Grassroots rugby is back in Wales this weekend as COVID-19 regulations continue to ease with Championship Cup, Plate, Bowl and Shield action taking place for the senior men’s game. In women’s rugby, there is the North Wales Cup, South Wales Cup and South Wales Plate with all those involved itching for the rugby to start under adapted rules.
Neath – who were founded in 1871 and whose last game was more than 16 months ago – travel to Tata Steel on Saturday in Pool C of the Championship Cup (kick-off 2.30pm). It will be the first fixture of Neath’s 150th season as a club.
“It’s been difficult really because with this being our 150th anniversary we would have liked to have already confirmed some special fixtures for this season. We haven’t been able to do that because the league games haven’t been confirmed yet, but we are still very excited to get a special season kicked off,” said Price.
“The supporters have already got a special range of anniversary items on sale to mark the occasion and hopefully it will all go well. Neath last played a match on 12 March, 2020, so it has been a very long time since then.
“All the players and supporters are excited and everyone is looking forward to going to Tata Steel on Saturday, which is not going to be an easy start for us. Neath has always been a rugby-mad town, and will continue to be so long into the future.
“Regimes come and go, but the club will always be there. I was always confident we would get to our 150th season and I’m very excited about the club’s future. The area could do with its fair share of quality rugby players and it’s our responsibility at Neath to bring them through.”
The return of grassroots rugby in Wales this weekend will see the first 15-a-side competitive matches take place since the first suspension of community rugby in March 2020.
The competitions will be played under modified laws to reduce contact around the scrum and maul in particular and there is a focus on staying local during the pool phases.
“It’s not been easy to prepare for the return of rugby, but all the teams are in the same boat,” Price added.
“Simple things like not having dressing rooms available and going straight home from training have been problematic. We’ve been very lucky to have had good weather this summer, but when it did rain the players had to go home dripping wet!
“It’s been a difficult build-up and we had a long period of doing no contact in training, but our head coach Pat Horgan has been putting the boys through it. We’re a bit behind where we’d like to be in terms of contact, but all the teams will be the same.
“There is not much doubt Pat is one of the best coaches there is at Premiership or Championship level. He is vastly experienced.
“We will have to play it by ear with the modified rules and see how it goes. It will be the same for everyone and it will take a little bit of getting used to for players and supporters.”
Cardiff Met director of rugby Danny Milton can’t wait to get his players back into action as he prepare for an assault on the BUCS Super Rugby title. That will begin at the end of September and he has had 56 players in training for the past three weeks.
The new intake of students for 2021 include some Gloucester, Cardiff Rugby and Dragons Academy players, but the opening two weeks of the Championship Cup will only include second, third and fourth year students.
“We had a five week block of training in May and the boys have been back in for three weeks building up to this weekend. Everyone is really excited to be getting back onto the pitch,” said Milton.
“We’ll have 20 players heading to the Wanderers this weekend and then use a different 20 for the next game.”
The Wanderers warmed-up for their opening game with friendlies against St Peter’s and Bargoed. Both games gave backs coach Darren Gibbon plenty to ponder before the season starts.
“There is huge potential talent in this young squad and they will only improve as they play and spend more time together. They showed massive commitment over the 160 minutes of rugby last week,” said Gibbon.
Championship Cup – Saturday, 7 August
Pool A: Bargoed v Bedwas
Pool B: Beddau v Ystrad Rhondda; Glamorgan Wanderers v Cardiff Met
Pool C: Tata Steel v Neath
Pool D: Narberth v Trebanos
