, be elected vice- presidents of the Welsh Rugby Union for the season 1881-2. Carried unanimously.

The election of a committee, which will in all probability consist of a member of each club in the Union, was left until the next meeting which will be held during this month. Mr Forester, Merthyr, proposed and Mr Knill, Swansea, seconded, that Mr Richard Mullock be elected hon. secretary to the WRU.

The hon. secretary was instructed to prepare for the next meeting a draft copy of proposed bye-laws to govern the Welsh Rugby Union. The annual subscription was fixed at £1 1s, with an entrance fee of £1 1s.

The Wales team to face France in the Lloyds TSB Six Nations Championship this weekend features players from four of the founding clubs, Cardiff, Newport, Llanelli and Swansea. The hooker Robin McBryde is Bangor-born, while Wales A wing Mark Jones is a product of the Llandovery club. Wales centre Mark Taylor began his career at Pontypool.

Peter Lloyd, who has made 10 appearances for us this year, scoring 56 points in the process, has transferred to Brecon RFC last week  and Geraint Jones (scrum-half/wing) has come to us on a 3 month loan from Carmarthen Athletic RFC.

The Paul Ryder Charity Match.

On Friday evening 2 February, Mountain Ash entertain The Public School Wanderers in a match to commemorate the life of Paul Ryder a young man whose life was tragically cut short by a brain tumour. Paul, who was 18 from Cwmbach in the Cynon Valley, lived life to the full. He was a qualified football coach. By the age of 15 he had qualified as a scuba diver in South Africa and had bungee jumped from Victoria Falls bridge but the main love of his life was rugby, where he was beginning to make a name for himself in the successful Mountain Ash Youth. Paul played for "The Old Firm" right through the ranks from Junior to Youth. Many respected observers felt Paul had the ability and attitude to go all the way to the top possessing all the skills of a modern open flanker.

Many International players past and present have confirmed they will join Robert Jones (Wal), Craig Chalmers (Scot), Phil de Glanville (Eng), in the Public School Wanderers. The team sheet which reads like a "who's who" of British Rugby already includes the names of Scott Hastings (Sco), Richard Webster (Wal), Paul Moriarty (Wal), Victor Ubogu (Eng), Gareth Rees (Canada), Mike Teague (Eng), Robert Bidgood (Wal) and Wade Dooley (Eng), Ian Bucket (Wal), John Devereaux (Wal). Brigadier Rolph James who has a strong connection with Mountain Ash selected the team.

As a tribute to Paul we are asking you to come along and support the charity that played such an important part in Paul's final months - "Dreams Come True". This charity does what it says, sends terminally ill young people on a holiday of a lifetime or to meet a person they greatly admire or respect. In Paul's case he travelled to Disney World, Florida with his mother and best friend.

Could your Club and Supporters pledge their support for this great charity by turning up on 2 February eve of Wales England International at Parc Duffryn Pennar Mountain Ash R.F.C. Ground. Kick Off 7.30pm. Admission £3 adults and £1 children and senior citizens. If you can't make it on the night but would like to donate to this worthy charity. Donations can be made at Lloyds TSB Mountain Ash with cheques payable to "Dreams Come True Charity". Please quote the sort code 30-90-01 and account number 00175720. Or if anyone would like to place an advert in the match programme contact Dial A Print on 07801 924369

Llandovery tight head prop Dafydd Thomas has been selected for the Welsh Schools U16 Final Trial even though he will not be 15 years of age until after the end of the current season. The 14 year-old, a Year 10 pupil at the town’s Pantycelyn HS, is in the Possibles XV that takes on the Probables at The Oval, Treorchy this Saturday, January 6 (kick off 11am). The 6’2” 15 stone prop will be challenging for a place in the Welsh XV that will travel to Rome in the February half-term to take on the Italian U17 side.

Thomas has rugby very much in the blood as the son of Dai and Helen Thomas who have been the inspiration behind the success of the Junior Drovers at Llandovery RFC. Father Dai was educated at Brecon HS from where he gained three schoolboy U18 caps in 1974 and went on to become one of the most respected tight head props in West Wales rugby circles, whilst mother Helen’s brother Wyn Williams was lock and captain in the tough Drovers pack that was a real force in the Eighties and early Nineties.

Dafydd’s elder brother, 18 year-old Rhodri, has been shining at fly half for both Tregib CS who are joint top of the Lloyds TSR Dragons Rugby Trust Schools League, as well as Llandovery RFC Youth and also made his debut for Crawshay’s against Monmouth School.

“We very much hope that Dafydd will go on to emulate another former Pantycelyn pupil in Barry Williams who was capped for the U16s in 1989 against Italy and also Scotland, but even if he does not make it this year, then he has next year to make his mark” said Pantycelyn coach, John Walters. Walters, who learned his rugby at Maes Y Dderwen CS himself got U16 caps on the wing against England (twice) and South of Scotland back in 1970 before going on to get a record number of seventeen U18 caps, three of which were in a side that included prop Dai Thomas.

“Dafydd scrummages strongly, carries the ball well and is improving his fitness” said Walters, “and for a 14 year-old who is not 15 until May 24, he has an imposing physique.”

There is every chance that it will all be good enough at Treorchy on Saturday for him to get chosen for the squad that will fly out to Rome in mid-February and hopefully become one of the youngest ever players to be capped for the Intermediate Group.

Like the pint pot with a half a pint inside, the Drovers reaching the halfway mark this season is difficult to describe. A real curate’s egg. It would be charitable to describe us as not a bad side. We have shown enormous signs of potential, although nearing the halfway mark, one can hear the critics cry out - you've only won 4 out of 13 games and with that aggregate 24 points is not enough to avoid relegation.

Our thoughts are with Huw's family in their tragic loss.

Youth team manager Keith Jones said: "Huw was a member of the Junior Drovers for many years and had just joined the youth team, for 17 to 19 year olds. He was a most likeable boy who had matured to be a gentleman". Deputy head Lynne Davies of Ysgol Pantycelyn said that Huw had been a very popular pupil who played rugby for the school team, sang in the school choir and took part in a recent drama production and in the school's Eisteddfod. "He was very outgoing, liked to make everyone laugh and everyone is completely devastated".

A minute's silence was held in memory of Huw before today's home game against Rumney.

Do I need to add any more? I rest my case!

Aled Griffiths (prop) Bridgend
Martin Morgan (lock) Cardiff
Rhodri Davies (centre) Cross Keys
Mark Jones (winger) Llanelli
Simon Emms (hooker) Llanelli, on the way to Bath (allegedly)
Dafydd Jones (back row) Llanelli - on dual registration with us still
Emyr Lewis (full back) Newport
Geraint John (centre) Neath
Paul Jones (prop) Neath (via Merthyr)
Cerith Ress (fly-half) Swansea (via Neath)
Chris Hughes (Newbridge)

The John Halliday Trophy - Player of the Year Award
1st XV: Dai Giles; Athletic: John Mercer; Youth: Rhys Richards

The Rusty Jones Cup - the Players' Player of the Year
Gareth Thomas

The Jeff Jones Trophy - Most Tries
1st XV: Adrian Davies; Athletic: Dylan Morgan

The Rhodry Hughes Cup - the Most Improved Player
Dorian Williams

The Carwyn Davies Ambassador Cup
Mark Jones

The D.T. Davies Cup - Clubman of the Year
I. Morris

The Des Clarke Award - Outstanding Services to Llandovery R.F.C.
Neville Hughes, Nigel Watts

We couldn't have said it any better ourselves.

The intention next year is to build on the success of this year’s event and Tetley have promised substantial sponsorship again.

Williams and Thomas will be realistically looking for a top half of the table spot in a division that sees the return of relegated Dunvant and the arrival of two very competitive teams in Division 2 promotions Glamorgan Wanderers and Carmarthen Quins.

Llandovery banished any relegation worries they may have had when they trounced Tredegar 47-10 in their final game of the season in the Division 1 national league.

After a year of very mixed fortunes, a win in their last game was vital to ensure the side remained in Division 1 next season, and Llandovery responded to the call with the same successful pattern of play that had seen them defeat sides like Merthyr earlier in the season.

A mid-table finish akin to the 1998/9 season was never going to be a possibility in the 199/2000 campaign after several consecutive defeats but the Drovers picked themselves back up when it mattered and have resolved to do all they can to resume their standing of old in the forthcoming seasons.

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