St Peters
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Dai Griffiths is the head coach of St Peters Rugby Club. He recently told
Rugby Club Magazine, “I am from Cardiff and played rugby from age six
up until the age of forty-two when family and work commitments took
precedent.”
“After a few years away from rugby I again became involved in the sport as
a coach, something I’ve enjoyed for the past fifteen years. Coaching wasn’t
entirely new to me as I had coached prior to my playing days coming to
an end. I was always aware of St Peters RFC, having played against them
many times, and knew they were a well-respected club throughout Welsh
rugby and felt that they were a sleeping giant!
“When the opportunity arose to become head coach last year I declined
an invitation to coach another local side, who played in a higher division, in
favour of St Peters and was drawn to the club, their values and the greater
challenge they offered.
“It seemed that the barriers were easier to break but the main thrust for me
was to embed the old fashioned community values of the club and re-join
the dots between senior and junior rugby. I am also a coach for the Blues
U16s and feel that I have had the privilege over the years to learn from
some great coaches who have taught me most of what I know. I suppose
the challenges of life and how I approach those, including having four
children and working in business, has also helped me along the way.
players give their services to coaching
and helping out along with fathers and
mothers of our younger players who’ve
gone from supporting their children to
coaching them.
Without all these people we wouldn’t
be able to run the younger teams so they
are all essential to the current success of
the club and also its future. We open our
doors to the local community and the
club is regularly used for activities other
than rugby which include Over 50s tea
mornings, slimming classes, fun days,
charity events and fundraisers.
We also accommodate the local
PACT meetings and the facilities are
also used by local Primary schools for
“In my coaching role I treat everyone the same and feel that you develop
an instinct regarding player management, reading and being able to help
players is something developed over time. I can’t treat everyone equal
and be your friend at the same time so boundaries have to be in place
for the good of everyone so neither is compromised but additionally fun,
discipline and mutual respect are both important parts of coaching and
managing a team and knowing when to loosen and tighten the reins is
essential. Like anyone, I’m not perfect and have and will make mistakes
but it’s important to promptly admit them.
“Coaching senior and junior players have to be approached differently
with more freedom given to the later but still we have to have that line that
is not crossed.
“This year St Peters RFC has achieved in a year what we had initially
planned for over two years and whilst it was great to win the league, our
success has to be measured by the number of age group teams who are
producing players for our senior teams and growing our sides.
“We seem to have clear lines and a good code of conduct at St Peters
Rugby Club which is very much a collective of everyone involved, it’s not
about one person and therein lies our strength; it’s been a pleasure to be
part of it all this season and I’m looking forward to the challenges of the
next twenty-four months!”
games lessons and sports days. We have
a number of volunteers who help around
the club in order to maintain the pitches
and surrounds and even our youth coach
on his days off cuts the grass and marks
the pitches.” to return to ‘grass-roots’ rugby. i.e.
Callum Sheedy as the latest success story
as a former mini/junior/ youth player
he is now playing for Bristol Bears RFC.”
Challenges “On the field our ambition would
be to maintain League 1 status, whilst
if we are able to improve our facilities
and financial structure we would then
hope to compete for League success. We
would like our 2nd XV to be playing in
the Conference League and also have a
3rd XV playing each week. However,
this would not be at the cost of our Club
heritage or status as a community rugby
club.
In terms of the junior section, this is
where we need to focus our resources
over the next few years as continued
recruitment of young players is vital to
the longevity and success of St Peters
RFC. Off the field there is a growing
ambition to improve facilities with
short term projects such as improving
the outdoor viewing area and refurbish
the changing rooms and then longer
term aspirations of a 4G pitch with an
athletic track and flood lighting and the
construction of a stand for supporters.”
“The first challenge for us is not to
be tempted by early successful results
to set Championship rugby as the goal.
We are a community rugby club, the fear
would be should we get to that position
we will need to dumb down players
and supporters expectations, we are
NOT financially structured to support
Championship rugby, neither do we
have the facilities to do so.
That’s not to say we do not want
success for the Club, but success in a
community rugby club comes in many
other forms other than moving up
leagues. For us, it’s all about increasing
the player base from our junior section
upwards, and to provide a lineage of
players in to senior rugby.
We are also there to support the
Region, which means letting our better
players progress should they have the
talent and commitment to achieve better
things, but be there for when they want
Ambitions
Current club captain Kris “Baggsy” Barry spoke to Rugby Club Magazine, telling us, “I played rugby in primary and secondary school
for St Josephs and then Corpus Christie and many of my friends joined St Peters and I followed suit.”
“I come from good rugby stock you might say with my dad David Barry, who was an outside half, playing over 300 games for Cardiff and
Newport as well as pulling on a Welsh B jersey during his career. This was during the era of great players like Gareth Davies, Gareth
Edwards etc. and he was a very good supporter at St Peters home and away.
“The strength in depth this year has be part of our success and Grippa and Dai smith have made a big difference in training. Numbers
are on the up and the mood at the club has never been better.
“I have decided to play one more season in my 2nd row position and am really looking forward to the new campaign. The talent and
commitment at the club is superb, demonstrated in a recent game against The Wanderers. I would encourage everyone to keep working
hard and playing in the style and manner that we are developing and surely another Champions celebration can be had next season.”
80 Issue 85