Blaina
“I have been involved with Blaina RFC since 1963 with the youth and won the Gwent
Cup in 1966 with Glyn Turner as scrum half, capped by Wales in Angentina. I finished
playing in 1968 through injury but joined the supporters club in 1968 until 1999 when I
was voted onto the committee to the become Fixture Secretary in 2006 and am still in
that role.
In that time I have seen David Nash RIP Wales and British Lion, David Watkins Wales
and British Lion Captain and Rugby League as well then Robert Norster, Nigel Meek,
Jason Strange, Byron Hayward, Kingsley Jones and the National coach of Wales Mike
Ruddock who also captained the Blaina youth side that won the Welsh Cup in 1978
which is now 40 years ago. He also played for, and coached the club from 1984 to 1987,
winning the Gwent League twice and the Ben Francis Cup during his reign and he is
now Vice President of the club although successfully coaching Lansdowne in Ireland as
well.
The mood at the club at this moment is fabulous with a great number of young boys
coming through our system and the season going well. We made a five year plan to get
promoted and have achieved that in four so next season we will double our efforts to
build on our success.
We have had a tour to Dublin two years ago, then last year to Cork and then in two
weeks’ time are going to Wigan with games involved in every tour to bond the players
together. Then in June we have our dinner before pre-season training starts for trials in
August ready for the new season and then to build to land us in Division 1 by 2022 and
maintain that league with all the young lads coming through.
We also have a fairly successful ladies side and hope to build an U16 side to add to that
success. We are asset transferring our ground with the cricket club and hope to extend
the ground with a sponsor platform and are also keen to get a supporters clubhouse on
the ground as well. Our President Dilwyn Howells is very keen to make that happen
and Mike Ruddock has also shown great interest in this venture.
Now we plan for a big tour in three years’ time either to South Africa (lions) or America
as this will attract a lot of people and players as we are a club looking forward and
working to the future with the foresight of the President/Vice President and our
committee and now we are in a great position going forward into the future.”
Gwynne Williams
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