The family holiday was booked well in advance of the success of the team in reaching Women’s Finals Day at the home of Welsh rugby, so the clash of dates isn’t too much of an embarrassment for him.
The fact the men’s team have to win to avoid relegation from Division 4 East Central on the last day of their season, and the Youth team have a top of the table clash with Brecon to determine who will win the Cardiff Region Division 1 title, merely adds to the enormity of the weekend for a club that proudly celebrated its 100th birthday earlier in the season.
“In hindsight, it wasn’t the best week to be away from the club. The good thing is I can watch the game live via the WRU You Tube channel,” said Clarke.
“The girls have done incredibly well to reach the final and they are a huge credit to our club. This is only their third full season and they have become an amazing addition to our rugby family.
“Kim Jones and Andy Clifton are in their second seasons as coaches and they have been joined by Mark Schropfer in the last few months. Their hard work and technical expertise, allied to the dedication and commitment of the squad, have transformed the performances.
“More players are getting involved, the team is doing well in the Admiral East Wales league and the club has been buzzing with excitement and anticipation about one of our teams playing at Principality Stadium.
“We’ve only had a women’s team for a short period of time but the impact that they’ve made has had all of us asking why it took us so long to catch on. They are now an integral part of our club in e very sense.”
Wins over Abergele (36-5), Whitchurch (55-7) and Pembroke (68-0) saw the Old Pens ladies through to the final, while table-topping CR Cymry Caerdydd saw off West Swansea Hawks (45-5), Tondu (41-0) and Tumble (41-27) to take their place.
Georgia McKenzie-Liddington is top scorer for CRCC this season
CR Cymry Caerdydd are six points clear of Old Pens in the East Wales league having played a game more. Both sides have lost only once in the league – a 34-24 defeat at Senghenydd for CRCC and a 22-5 reverse for Old Pens against their Bowl final opponents back in November.
Both sides have been high scoring throughout the campaign, with CRCC position a 120-0 victory over Blaina, while their rivals were 86-0 victors’ against Porth Quins.
Both sides can boast a player over the age of 50, while the average age of the CRCC pack is 37. Lock Anwen Hopkins is the veteran at 51 – the same age as Old Pens lock Clare Reeve.
At the younger end of the age spectrum, CRCC rely heavily on wing Georgia McKenzie-Liddington for tries and points. She has scored 19 tries in 11 games to date this season and is only five points away from notching a century, while hooker Beth Kenure is a former Welsh Students cap.
