RICHARD CARTER—Goes up high to catch a kick against Bridgend Ravens 2
SECONDARY SCHOOLS RUGBY NEW COMMUNITY INITIATIVE POLICE FESTIVAL SPORTS COACH UK—WORKSHOPS TYWYN PRIMARY SPORTING SUCCESS
ABERAVON RFC FIXTURE LIST HEALTH TIPS WITH THE WIZARDS ROLLING BACK THE YEARS GRASSROOTS RUGBY by CHRIS DAVIES YUMMY TUMMY with ROWAN JENKINS
RICHARD ‘GEORGE’ MORRIS NEW ERA—JTR ASHLEY BECK TALKS WIZARDRY
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Hi, I am Jonny Phillips—I try to exercise everyday for at least 60 minutes, I do this playing with my friends, playing rugby or going to the gym. Try and get your 60 minutes in each day by playing sports or simply getting up and moving through walking or swimming. Either way, get outdoors and get ACTIVE!
Good day, I am Gareth Harvey—I make it my goal to eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day, I thought it would be hard to do, but it is easy. I have a portion [like broccoli, carrots and a banana] at each meal and two snacks [like apples] throughout the day, do you get your 5-aday? How?
You OK? I am Ricky Thomas—I train a lot and have a very demanding job therefore it is essential that I stay hydrated throughout the day, not just for work, but for training also. I fill a 2 litre bottle with WATER every day and make sure I drink the bottle of water gradually throughout the day—Are you drinking enough WATER?
Hey, I am Nathan Brown—I wake up very early to start work, but more importantly to eat a good breakfast. Eating a good breakfast provides me with energy throughout the day and also helps my concentration at work. You can get one of your 5-aday here, just like Gareth and I.
Hello, I am Ben Thomas—My tip is to put down those computers, phones, tablets, handheld consoles or whatever distracts you from socialising, eating well and being physically active. Part with these items and participate more with friends, family and in sport. GET OUT!
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Aberavon RFC supported the South Wales Police in organising a rugby competition that would further enhance rugby awareness and to also build towards a road safety campaign. It is important for Aberavon RFC that they do not solely develop competitions, festivals and relationships for and with schools, but creating partnerships with organisation like South Wales Police is integral for Aberavon RFC in the community. The competition saw seven schools enter with all schools bringing two teams. The competition was a TAG competition with a bowl, plate and cup to be won. In the bowl final saw Baglan Primary beat St Joes Catholic 20-0, with the plate going to Central Primary who beat Cwmafan Junior 20-10. In the cup final, St Joes Catholic played Traethmelyn Primary —St Joes Catholic were crowned winners of the South Wales Police Neighbourhood Competition. A great achievement by St Joes Catholic as earlier in the year St Joes Catholic won the Baglan Bay Powerstation Cup competition too, some great sporting talent at that school. With a day full of sunshine, there was no better time to hold a rugby competition. Skills were very high indeed, looking back to 3-4 years ago, the skill level within rugby was at a poor standard, but now children are really showing great skills in rugby. It is hopeful that these children take up rugby outside of school in the local rugby clubs, we urge teachers and parents to suggest and promote the clubs in the area. Rugby in Port Talbot is growing once again, as the town is predominantly a football town, it is tough to win the battle over football, however, children playing any sport is a positive. Rugby is the national sport of Wales and therefore we ALL should try our best to support rugby, you can do this by boosting sport in Port Talbot and looking after the future of Aberavon RFC #CmonAfan—Club suggestions below.
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Richard Morris has been an influential member of the Aberavon Wizards squad for nearly 20 years, making over 500 appearances for the Wizards and scoring 154 try’s, making ‘George’ the clubs top try scorer. Having played against and with the big man, he is truly
NAME:
RICHARD MORRIS
DOB:
14/02/1974
WEIGHT:
18st 2lbs
HEIGHT:
6ft 3’
GAMES:
514
TRY’S:
154
TEAMS:
BARBARIANS
GITTS and GEORGE— Barbarians
a tough man to stop, especially when he picks up some speed. Fortunately for me, I am on his team now. Playing more than 500 games for any team is certainly a great achievement and is a testament to the man that ‘George’ is. He is loyal, relentless, respectful and a true gentleman. Now .. In my opinion in the modern game, for a player to play over 500 games for a club will never be done again. Granted, rugby used to be played on Wednesday’s and Saturday’s, but still, I certainly couldn't play that regularly and youngsters are not even allowed to play more than one game in a week, something I am sure ‘George’ would laugh at. Playing rugby still at 39 is another reason why ‘George’ has been able to increase his appearances for the club, but again at 39 playing at a semiprofessional standard is still a great achievement, I do not think there are signs of him giving up either. This short write up does not give ’George’ enough credit as I
You hail from Neath but how would you describe your relationship with Aberavon RFC? It's more than just a club it's my adopted home, there's a feeling and passion from players, staff and supporters alike that you just wouldn't get anywhere else. You have been at Aberavon for some time, playing over 500 games. How do you feel about this achievement? Awesome! Reaching 500 was a massive achievement for me. I consider myself fortunate to have had the ability to stay at the top of my game and to have had the honour of wearing the blood and black jersey week in week out. They say time flies when you are having fun - it must be the same for games too! You have played rugby for so long now, what makes you keep playing? For me it's more than a game, it's a passion, a way of life. The feeling you get pulling that jersey on and taking to the field with your
could write a good article on the big man covering many of pages, but for now this will have to be suffice. ‘George’ has represented the Barbarians on two occasions, something that players dream of. Although ‘George’ may not be playing as regularly as he would like, his experience and presence at Aberavon is invaluable and he has many of times offered me some wise advice or comforting words. It is now preseason at Aberavon, we have been training hard for about 4 weeks now with no sign of ’George’ in the first 4 weeks, surprise surprise when the training sessions turned into contact session, the players look into the distance to see ’George’ strutting down the field to join in, with teams begging him to be on his side to avoid tackling him. Anyway, I caught up with ‘George’ to ask him a few questions about rugby and the Wizards.
team going into battle knowing that you are all in it together- It's just irreplaceable! Is there anything that frustrates you
www.newzealandrugby.co.nz about rugby? Not playing it! It shows how loyal you are, did you ever think about leaving Aberavon RFC? Don't get me wrong there have been opportunities and tempting offers along the way but nothing I ever seriously considered. If you cut me I bleed blood and black- End of. 6
Not only are you one of Aberavon RFC’s highest capped player, you are also top try scorer ever with 154 try’s, how does that make you feel? Just to share the same page in the Aberavon History books as some of the greats that I've aspired to, like Billy Max Morton and Allan is a massive honour for me. Do you think you will hold onto the try record? Richard Carter is closely behind you? Again a massive achievement for me and Carter is snapping at my heels now. Its there for the taking and after all it should be a
www.bbc.co.uk backs record ! I don't think it'll ever be repeated again by a forward!! What about a player playing more than 500 games in the modern game? I just don't think it will happen these days players get "nursed", I mean "managed" now and even if they do manage regular appearances in "squad rotation" I honestly don't think loyalty is the same Clubs are seen
as stepping stones to move on from after a season or two and not for a career unfortunately. How many more games do you think you have left in you? Another 100? 600 has got a nice ring to it! No Seriously, If the club want me and I am still able to contribute to the team and as long as I still have the capability to compete at this level and my body maintains the ability to give and more importantly take and absorb the big hits we'll see how it goes! OK, so quick fire questions ‌ Who has been the hardest opponent you have played against? The Chief [Dale Macintosh] Who is the best player you have played with? I've played with so many great individuals to name just one wouldn't be fair.
What is the highlight of your career? Playing for the Baa Baas at Newbury and it feeling like a home game due to the massive turnout of the A'von faithful. Cast your memory back to when you were in school, who did you look up to as a player? Buck Shelford. If you had the opportunity to play against any one player, who would it be? Scott Quinnell Finally, what advice would you give to children in schools about rugby? Enjoy it first and foremost for the fun of the game and the friends and great opportunities it brings you. If a career develops Happy Days but always remember its a game and games are meant to be www.walesonline.co.uk enjoyed!
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YOUNGSTERS from Neath and Port Talbot are being encouraged to follow in the footsteps of British Lion stars and former Aberavon RFC players, Justin Tipuric and Richard Hibbard. Tata Steel and Aberavon RFC are calling on pupils from across the county to participate in rugby at school and kick their ways to healthier and fitter lifestyles. As part of its health and wellbeing community programme, Tata Steel has teamed up the Port Talbot rugby side to provide 21 schools across the region with sport start up kits, which include rugby equipment such as balls and cones. Neath Port Talbot, has one of the highest childhood obesity rates in Wales and the partnership aims to tackle escalating figures. Aberavon RFC Community Programme is part of a longterm initiative to develop and increase sport participation, rugby awareness, personal fitness and the need to balance sport with academic improvement within Neath Port Talbot schools. Nia Sin-
TATA STEELS Nia Singleton and WIZARD Chris Davies with Groes Primary School
gleton, school liaison manager at Tata Steel, said: "The sport kits include rugby equipment but we hope that this will inspire pupils to participate in a range of other sports as well as rugby and will encourage them to more active lifestyles." Commercial and marketing manager at Aberavon RFC, Gareth Howells, said they plan to reach more than 2,000 pupils across the region. "As a local rugby club which promotes healthy eating and wellbeing to our players, we believe that it's important that these initiatives are shared with our wider community and what better way to start than with local primary schools," he said. "We wouldn't have been able to progress with this particular programme without the support from Tata Steel. “Receiving support from such a big company proves just how far the Aberavon Wizards have come and we hope that this programme will encourage more local children to follow the footsteps of our successful past players.
Chris Davies added “its great to have an reputable organisation involved in the community, TATA are very active in the community regardless, however, with the partnership of Aberavon RFC and TATA, I believe that we can drive children into participating in rugby whilst delivering positive health messages during the process”. Aberavon RFC are a Welsh premiership rugby team who are very active in their community and have been active for some years, all in attempt to drive rugby awareness and promote Aberavon RFC. “Attendances in the welsh premiership games are poor” Davies said, “we need to change the way we think and do all that we can to make sure that the future of an illustrious club like Aberavon RFC is taken care of, as no one else is going to do it”. Davies is adamant that the future of Aberavon lay in the schools and getting the schools to play regular competitive rugby in primary and secondary schools, “we must attempt to change/adjust children’s mind sets and make them competitive” Davies added. All in all, Aberavon RFC are doing a great job to attract new faces to the game of rugby in Port Talbot and hopefully the outcome will be future Aberavon RFC players and increased families and children through the turnstiles at Aberavon RFC. School Sport is high at the moment with many sports being offered, but competitive team sports is something of concern. Port Talbot’s School Sport is looking up with the involvement of Aberavon RFC.
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THE FRONT ROW—A dark place … only for the brave
Aberavon RFC have teamed up with Costains for another academic year, but this time delivering a secondary schools rugby program. Since the developments of the previous Costain League organised in the junior schools, there has been a significant rise in participation in rugby within the secondary schools, primarily year 7. Aberavon RFC want to capture this opportunity and develop rugby further so that opportunities are there for pupils to progress in rugby, but ultimately keep playing rugby for their secondary school regularly. This program will introduce a rugby league system for year 7 and year 8 with an additional objective of strengthening Aberavon Schoolboys U15’s. The league will see Port Talbot secondary schools Cymer Afan, Dyffryn, St Joes and Sandfields/Glanafan competing in a
home and away fixture that will be all wrapped up before the Christmas break. After the pupils settle back in from the festive period a 10 a side competition will be held at the Talbot Athletic Ground [Aberavon RFC] with a further 7 a side competition to be run in April, also at the Talbot Athletic Ground. Aberavon RFC are very happy to be creating this pro-
gram along with the assistance of Neath Port Talbot and the WRU. It is vital that
pupils entering key stage 3 education have the sporting opportunity available to them in the format of competition. Hopefully once these pupils move into key stage 4 of education, there will be further opportunities for them. It is important that Aberavon RFC look after the future of the club, the future players that will be walking the corridor of the Talbot Athletic Ground, and it starts at schools. Providing a competitive rugby program not only provides opportunity but it also educates pupils on learning how to deal with winning and losing. Winning matters to us ALL, if it didn't we would not have successful sporting role models in the UK.
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Sports Coach UK are responsible for developing UK Coaching Excellence. They are inspired by a belief that good sports coaches not only enhance sporting experiences, but increase and sustain active lifestyles too. This in turn brings enormous health and well-being benefits. Sports Coach UK’s vision is UK coaching excellence enabling every child, player and athlete to follow their dreams, have fun and fulfil their potential. They are a UKregistered charity, employing 50 staff members, based at our Headquarters in Leeds and at sites across England. Working Together with Partners, they support partners to recruit, develop and retain the coaches
they need to achieve their sports participation and performance goals. Specifically, Sports Coach UK [1] support and challenge our partners to improve their coaching systems and grow their contribution to a cohesive UK coaching system. [2] Develop coach learning and support that complements sports-specific programmes and aligns with public policy. [3] Provide research and good practice that benefits coaching. In England, Sports Coach UK support 46 national governing bodies of sport and 49 county sports partnerships. In Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, Sports Coach UK work with the three Home Country Sports Councils.
To the left are some of the popular workshops that Sports Coach UK run that can help improve your coaching. As Sports Coach UK also run the UKCC framework, some elements of the workshops maybe incorporated into the specific course you haven qualified in or are about to qualify in. However, these workshops specifically address issues of topic and aim to increase knowledge and coaching practice to benefit the coach, but more importantly the participants. You can find your nearest workshop by going online to Sports Coach UK website, or alternatively you contact your local governing body sports department to see if one is being run local.
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Jo Tomlin-Reeves [JTR] is a new breed of flanker who is full of aspiration and determination to prove himself as a rugby player which will hopefully earn him a full professional contract with the Ospreys. The two good things about Jo is [1] Jo is with Aberavon and [2] Jo is an Aberavon boy who grew up three streets down from the Talbot Athletic Ground. Now living in Cwmafan, Jo is very happy that he is NOW at Aberavon after a short spell at Swansea. Jo is currently injured at the moment suffering an injury to his shoulder through rugby. At the tender age of 19, Jo has already showed his potential after regular appearances for the Wizards. Jo is a local boy who loves to give back to the community by doing some coaching at his old school.
JOE TOMLIN REEVES
DOB:
15/12/1993
WEIGHT:
14st 5lbs
HEIGHT:
6ft
POSITION: Open-Side CLUBS:
sure. More scouting should be made out in the Port Talbot clubs, some great talent out there. When I joined Aberavon it was made up of local boys, but now there is a strong mix and the local boys like Jamie, Gaddy, Breezy, Trigger, Buddah and Bamsey and 30+, do you think Aberavon need to focus on local talent? For sure, Aberavon do a lot of work in the community and it will be a matter of time until talent will come through, but I am young, I know there are guys out there now. Well … now that you play for Aberavon, how do you feel about being apart of the club? Great, very glad to be here. First year was hard as the older guys did not like me, well not me, just a youngster coming into the squad as a threat I guess. Are you referring to me Jo? Haha … not at all Swanky. I feel at home now with Aberavon, it’s a great feeling. You are injured at the moment, what have you done and when will you be back? I have injured my shoulder
Greenstars Swansea
and its something called the ‘haggle’ but I should be back just after Christmas I think, hope. I had about 6 pins in my arm too. What is your favourite part of being with Aberavon? The social side is pretty good, the banter is very good. Tight bunch down there. Who is your best mate down there? Cuz [Evan Yardley] Who is the fastest in the team? Carter Who is the biggest tackler? Swanky Do you manage to get your 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day? Yes, I buy them all on the weekend and I plan my week so I get them in everyday. What would your advice be to children playing rugby in schools? While you are young enjoy it and learn while you can, get out of the house with every opportunity and play. Sport for All or Competitive Sports? Competitive Sports, it gets you ready for everything, work, training, sports— everything.
1. What is the capital of France? Paris 2. What is a baby Kangaroo called? Kid 3. Who was the president during the American Civil War? Not sure 4. What is the current Coalition Government? Labour 5. How many bookings did Gary Lineker have in his career? None 6. Who scored the first try in the third test between Oz and Lions 2013? Alex Corbsiero 7. When did England last win the football world cup? 1964 8. Who is Aberavon’s all time top try scorer? No idea 9. How many points has Jamie Davies scored for Aberavon? 450 points 10 .Who was the last welsh international before the millennium? No idea
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Answers: [1] Paris [2] Joey [3] Abraham Lincoln [4] Conservative and Liberal Democrats [5] None [6] Corbsiero [7] 1966 [8] George [9] 4,054 [10] Tim Fauvel
Jo, you went to school in St Joes, did you ever look up to the Wizards? Ever go and watch them play? Yes, I lived a few streets down from the ground so me and a few mates used to be naughty and jump over the wall to watch Aberavon play. Andrew John would have been the chairman 10 years ago, so lets hope he is not reading this now as you owe him some money. Haha .. Keep in quiet then Swanky. You did know that U16’s go free? Oh … Aberavon picked you up by you playing for Swansea, how did you feel about playing against a team that you should have been playing for? It was very frustrating really, when you are a young boy looking up to Aberavon and actually from Aberavon and not playing for them but against them, it was frustrating, but I was more than happy playing against Aberavon. However, I am glad to be at Aberavon now and am enjoying it. I suppose its something that Aberavon should ponder? Yeah, for
NAME:
Aug 10 Sat Pontypool [Friendly] H 14:30
Dec 07 Sat TBC [BI Cup] TBC
Aug 17 Sat Plymouth [Friendly] A 15:00
Dec 14 Sat TBC [BI Cup] TBC
Aug 24 Sat Tata Steel [Friendly] A 14:30
Dec 21 Sat Cross Keys [League] A 14:30
Aug 25 Sun Sevens 7 A 10:20
Dec 26 Thu Neath [League] A 14:30
Aug 26 Mon Aber GS [Friendly] A 14:30
Jan 11 Sat TBC [BI Cup] TBC
Aug 31 Sat Swansea [BI Playoff] H 14:30
Jan 18 Sat TBC [BI Cup] TBC
Sep 07 Sat TBC [BI Playoff] BP TBC
Feb 08 Sat Newport [League] A TBC
Sep 14 Sat Newport [League] H 14:30
Feb 15 Sat [Cup Round 1] TBC
Sep 18 Wed Swansea [League] H 19:15
Feb 22 Sat Pontypridd [League] H 14:30
Sep 21 Sat Carm Q [League] A 14:30
Mar 01 Sat Cross Keys [League] H 14:30
Sep 28 Sat Cardiff [League] H 14:30
Mar 08 Sat Bedwas [League] A 14:30
Oct 05 Sat Bridgend [League] A 14:30
Mar 14 Fri Llanelli [League] H 19:15
Oct 12 Sat TBC [BI Cup] TBC
Mar 22 Sat [Cup Round 2] TBC
Oct 19 Sat TBC [BI Cup] TBC
Mar 29 Sat Pontypridd [League] A 14:30
Oct 26 Sat Llanelli [League] A 14:30
Apr 05 Sat Llandovery [League] A 14:30
Oct 30 Wed Swansea [League] A 19:15
Apr 12 Sat [Cup Semi Final] TBC
Nov 02 Sat Llandovery [League] H 14:30
Apr 19 Neath [League] H 14:30
Nov 23 Sat Cardiff [League] A 14:30
Apr 26 Sat Carm Q [League] H 14:30
Nov 29 Fri Bedwas [League] H 19:15
May 03 Sat [Cup Final] TBC
Dec 03 Tue Bridgend [League] H 19:15
May 23 Fri [BI Cup Final] TBA
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Tywyn Netball and Rugby Teams
Tywyn Captains
Top Try Scorer
Community Officer Chris Davies, Aberavon player Joe Tomlin-Reeves, Aberavon Chairman Andrew John and Ieaun Davies from Costains visited Tywyn Primary School to present them with their awards for winning the Costain league, both in Rugby and Netball. Chris Davies said “it was a humbling experience being at Tywyn Primary for their leavers assembly … I am sport focused and knew how talented Tywyn were in rugby and netball, but they have achieved much more … cross country, football, cricket and rounder's are other sports that Tywyn Primary have excelled in”. Tywyn have won the Costain League three years on the bounce and have produced great talent other the years and it is hopeful that the talent can keep improving into secondary
school and onto hopefully clubs that exist in the Port Talbot area, Chris Davies added “sport is looking bright in Port Talbot, it has always been bright at Tywyn, however, it is important to keep developing the talent that leave all the schools and push them into the right directions and offer good guidance”. The new competitive league that Aberavon RFC run in the Port Talbot area has a main objective of getting schools playing regular sport, but with an added aim of slowly changing the mind sets of children into a more competitive approach to sport. “People play sport to be active yes, but it is always a competition regardless how sport is labelled … this is a competition and we want children to know that, winning, losing, drawing and taking part is inevitable, its how we deal
Top Goal Scorer
wit these emotions which is as important as participating” Chris said. Chris Davies believes that a competitive sport attitude will reflect in academic work also, the more competitive we are by nature the more prosper the nation becomes in all avenues. Tywyn is a first class example of a competitive spirit, it can be argued that yes Tywyn are a large school but they always succeed in sport, coincidence? think not. Tywyn have a competitively driven staff which is passed through to their pupils, which is fundamental for this program. Do Tywyn win every time they play sport? Of course not. They to deal with the disappointment of losing and upset children, but it makes everyone stronger and makes us hungry for more. Tywyn Primary setting the standard. 17
Looking at the eatwell plate there are 5 food groups, I had to learn what type of foods belonged in the right food groups. Can you put the below foods into the right food group?
I LOVE my food, I am always eating ‌ but I eat the right foods to keep me healthy and to help me with my rugby performances. I used to eat what I wanted and when I wanted, now I am educated in what I put in my body!! Take a look at how I learnt how to eat properly ‌ TRY IT YOURSELF!
The eatwell plate is designed to show you what types of food belong where and how much of these foods we should be eating in a balanced diet but also at each meal. As you can see in the above image the Fats and Sugars section is very small, so eating large quantities of food from this food group is a no no for me [no matter how much I like them]. However, I do treat myself every now and again with foods from the fats and sugars food group. Most of my food comes from the largest proportion of the eatwell plate, which is fruit and vegetables and bread, rice, potatoes and pasta. I choose foods from these food groups to bulk out my meals, lots of greens like broccoli, peas and asparagus whilst trying to eat 3-5 portions of fruit each day also. Although the eat well plate diagram does not show you how much of what you should eat, it can give you a idea of what foods should fill your plate at each meal. Have a look at the task below.
NOTES: Looking at this sandwich in the picture on the left, can you identify what food groups have been used?
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I learnt how to keep track on what foods I was eating by recording what I was eating in a day. This enabled me to see how much of what foods I was eating. On the left is a diary template that I use so that at the end of each day I can see what I ate. At the end of the day I can identify what food groups I mainly eat from, then I can try to adapt what I eat so that my food diary resembles the eatwell plate. At the end of each day, ask yourself how you feel? If you feel lazy, this could be a reflection of what you have ate in the day. If you felt good, it maybe because you have eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and drank lots of water. This will give you an indication of what your BODY LIKES not what your TASTE BUDS LIKE. Try recording your meals over the summer to give you something to do. You will benefit from doing this, like I did. Remember ‌ get foods from each food group and limit the PURPLE section.
Mmmmm ‌ Game is finished, now I want FOOD!!!
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Ashley Beck is one of the best players that I have played with, he reminds me of Gavin Henson, but just Henson’s ability not his ways. My early memories of Becky was him sitting on the bench against Pontypridd at Aberavon, he was only 17. We were winning after about 60 minutes and our coach brought on Becky for his first appearance at just 17. I remember turning to Liam Gadd and saying “this young pup is going to have his hands full now”, turns out it was Pontypridd who had their hands full, this 17
year old kid was quality. I am pretty sure he started the next game and from there the 12 jersey was his. Becky seemed to have bags of time, an abundance of strength and an annoying glide to his sprinting, in other words, he looked slower than a JCB towing a tractor but was moving at some speed. That was attack, his defence was also sublime, from my memories of his defence in the premiership was that he never made a full tackle, he had the ability and strength to hit the opponent to the floor, or take the ball away from him whilst doing so. Exceptional. Anyway, what rounds a player off is a personality, although Becky was as bright as torch with no batteries he was a great player to be around off the pitch. He played three full years with Aberavon, representing the Osprey’s sporadically during this term, before taking the full step as a regular Osprey two seasons ago. During which time he has represented Wales [4 caps], scoring a superb solo effort against Samoa at the Millennium Stadium. Unfortunately for Becky, he has been hit with injuries over the past 4 months which prevented a place on
the Welsh tour to Japan, or maybe that was fortunate for Becky, one to miss. I was lucky enough to do some Wales 7’s tours with Becky where I got to know him better, I believe at the time 7’s was made for Becky but he did not get the game time he deserved. Check out the picture below of the Wales 7’s team and see if you can sport some familiar faces. I went to meet Becky at Blanco’s in Port Talbot to see if he could share some memories of playing for Aberavon but also ask him some questions on the Premiership and Aberavon. Whilst I am at it, I will also put together a quick 10 question quick fire general knowledge test to see if he has got any brighter. Let us hope.
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career? Well winning my first Welsh cap was special, but scoring for Wales was great, especially a full length effort, just made it. What about the worst moment for Aberavon? Well …. Losing in the final. We struggled during the first half conceding a couple of try’s but got back into the game. I remember we scored and were in the game, just needed another score. However, they scored straight away off the kick off. It killed us mentally and the game was gone. How many games did you play for Aberavon? Hmmm … now you are asking. I think I played 73 times for Aberavon, but I am not entirely sure. What about how many points? No Idea whatsoever. If I had a guess, I would say I scored 15 try’s. Is there an interesting fact about you that the wizard community would not know about you? Well I like the fact that I am the youngest ever player to play in the Magners league, but I guess the Aberavon folk would know that. I bought a British Bulldog the other day and have no given it to my parents to have. Ashley … You do know a dog is just not for Christmas? Haha, yes … but this dog was extremely incapable of going to the toilet outside. Did you walk the dog ever? No, the reason why I bought a Bulldog was because I
heard that they do not need walking. Is everything OK Ashley? Yes Chris, I am coping well. You won player of the month one time didn't you? And also player of the year? Yes, ahhh good times. I haven't won anything since I do not think, apart from a medal on Call of Duty. Aberavon RFC are doing their best to promote the club in the community and hopefully develop another rugby great like yourself, what advice would you give a youngster about rugby? Easy, get out and play, make it competitive, none of this ‘it doesn't matter who wins’, yes enjoying rugby and sport is important, but if you are really going to push on in anything you need to be competitive. Learn how to lose admirably and learn how to win passionately. Excellent advice. What about any tips on keeping fit and healthy eating? Just get active, computers are innovative, but limit your time spent on them, get outdoors, get active. On food, just try to limit sugar, this is the cause of many problems.
1. What does UFO stand for? Unidentified Flying Object 2. Who ear did Mike Tyson bite? Floyd Mayweather 3. Who was the president during the American Civil War? George Bush 4. In what year was the battle of Hastings? [Blank Stare] 5. What is the main ingredient of hummus? [Another Blank Stare] 6. What is the capital of Afghanistan? [Annoyed Stare] 7. Paraguay borders Brazil and Bolivia, and what other country? Argentina 8. In which country is Mount Everest? New Zealand 9. Who is the top try scorer ever in Aberavon RFC? George 10. How many points [nearest 20] has Jamie Davies scored for Aberavon? 3,040
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Answers: [1] Unidentified Flying Object [2] Evander Holyfield [3] Abraham Lincoln [4] 1066 [5] Chick Pea [6] Kabul [7] Argentina [8] Nepal [9] George [10] 4,054
What is your earliest memory of playing for Aberavon RFC? That is easy … coming off the bench for my debut as a 17 year old against Pontypridd at the Talbot Athletic Ground What did you enjoy most about playing for the Wizards? There were lots of things that I enjoyed, the cooking was a highlight, but the boys made me feel welcome and I felt right at home at Aberavon. The banter was very good. Can you remember your first and last try for the Wizards? Well … I think my first try was against Pontypridd on my debut, but I am not sure. My last try was against Cross Keys at home. Whilst playing for Aberavon, who was the best player that you played with? There was a few good players for many different reasons, but Marc Breeze was outstanding—he just struggled throwing in the lineout. During your spell in the Principality Premiership, who was the best player that you came up against? To be honest, I can not recall an outstanding player that I played against, as I came up against different players weekly. I could mention a few though, Dafydd Lockyer and Gavin Dacey for Pontypridd were good. What was your favourite moment for Aberavon? The best moment for me was playing in the cup final at the millennium stadium. It was a great day as Aberavon had great following that day. Aberavon had not got to the final for over 30 years I believe, so it is great to be apart of history. We lost though to Pontypridd. Apart from Aberavon, what is your rugby highlight in your
Presently we are celebrating the delightful series win by the British and Irish Lions over Southern Hemisphere giants Australia, which has also come on the end of Wales winning the annual six nations competition with an inspirational win over arch rivals England. Welsh rugby have produced Lions in Justin Tipuric, Jamie Roberts, Alex Cuthbert, Ian Evans, Alyn Wyn Jones, Richard Hibbard and Leigh Halfpenny who can all arguably be products of the welsh development system. For Wales, there are also notable players who have been capped and have paid their presence in the Welsh Principality Premiership, players like Andrew Coombes, Tavis Knoyle and Dan Biggar who have emerged from the development system in Wales. Added to this, sell out capacity crowds at the millennium stadium, even at prices of £75 a ticket, Welsh Rugby is on the up right? It looks economically reassuring and the current players are looking good also, regardless of the mass exodus. New emerging talent is questionable with the recent tour to Japan, but more to the point, what about the state of grass roots rugby in Wales? Where are we now? And what does the future look like for Wales and other nations? I have taken a closer look at participation levels in rugby in Wales and across the globe, participation at grass roots level and at senior level. So … Wales? A thriving rugby nation bubbling with talent and its children all fuelled with passion and desire to lace their boots and get out and play the countries traditional national game? No. Although I cannot reveal the emotion of every child
in Wales regarding rugby, I can attempt to provide a picture based on statistics. At the end of 2011 Wales had a population of 3,063,758 million people with 346,969 of that figure being of an age from 7-16, with 178,381 of this figure being male. The male market is arguably Wales’s target market for engaging grass roots rugby. In primary schools there were 163,278 people aged from 7 to 11 at the end of 2011. Sport Wales state that 50% [81,639] participated in rugby, with 64% [52,248] being male. In secondary schools there were 183,691 people aged between 12 and 16 at the end of 2011. Sport Wales reveal that there is a 44% [80,824] participation rate in rugby in any setting, with males contributing 75% [60,618] of this figure. Therefore, in total there is arguably a 32% participation rate in rugby amongst Welsh population aged 7-16, with 63% participation by males. These seem like average figures, ‘seem’ is the key word, as these figures by Sport Wales represent a person participating ‘once’, this does not represent a consistent sustainable outlook of participation in rugby. It would now prove to be a good time to introduce the International Rugby Board [IRB] statistics as a compare and contrast to possible miss leading statistics provided by Sport Wales. IRB issue that there were 50,557 registered players playing rugby in Wales, 44.3% were senior registered players. This leaves just over 55% [28,149] of players at grass roots level. Sport Wales identify 162,463 people aged 7-16 participating in rugby, but the IRB state only 28,149 are actually registered players. Now this
is a more realistic figure to what our communities are experiencing in terms of grass roots rugby—disbanded mini sections, lack of fixtures and loosing talent to other sports. Let me quickly put this into context, of the 346,969 population of Wales aged 7-16, 28,149 are actual registered players, which is just 8% of the 7-16 year olds in Wales, Why? How? This is worrying if you ask me. If we compare this to the 2011 Rugby World Cup [RWC] winners New Zealand [NZ], who have 137,835 registered players of which 19.8% [27,374] are senior players, leaving just over 80% [110,461] of grass roots registered players, I find that incredible, fascinating and
valuable. Percentages can be misleading, but numbers are not. NZ have a foundation of 110,461 grass roots rugby players to choose from, Wales have 28,149, back to percentages, that’s 75% larger base of players. What delights me about rugby is the global growth, but this also scares me. The IRB report that ….
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since 2007 there has been an increase in registered rugby players in Europe by 22%, sounds great, however these increases are emerging from countries like Georgia, Russia, Romania and Italy. Rugby has risen 33% in Africa, 22% in South America and 18% in Asia. Great for the sport, but is this worrying for Wales as a rugby nation? My only worry is that when countries like China [population of 1,349,585,838], United States of America [USA] [population of 316,668,567], Russia [population of 142,500,482] and Japan [population of 127,253,075] continue to emerge in rugby and grow their expertise whilst tapping into their enormous population, utilising their resources— these countries will overshadow Northern Hemisphere teams like Wales [population of 3,063,758]. Sri Lanka, USA and Japan are already in the top 10 nations for registered participants, lets bare in mind of Japan’s recent win over Wales … granted first team players
were away on Lions duty, but I think this is exactly my point. With 7’s now an Olympic sport, rugby is being taught as part of the school curriculum in China, USA and Russia. If these countries want Olympic domination then they will focus all efforts and resources to succeed at 7’s level first. We all know how big the HSBC 7’s series is, with events in Japan, USA, Hong Kong and Dubai with the recent 7’s RWC held in Russia. This shows how serious the IRB are about growing the game globally, and through the IRBs 10 year strategic plan to grow rugby globally— 7’s is going to be the driving force. We have already seen Italy become part of the [now] Six Nations, and more recently Argentina in the [now] Rugby Championship. So is rugby participation on the decrease for Wales but on the rise globally? I think so. Wales show that there are opportunities to participate in rugby with large efforts made by Physical
Educational [PE] teachers to prioritise rugby through extra-curricular activity. Sport Wales promote rugby through the Dragon Sport [Primary School] and the 5x60 [Secondary School] schemes. The Welsh Rugby Union [WRU] have made admirable efforts by creating Rugby Participation Officers [RPO] that are placed into different regions all over Wales, in aim to drive up participation of rugby and raise awareness of the game. Is this enough? I am afraid not—if Wales want to keep up with global growth in rugby— then I believe drastic measures need to be done. Short term is maybe not the problem, 5 years and 10 years time Wales will get by, but 15 years and 20 years time, however, after four Olympic Games, we could be seeing rugby domination and increased competition from other nations. Is a different approach now needed to move rugby forward?
This article represents my personal views and do not represent the views of Aberavon RFC. The purpose of the article is to attempt to create an outlook on rugby focusing on the bigger picture and is not an attempt to question any organisation. If you would like to contact me to converse regarding any comments made in this article then please do so. You can tweet me at the above address or contact me via email on:
communityrugby@aberavonwizards.co.uk
This map shows country size comparison. Also shows global rugby events this year and in the forthcoming years.
www.wpclipart.com
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