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Archived News - updated on 9th August 2003Trial Game FANS FORUM - REVOLUTION, WIND STREET,
SWANSEA, 31ST JULY - 7PM-10PM.
Match Cancelled Cheerleaders Full fixture list now available Wales A scrum half Andy Williams signs for the Neath-Swansea CHANGE TO REGIONAL LAUNCH DATE -
NEATH-SWANSEA 2003-4 Fixture Lists Now
Available International back row player Gavin Thomas signs for the Neath-Swansea province Neath RFC's League fixtures for 2003/04 have been released and the Blacks start with an away trip to Llandovery on September 6th. The new Premier Division embraces 30 games, 26 of which will be played on Saturdays (2.30 pm) with 4 midweek dates lined up against Bridgend and Llanelli (home and away). The Premier clubs will also enter the Principality Cup at the last 64 stage on December 27th. Neath secretary Mike Price said, "Fans have ben starved of rugby over the last few years but there can be few complaints on that score this year. Apart from 15 home League games, we've tied up pre-season games at The Gnoll against Tonmawr, Bonymaen and provisonally regional partners Swansea as coach Rowland Phillips seeks the right blend in what will largely be a new XV." "Now that we've got the fixtures confirmed, Season Ticket applications will be out soon." Neath-Swansea Regional
Name
NEATH RFC NEWS Elvis is alive and well, and will be playing in the Neath-Swansea region next season
NEATH-SWANSEA REGIONAL RUGBY TEAM APPOINT GENERAL MANAGER NEATH RFC LOTTERY DRAW RESULTS (19th June 2003)
Quote from Chief Executive, Mike Cuddy "Rowland will be responsible for ensuring Neath RFC maintains its position at the top of Welsh club rugby, and will have a dual responsibility for identifying and developing talent for the region. Rowland has a proven track record working with Lyn Jones over the last few years, and will ensure all that is good about coaching standards at Neath is continued. We will be the most professional semi-professional club in Wales, and are putting structures in place to ensure that happens"
Fixture News
Current Highest Bid Received The ball would be ideal for any business, club, pub or home All proceeds raised will go towards a fund to aid an ex-Pontardawe RFC player, Mark Tudor. Mark was left paralysed as a result of a viral infection, and was formerly a lab technician in Dwr-y-Felin school. The club is proud to support this worthy cause Please send your bids to the following email address: auction@neathrfc.co.uk Bids will be posted daily, and a reserve of £50 has been set. Bids will be accepted until Friday 27th June. The successful bidder will be notified by email Monday June 30th. In addition to the bid the successful supporter will have to accept postage and packing costs which will be advised and charged (at cost) when the successful bidders location is identified !! AUDIENCE REQUIRED !! A Pilot Programme called “Jonathan” Starring
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Former Under-21's
manager Julie Wicks (pictured left) 
On Line Charity Auction 
Congratulations
Llanelli RFC & Neath RFC
Joint Press Release: 
Quote from Gareth Llewellyn,"I have had a great
time at the club, since Brian Thomas frightened me into joining Neath fourteen
years ago, and I am proud to have been involved with the likes of Brian, Ron
Waldron, Brian Williams and Kevin Phillips during my time at the club, The last
few years working with Lyn Jones and the current players have been just as good
with many memorable moments. When I returned from London the same passion and a
lot of the same faces were still in the crowd, and the Gnoll will always be a
special place to me. It is a shame that it appears myself and Adam will not be
around for the league run-in, particularly as there is still a possibility that
we could lift the title. But times move on and I am looking forward to next
season and playing in the new Neath-Swansea provincial side. By the time we get
back from the World Cup the boys will I am sure have developed a great team
spirit, and we can get the show on the road in the Celtic and Heineken
competitions" 
|
Welsh Youth v
Welsh Schools at the John Smith's Gnoll |
Under-21's Fixture Neath Under-21's will play Newport Under-21's in the Under-21's Cup on Saturday evening (15th March) at the Gnoll. This quarter final match will kick off at 5.30pm, after the senior squad match against Caerphilly is concluded
The Neath team to play Caerphilly in
the Welsh Premier League, at the Gnoll on Saturday 15th March 2003, with
kick off at 2.30pm, will be selected from the following squad: -
Backs:
Gareth Morris, Allan Bateman, James Storey, Kevin James, Adrian Durston, Dave
Tiueti, Shane Williams, Shaun Connor, Andy Moore (c), Patrick
Horgan
Forwards:
AN Other (Hooker), Adam Matthews, Paul James, Andrew
Millward, Adam Jones, Andy Newman, Lyndon Bateman ,Ben Davies, Alfie Mocelutu,
Steve Tandy, Rowland Phillips, Jamie Ringer
Quote from Coach, Lyn Jones, "Caerphilly have developed a strong game over the last three or four months, and qualifying for the latter rounds of European competition will have given them a lot of confidence. In beating Llanelli they showed that us that if we are not 100% going into the game we will suffer. We need to show the kind of form and commitment to playing positive expansive rugby that we had in beating Cardiff on Wednesday evening. If we keep giving the fans a product worth watching, they will keep turning out to support the team"
Club Captain Gareth Llewellyn is unavailable due to international commitments
After the Caerphilly match Brett Sinkinson will have served his six match suspension, making him available for selection to play against Llanelli
Neath RFC Squad injury news/ update
We still have six players unavailable for selection due to injury: -
Nathan Bonner-Evans has now had his hip operation but is expected to be out of
action until next season Hywel Jenkins has recovered well from his shoulder
injury and will be available for selection from the start of April Barry
Williams is recovering on schedule from his fractured cheekbone, and should be
playing by the start of May Duncan Jones is rated as 50:50 for the Quarter
Final match on 5th April against Llanelli, as his knee ligament injury has
proved worse than was first thought Steve Jones suffered a neck muscle problem
against Cardiff, and needs a few more days to ensure a full recovery Lee Jarvis
has a shoulder injury and will be out of action until early next month
Result
Neath 39 Cardiff
24
Man of the Match: Shane Williams
The Neath team to play Cardiff in the Welsh Premier League, at the Gnoll on Wednesday 12th March 2003, with kick off at 7.00pm, will be selected from the following squad: - Backs: Gareth Morris Allan Bateman James Storey Kevin James Adrian Durston Dave Tiueti Shane Williams Shaun Connor Andy Moore (c) Patrick Horgan Forwards: AN Other (prop) Adam Matthews Paul James Andrew Millward Adam Jones Andy Newman Lyndon Bateman AN Other (2nd row) Alfie Mocelutu Steve Tandy Rowland Phillips Jamie Ringer
Quote from Coach, Lyn Jones, "We are determined to put things right after a disappointing performance at the Arms Park a few weeks ago. On that night it was a stop-start affair, and this time we need to keep the game alive and flowing in order to give spectators something worth watching. Both players and team management are keen to make amends after the last performance"
Quote from Assistant Coach, Rowland Phillips, "We are still smarting after a poor performance in Cardiff which left the players ruing missed opportunities. The only positive is that we have been given an immediate opportunity to put things right. There is no doubt that Cardiff pushed the rules to the limit in our last match, and were successful in slowing things down to stop us playing our natural style of rugby. We are not looking for excuses as certain parts of our game were far below the standards we set. We will have to show a huge improvement if we are to win on Wednesday evening"
Club Captain Gareth Llewellyn is unavailable due to international commitments
Neath RFC Squad injury news/
update
We currently have seven players unavailable for selection due to
injury: -
Nathan Bonner-Evans has now had his hip operation but is
expected to be out of action for four months Hywel Jenkins has recovered well
from his shoulder injury and will be available for selection from the start of
April
Barry Williams is recovering on schedule from his fractured
cheekbone, and should be playing by the start of May
Duncan Jones is
rated as 50:50 for the Quarter Final match on 5th April against Llanelli, as
his knee ligament injury has proved worse than was first thought
Brett
Sinkinson has now had a scan on his achilles, and it is anticipated that he
should be back in action within a few weeks
Steve Jones suffered a
neck muscle problem against Cardiff, and needs a few more days to ensure a full
recovery
Lee Jarvis has a shoulder injury and will be out of action
for three or four weeks
Fixture News - Neath V Caerphilly
Neath RFC entertain Caerphilly at the Gnoll on Saturday 15th March,
Kick-Off at 2.30pm
The Neath team to play Cardiff in the
Welsh Premier League at Cardiff Arms Park, on Friday 28th February 2003,
kick off at 7.05pm, will be as follows: -
15 Adrian Durston, 14 Kevin
James, 13 James Storey, 12 Dave Tiueti, 11 Shane Williams, 10 Lee Jarvis, 9
Patrick Horgan, 8 Rowland Phillips, 7 Jamie Ringer, 6 Alfie Mocelutu, 5 Gareth
Llewellyn (c), 4 Steve Martin, 3 Adam Jones, 2 Steve Jones, 1 Paul James.
Replacements: Allan Bateman, Shaun Connor, Adam Matthews, Steve Tandy,
Lyndon Bateman, Andy Newman, Andrew Millward
Quote from Coach, Lyn Jones "I am sure that Cardiff will have learned a lot from our last fixture, at the Gnoll in January, and will have improved ten-fold since then. We are expecting a tough game on Friday evening, as Cardiff have an exciting back line and have named an exceptionally strong back row in Baugh, Sowden-Taylor and McShane"
Quote from Captain, Gareth Llewellyn, "I am sure Cardiff will be keen put their last match against us behind them, and we must not be complacent and think it will be as comfortable this Friday evening. Before the last game everyone wrote off our backs, and billed it as match where the Neath forwards were playing the Cardiff backs, but on the night our backline proved to be more than a match for Cardiff's. We must reproduce that level of performance on Friday evening we are to get a result" Please note that we have been informed by Cardiff RFC that this match will not now televised live
Forthcoming Under-21's fixture
news
Neath Under-21's play Cardiff Under-21's at the Gnoll on Saturday
1st March, with kick off at 2.30pm
Principality Cup Quarter Final tickets
Tickets for the Principality Cup Quarter Final against Llanelli, to
will be played on Saturday 5th April, with kick off at 5.30pm, go on sale at
the Gnoll from Monday 3rd March Adult tickets are priced between £12 and
£20, with children's tickets available for £5 The clubhouse opening
hours (for ticket sales) are from Monday to Friday 9.30am to 5pm For supporters
wishing to purchase tickets in the evening, the clubhouse will stay open until
8.30pm on Thursday 13th March Family tickets are available from Llanelli RFC
direct on 07871 871 8088, from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Result
Wed 26th February:
Neath U19s 15 Llanelli U19s 22
Latest Lottery Results (20th February)
Cardiff V Neath Travel
News
Transport is available for Friday's match as
follows:
£6-50 per seat, no concessions. Bus(es) leave the Gnoll at
5pm and return at 9.30pm
To book your tickets, contact the club office on
01639 769660
CARDIFF V NEATH
The club has
received further information regarding the Cardiff match. Would supporters
please note that the fixture on Fri 28th February Cardiff (Away) 7.00pm,
originally scheduled for Television Coverage will now NOT be
televised.
Fixtures this week:
Fri 28th
February: Cardiff Away, 7.05pm KO
Sat 1st March: U21s Cardiff Home, 2.30pm
KO
CYFLE I ENNILL TRIP I BARIS! / WIN A TRIP TO PARIS!
Result
Tues 25th February:
Llanelli U17s 23 Neath U17s 13
All Blacks Chat - Monday 24th February
2003.
The next All Blacks Chat will be between 8pm and 9pm on Monday
24th February 2003.
Access will be available only at this time, via the
link: www.neathneathneath.com
Don't forget: MONDAY NIGHT IS CHAT NIGHT
Regional Newcos! By sportingwales (Feb 18, 2003, 13:51:00 )
U21 International Fixture at The
Gnoll
Wales U21s meet England U21s at The Gnoll on Friday 21st
February., 2.30pm
Admission: £5 (all areas), U16s Free.
Result
Neath 25 Llanelli
7
Man of the Match: Steve Tandy
The Neath team to play Llanelli in the
Welsh Premier League, at the Gnoll on Friday 14th February 2003, with kick
off at 7.00pm, will be selected from the following squad: -
Backs:
Gareth Morris Allan Bateman James Storey Adrian Durston Dave Tiueti Shane
Williams Lee Jarvis Shaun Connor Andy Moore (c) Patrick Horgan
Forwards: Duncan Jones Adam Matthews Andrew Howells Paul Jones (on
loan from Ebbw Vale) Adam Jones Andy Newman Lyndon Bateman Ben Davies Alfie
Mocelutu Steve Tandy Rowland Phillips Jamie Ringer
Quote from Assistant Coach, Kevin George, "Both teams are taking steps towards trying to ensure there is no glut of games at the end of the season. It will be an interesting game for us and we must continue to push up the league. We have had two extremely professional performances last week, against Newport and Glamorgan Wanderers, and the boys who played well in those games will be given another opportunity on Friday evening. It will be all about maintaining performance levels, and focusing first and foremost on our own standards"
Quote from Chief Executive, Mike Cuddy, "It will be interesting to see how many supporters the Province of Llanelli bring to the Gnoll on Friday evening, given the 8,000 home crowds they have recently started reporting at Stradey Park. We have never experienced higher crowds from Llanelli than we regularly see from Swansea, Newport, Pontypridd or Cardiff, but this week I am anticipating a significant increase over previous visits. With all of the politics being played out at the moment, it will be nice to get a feel for how much substance is in their claims. Our supporters have always been a match for theirs, and I am sure this will again be the case on Friday"
Result
Glamorgan Wanderers 12
Neath 76
Principality Cup 1/4 Final
Draw
Bridgend V Swansea
Ebbw Vale V Newport
Llanelli V
Neath
Cardiff V Pontypridd
Date of fixtures not yet
decided
 |
On Line Auction - Latest
Bidding |
Academy Result
Neath U21s 6
Newport U21s 13 (Friday 7th Feb)
Fixture News
Tomorrow -
Glamorgan Wanderers v Neath (2.30 pm)
Neath supporters are advised to
arrive early as capacity is limited.
Admission £5, Car Parking
£1 at Glan Ely School - Glam Wand will sign-post (left from Culverhouse
Cross) . * * * *
Travel Info. - Glamorgan Wanderers V
Neath - Saturday 8th February
The Club will be running buses (subject to
sufficient interest) from outside the Gnoll leaving at 12.30pm on Saturday 8th
February, £6.50 per seat - no concessions.
To book your seat(s) call
the Club Office on 01639 769660
The Neath team to play Glamorgan Wanderers in the Principality Cup at The Memorial Ground, on Saturday 8th February 2003, kick off at 2.30pm, will be as follows: - 15 Adrian Durston 14 Kevin James 13 Allan Bateman 12 Dave Tiueti 11 Shane Williams 10 Shaun Connor 9 Patrick Horgan (c) 8 Rowland Phillips 7 Steve Tandy 6 Jamie Ringer 5 Lyndon Bateman 4 Andy Newman 3 Adam Jones 2 Duncan Jones 1 Paul James Replacements: Gareth Morris, James Storey, Adam Matthews, Alfie Mocelutu, Ben Davies (Under-21's number 8), Kai Griffiths (Under-21's prop), AN Other
Quote from Assistant Coach, Kevin George "Glamorgan Wanderers are performing well in their division, and I am sure they will give us a warm welcome on Saturday. It is the start of another competition, and we again have to refocus. We have picked a side that should have enough match winners to win the game, but we are mindful of the dangers these games can produce, and we hope to have enough ability to pull through"
We remind supporters that due to the limited ground capacity at the Memorial Ground, which we believe is in the region of 1,800, they should plan to arrive early in order to ensure entry to the match
Comment in respect of the six match ban handed to Brett Sinkinson as a result of Munster's siting after the Celtic League Cup Final Quote from Chief Executive, Mike Cuddy "We are extremely disappointed that Munster decided to take this course of action, and particularly with the manner in which they cited our player at the last minute. There were far worse instances than Brett Sinkinson's performed during the match by Munster players. We will be compiling a video which will be sent to Munster and the Irish Rugby Union, together with a request that they do the decent thing and give the players highlighted at the very least suspensions equivalent to that imposed on Brett. In particular, we feel that Peter Stringer should not be allowed to take part in the Six Nations and European Cup Quarter Final. We did not want to get into a siting battle with Munster, but the manner in which Munster sited at the last minute was disappointing to say the least. Relations between Munster and Neath have been soured, and will be even more strained if they do nothing in respect of their players actions. They must not be seen to condone this behaviour. We did not want to pursue these matters further as we acknowledge that Munster were the better side on the day and it could have looked like sour grapes on our behalf. All in all this matter has left a bitter taste in the mouth"
Principality Cup
Neath travel
to Glamorgan Wanderers for the 7th Round of the Principality Cup. Tie to be
played on Saturday 8th February
7th Round Draw:
Bedwas v
Newport, Pontypool v Llanelli, Carmarthen Quins v Ebbw Vale, Bonymaen v
Cardiff, Glamorgan Wanderers v Neath, Caerphilly v Swansea, Newbridge v
Bridgend, Cross Keys v Pontypridd.
On Line
Auction
In a first for the website and to celebrate our five years of
operation, we are offering our on-line fans an exclusive opportunity to bid for
a framed rugby shirt, identical to the one presented to Leicester, Beziers and
Calvisano in the 2002/ 2003 Heineken Cup. Lyn Jones is pictured presenting an
identical shirt to Leicester's Chief Executive, Peter Wheeler, after Saturdays
match
The shirt is encased in a black
frame and adorned by a brass plaque with the inscription "Neath RFC European
Cup 2002/ 2003 season", and would be ideal for the wall of any business, pub or
home
All proceeds raised will go towards the Neath RFC Rugby Academy
Send your bids to the following email address:
admin@neathrugby.com
Bids
will be posted daily, and a reserve of £150 has been set to cover the
costs of manufacturing. Bids will be accepted until Friday 7th February. The
successful bidder will be notified by email Monday February 10th. In addition
to the bid the successful supporter will have to accept postage and packing
costs which will be advised and charged (at cost) when the successful bidders
location is identified
Result
Newport 25 Neath
27
Match Report Here
|
Re-arranged Welsh League
from Feb 1st |
|
Re-arranged Welsh League
from March 1st |
Two slightly confused Neath rugby fans with the soccer premiership cup.
The Neath team to play Munster in the Celtic League Cup Final, at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on Saturday 1st February 2003, with kick off at 2.45pm, will be as follows: - 15 Adrian Durston 14 Gareth Morris 13 James Storey 12 Dave Tiueti 11 Shane Williams 10 Lee Jarvis 9 Andy Moore 8 Nathan Bonner-Evans 7 Brett Sinkinson 6 Alfie Mocelutu 5 Gareth Llewellyn (c) 4 Andy Newman 3 Adam Jones 2 Barry Williams 1 Duncan Jones Replacements: - 16 Allan Bateman 17 Shaun Connor 18 Steve Tandy 19 Adam Matthews 20 Rowland Phillips 21 Lyndon Bateman 22 Andrew Millward
Quote from Coach, Lyn Jones, in respect of what Saturdays match means to him and the club, "Saturday is a huge occasion, and as a club we have already done well in getting to the final. At the start of the season we set ourselves targets in respect of the Celtic and European Cup, and we have achieved what we set out to do in the Celtic Cup. We have gained experience of playing in Cup Finals against Pontypridd in 1996, and Newport two seasons ago, and on Saturday we will again go into battle. There is no doubt that we have a squad that can win the competition, but it will be down to who performs on the day. One thing is sure, the harder we work, the luckier we will be"
Lyn, on what it means to the town of Neath, "We have worked hard since the old club hit difficulties in 1997 to get a team of substance, and we have a tremendous expectation in the town that we will win things. We now have a club that is capable of competing, and we have to prove it on Saturday."
On our opponents Munster, Lyn Jones says, "They are a physically huge team, full of internationals. When we played them earlier in the season we were impressed as to how well they did the basics, in scrum, lineout and in respect of their kicking game. They are capable of winning close matches, always move forward, and can hold onto the ball for five or six phases. They always believe they are going to win, and we must get over this. Henderson and Mullins are an excellent centre pairing, but we as a team have similar strengths to theirs, as both teams are strong up front with a similar kicking game. We conceded thirty five points in our last match against them, which is unusual for us. It was simply a case that we broke their defensive line, but failed to score. We have done that in many matches this season, and we have to address it. Our starting fifteen is as good as theirs, but the benefit a provincial side has is that it can bring international players on from the bench"
Lyn on what it means to Wales, "I am sure all of Welsh rugby will be behind us on Saturday, and hopefully we can go on and win the Cup for Neath and for Wales. We are aware that a lot of fixtures have been postponed by clubs in order to allow their supporters to watch our game. I hope there is a big crowd as we will certainly need the support, and it will be great to see people make a statement by coming to watch us"
Injuries
The following players
were unavailable for selection due to injury: - Patrick Horgan - shoulder Steve
Jones - Neck Steve Martin - Calf Hywel Jenkins - Shoulder
Match officials have been confirmed as: - Referee: Chris White (England) Touch judges: Ian Ramage, David Changleng (both Scotland) Reserve touch judge: Huw Watkins (Wales)
Cup Final Tickets for sale on matchday Tickets are still available direct from the Millennium Stadium, supporters wishing to purchase tickets should call the Millennium Stadium on 08705 582582 or visit the WRU website on www.wru.co.uk. Tickets are also available direct from the WRU ticket shop at 98 St Mary's Street, Cardiff. Ticket shop opening hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Tickets will be available for sale on the day of the match from the ticket shop from 9am until kick-off Tickets will also be available for sale from 11am on the day of the match from ticket booths sited at gates 3, 4 and 6 Neath RFC have sold approximately 10,000 tickets through the Gnoll clubhouse, in addition we understand that 10,000 tickets have been sold from the Millennium Stadium to Neath/ Welsh supporters, and an anticipated 15,000 are expected from Munster. A crowd of in the region of 35,000 is being anticipated
Limited Edition Cup Final T Shirts now
available
Additional Limited Edition Cup Final T Shirts have been
produced to cater for the demand!
The front of the Shirts (are like our
jerseys) with 'Cuddy Group' and the 'Maltese Cross - Neath RFC' The Back of the
Shirts say 'Celtic Cup Finalists 1st February 2003'
Should you have any
queries, you can contact the club office / shop on
01639 769660 or 01639
769667, respectively. Alternatively, e-mail the
club
shop
All Blacks Chat - Monday 27th January
2002
The next All Blacks Chat will be between 8pm and 9pm on Monday 27th
January 2003.
Access will be available only at this time, via the link:
www.neathneathneath.com
Don't forget: MONDAY NIGHT IS CHAT NIGHT
Result
Ebbw Vale 26 Neath
27
Painting the Millennium Stadium
Black on February 1st 2003
In advance of the Celtic League
final, Neath RFC launch a campaign urging supporters to "Paint the Millennium
Stadium Black" on February 1st
Neath RFC Commercial Manager, Richard Austin says "We have been overwhelmed with the response from Neath supporters both from within the local area and throughout the country. It is going to be a massive occasion on February 1st, and it will be a case of asking the last person who leaves the town to turn the lights off. We have a range of Club and Cup Final memorabilia, and are urging our supporters to dress in black to show the boys their support on the day. The contrast with the red of the Munster fans should help to make the Final quite a spectacle. We have been informed by the WRU that we must return all unsold tickets on Friday 24th January, so after that date fans will have to buy direct from the WRU"
For supporters requiring postal
delivery of tickets
Tickets are also available direct from the
Millennium Stadium, and supporters wishing to purchase tickets for postal
delivery should call the Millennium Stadium on 08705 582582 or visit the WRU
website on www.wru.co.uk . A credit card booking and postage fee of £2.50
will be charged
Celtic League Ticket News (for supporters wishing to collect their tickets from the Gnoll) Neath RFC have so far been allocated two blocks of 5,000 tickets, and we are only half way through the first week of sales Tickets are still on sale from the Neath RFC clubhouse (01639 769660) for supporters wishing to collect their tickets from the Gnoll The clubhouse opening hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 5.30pm, and for next week on Tuesday and Thursday evening between 6.30pm and 8.30pm The Club has been informed that the tickets will be priced at £10, £15 and £20. A £5 concession ticket is available for children under 16 (only available when booked with a £10 adult ticket) and a family package for 2 adults and 2 children is available at £25 In addition to these prices a credit card booking fee of £2 will be charged for those supporters wishing to pay by credit card
Academy Result
Neath U-19's 27
points Newport U-19's 5 points
Click Here for
Match Report
Academy Fixture News
Fixtures
this week as follows:
Friday (24) U-21's v Ebbw Vale (H) 7.15
Academy Result
Neath U-21's
37 Ebbw Vale U-21's 0
Fixture news
The Welsh League
fixture (originally postponed due to Neath's continued progress in the Celtic
League) against Llanelli at the Gnoll has been rearranged for Friday 14th
February 2002, with kick off at 7.00pm Under-21's
The Neath team to play Ebbw Vale
in the Welsh League at Eugene Cross Park, on Saturday 25th January 2003, kick
off at 2.30pm, will be as follows: -
15 Gareth Morris 14 Kevin James 13
Allan Bateman 12 John Leyshon 11 Sean Marsden 10 Shaun Connor 9 Patrick Horgan
8 Rowland Phillips 7 Jamie Ringer 6 Brett Sinkinson 5 Lyndon Bateman 4 Steve
Martin 3 Andrew Millward 2 Steve Jones 1 Paul James
Replacements: Lee
Jarvis, Andy Moore, Adam Matthews, Adam Jones, Andy Newman, Alfie Mocelutu, Ben
Davies (Under-21's Number 8)
Quote from Coach, Lyn Jones "Ebbw Vale have become a team you cannot underestimate as they proved in our meetings at the Gnoll earlier in the season. They could be described as Wales' form team at the moment, particularly in the domestic league"
Quote from Assistant Coach, Rowland Phillips "A lot has been said in recent weeks about Ebbw Vale and Caerphilly, but personally I cannot remember an easy game at Eugene Cross Park, and I suspect this Saturday will be no different. They have turned over quality sides this season, with Pontypridd at Sardis Road in particular standing out of their recent performances. We will have the same approach be in playing Ebbw Vale as we have for games against Cardiff, Llanelli or Swansea as they have earned their right to be Premier side in the same way as the other teams in the division"
Injury news
Steve Jones (neck)
and Patrick Horgan (shoulder) are only rated with a 50% chance of playing on
Saturday. Both will have late fitness tests Nathan Bonner Evans is responding
well to treatment for his hip injury, and hopes to be fit for the Celtic League
Final Hywel Jenkins is also responding well to treatment on his shoulder and
hopes to be in action before the end of the season
Celtic League Ticket News update Neath RFC have so far sold 10,000 tickets through the Gnoll clubhouse, although an additional 10,000 have been sold from Millennium Stadium plc to Neath/ Welsh supporters Together with an anticipated 15,000 to 20,000 from Munster, a crowd of 35,000 to 40,000 is being anticipated for the match, an exciting prospect as it looks like a 50: 50 Wales: Ireland split of supporters
Neath Sign International Open
Side
Neath Rugby confirms the signing of open side flanker Jamie Ringer
from Bridgend.
Following the injuries sustained to Nathan Bonner-Evans,
Hywel Jenkins and Brett Sinkinson, the signing will reinforce our back-row
line-up. More news to follow..........
Online Forum with
Rowland Phillips - Monday 20th January 2002
Many thanks to Rowland
Phillips for taking part in this weeks forum, which proved to be quite
interesting. It is hoped that similar events will be arranged in the
future.
Celtic Cup Final - Evening Ticket
Sales
Due to popular demand, the Clubhouse will be open for ticket sales
on Thursday 23rd January betwen 6.30pm and 8.30pm.
Closing date for tickets will be Friday 24th January. Tickets will only be available from the Millennium Stadium after this date.
Website News
Happy Birthday!
The website was launched five years ago today, 21st January 1998. Special
thanks to Brian Evans (S Evans & Co.), Alan Williams and Allan Benjamin
(Former Hon Club Sec.), for the help and encouragement during the early days of
the website. Some archive footage available
here
Academy Fixture Postponed
The
following fixture has been postponed:
Tuesday (21st) U-17's v Newport
POSTPONED
Neath RFC Lottery
Latest draw results (16th January 2003)
Meet the players
Supporters
will have the opportunity of meeting the players, having autographs signed etc.
on Tuesday 21st January only. The players will be sporting the new LIMITED
EDITION Cup Final Shirts, available from The
Club Shop.
In launching the start of ticket sales during evenings next week, on Tuesday 21st January, between 6.30pm and 8.30pm, Neath RFC will be giving fans the chance to come to the clubhouse to buy a ticket, meet the players and get their autographs. The players will be sporting specially produced limited edition Cup Final T shirts which will be available for purchase on the night
Result
Leicester 36 Neath
11
Match Report supplied by courtesy of
Sportinglife.com
The All
Blacks Chat Room
will be open this afternoon for those who are unable
or do not wish to follow the match via the Radio Leicester Website:
www.neathneathneath.com
Leicester V Neath -
Online Commentary - 3.00pm Sat 18th January
The match commentary is
available online via the Radio Leicester Website as follows:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/leicester/sport/clubs/tigers/match_preview.shtml
You
will need to download the Real Audio Player if you do not have it installed
already. Real Audio (free version can be downloaded from
http://uk.real.com/freeplayer_r1p.html?try=2nd
The Neath team to play Leicester
in the Heineken Cup match at Welford Road, on Saturday 18th January 2003, kick
off at 3.00pm, will be as follows: -
15 Adrian Durston 14 Gareth Morris 13
Allan Bateman 12 Dave Tiueti 11 Shane Williams 10 Lee Jarvis 9 Andy Moore 8
Rowland Phillips 7 Steve Tandy 6 Alfie Mocelutu 5 Gareth Llewellyn (c) 4 Steve
Martin 3 Adam Jones 2 Barry Williams 1 Paul James
Replacements: Steve Jones, James Storey, Shaun Connor, Patrick Horgan, Brett Sinkinson, Andy Newman, Duncan Jones
Quote from Coach, Lyn Jones
"We are travelling to Leicester playing for pride, as we have no realistic
chance of qualification. It is a long time since we have played at Welford Road
as a club, so we are looking to enjoy the occasion and hopefully play some
entertaining rugby"
Quote from Assistant Coach, Rowland Philips
"We have picked a strong side and travel to Welford road with the intention
of winning the match. It is difficult to identify areas of weakness on the
Leicester team, and the fact that they are twice European Cup winners says it
all. There are areas where we feel they are less strong, and we have
concentrated on these in training. I am hopeful our hard work show through with
the right result on Saturday"
RHYS THOMAS
A minute's silence
was observed before Monday's game against Beziers in honour of former Neath RFC
captain Rhys Thomas who passed away following a lengthy illness.
We are all deeply saddened to hear the news. He was a very fine centre for Neath, a very unassuming character who brought out the best in those around him.
Rhys was a member of the Neath team which won the old Snelling Sevens on 1964 and he captained the club in his final season 1965/66 before handing over to Brian Thomas who led Neath to the championship in 1966/67
That he was chosen as captain at that time speaks volumes because Neath had a legendary pack and the fact that great forwards like John Dodd, Morlais Williams, Ron Waldron, Brian Thomas, Dai Morris and so on entrusted the leadership to Rhys reflects the respect in which he was held
Senior honours eluded him but Neath backs have been all too often overlooked because of the quality of our forward play
After retiring from first-class rugby, Rhys (a schoolteacher at Cwrt Sart, Briton Ferry) returned to Crynant where he served as coach, selector and committeman. He will be sorely missed by the rugby fraternity of Neath
The funeral will be held on Thursday
11.00 a.m. at Salem Chapel, Crynant followed by Margam Crematorium at
12.30
Mike Price
Secretary,
Neath RFC
Leicester V Neath - Travel
News
A limited number of seats are available for coach travel to
Leicester on the 18th January. Contact the Club Office on 01639 769660 to book
your seats to avoid disappointment!
SPECIAL TRAIN FOR SCOTLAND v WALES RUGBY MATCH
Result
Neath 23 Beziers
18
Man of the Match: Phillipe Mignoni (Beziers Captain and Scrum
Half)
Neath V Beziers - RE-ARRANGED FIXTURE
DETAILS
Following the postponement of the Neath V Beziers match which
was re-scheduled to take place at The Cardiff Arms Park, we would like to
advise that the match is now planned to go ahead on Monday 13th January, 6.45pm
KO., at The Gnoll.
All Blacks Chat - Monday 13th January
2002
The usual Monday Night Chat between 8pm and 9pm will be delayed due
to the 6.45pm Kick-Off. The chatroom will be open after the re-arranged match
for a couple of hours for post-match banter.
Access will be available
only at this time, via the link on the menu bar.
Don't forget:
MONDAY NIGHT IS CHAT NIGHT
Result
Neath 32 Cardiff
10
The Final versus Munster will take place at the Millennium Stadium on
Saturday 1st February 2003.
Match
Report courtesy of sportinglife.com
The Neath team to play Beziers in the
Heineken Cup match at The Gnoll
The Neath team to play Beziers in the
Heineken Cup match at The Gnoll on Saturday 11th January 2003, kick off at
2.30pm, will be as follows: -
15 Adrian Durston 14 Gareth Morris 13 James
Storey 12 Dave Tiueti 11 Shane Williams 10 Lee Jarvis 9 Andy Moore 8 Rowland
Phillips 7 Steve Tandy 6 Alfie Mocelutu 5 Gareth Llewellyn (c) 4 Andy Newman 3
Adam Jones 2 Barry Williams 1 Duncan Jones Replacements: Allan Bateman, Shaun
Connor, Paul James, Adam Matthews, Lyndon Bateman, AN Other, AN Other
Quote from Assistant Coach, Kevin
George
"We are looking to keep the momentum going from last weeks win,
as we have a big month ahead, and if we do well this weekend it will set up a
huge match against Leicester in two weeks time. We are well aware that we still
have an outside chance of qualifying for the next round, and need another big
performance on Saturday. We need to concentrate on each competition in turn
over the next few weeks, as we have undoubtedly been caught out in the Welsh
League by perhaps giving too much focus to the Cardiff match. We will only turn
our attention to the Celtic League Final once the European matches have been
completed"
Celtic League Ticket News
(for supporters wishing to collect their tickets from the Gnoll)
Tickets for the Celtic League Final against Munster, to be played on Saturday
1st February at the Millennium Stadium, with kick off at 2.45pm, will be on
sale from the Neath RFC clubhouse (01639 769660) and club shop (01639 769667)
from Monday 13th January,
(for supporters wishing to collect
their tickets from the Gnoll Shop)
opening times are 10am to 3pm Monday
to Friday, and on Tuesday and Thursday evening 6.30pm to 8.30pm The clubhouse
opening hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 5.30pm The Club has been informed
that the tickets will be priced at £10, £15 and £20. A
£5 concession ticket is available for children under 16 (only available
when booked with a £10 adult ticket) and a family package for 2 adults
and 2 children is available at £25 In addition to these prices a credit
card booking fee of £2 will be charged for those supporters wishing to
pay by credit card
The WRU have requested that the club takes take blocks of 5,000 tickets at a time, and the club has ordered the first block of tickets in line with this request For supporters requiring postal delivery of tickets Tickets are already available direct from the Millennium Stadium, and supporters wishing to purchase tickets for postal delivery should call the Millennium Stadium on 08705 582582 or visit the WRU website on www.wru.co.uk . A credit card booking and postage fee of £2.50 will be charged
All Blacks Chat - Monday 13th January
2002
The next All Blacks Chat will be between 8pm and 9pm on Monday 13th
January 2003.
Access will be available only at this time, via the link
on the menu bar.
Don't forget: MONDAY NIGHT IS CHAT
NIGHT
The Neath team to play Cardiff in the
Celtic Cup Semi Final, at The Gnoll, on Saturday 4th January 2003, kick off
at 17.30pm, will be selected from the following squad: -
Adrian Durston
Allan Bateman Dave Tiueti Gareth Morris Shane Williams James Storey Lee Jarvis
Shaun Connor Andy Moore Patrick Horgan Nathan Bonner Evans Brett Sinkinson
Alfie Mocelutu Steve Tandy Steve Martin Andy Newman Gareth Llewellyn (c) Andrew
Millward Adam Jones Barry Williams Steve Jones Duncan Jones
Injury News
The team will be
finalised on Saturday morning after fitness tests are performed on the
following players: Barry Williams - Rib injury Dave Tiueti - Rib injury James
Storey - Shoulder injury Brett Sinkinson - Knee injury Nathan Bonner Evans -
Hip injury Gareth Llewellyn - Flu Lee Jarvis - Rib injury
Ticket News
4,500 tickets have
been sold to date, but tickets are still available for all parts of the ground.
Remaining tickets will be available for sale on the day of the match from the
clubhouse until 2pm, and subsequently from the gates before kick off (gates
open at 4.15pm)
Post Match Banter (All Blacks Chat -
Monday 30th December)
The next All Blacks Chat will be between 8pm and
9pm (2pm Texas time) on Monday 30th December.
Access will be available
only at this time, via the link on the menu bar.
Don't forget:
MONDAY NIGHT IS CHAT NIGHT
Result
Neath 20 Pontypridd
29
Neath V Ponty
The game is ON,
kick-off 2.30pm
The ground staff are making the final preparations to the
pitch prior to the game which is confirmed to go-ahead as planned at 2.30pm.
(Updated 1.00pm, 30/12/2002 - Colin)
Result
Swansea 23 Neath
14
Match Report supplied courtesy of Sportinglife.com
NRFC Lottery Results (19th December 2002).
Leicester V Neath - Ticket
News
The last opportunity to purchase tickets for the above game will be
on Monday the 30th of December 2002. There are only standing tickets left
priced at £14 each. All seated tickets have been sold.
The Neath team to play Swansea in the Welsh League, at St Helens, on Friday 27th December, kick off at 19.05pm will be selected from the following squad: - Adrian Durston Kevin James James Storey Dave Tiueti Shane Williams Lee Jarvis Andy Moore Patrick Horgan Shaun Connor Brett Sinkinson Steve Tandy Alfie Mocelutu Rowland Phillips Gareth Llewellyn (c) Steve Martin Andy Newman Adam Jones Steve Jones Duncan Jones Paul James Barry Williams Andrew Millward
Quote from Assistant Coach, Kevin
George
"We are being extremely cautious in approaching this game after
the events of last season. Swansea are a dangerous side, full of internationals
and I have no doubt that they will click at some point this season. We are
expecting a dogfight, and although we are playing well at the moment I am sure
they will be up for this local derby"
Quote from Assistant Coach, Rowland
Phillips
"I am sure that Swansea will be looking to build confidence
against us on Friday evening. They have a squad which is full of class players,
but so far this season they have been deprived of the quality performances you
would expect from these players, either through form or injury. We will not
take their lack of form for granted, as towards the end of last season we went
to St Helens with all guns blazing and lost. Neath against Swansea is always a
special occasion and this match will be no different"
Academy Results
There were
mixed fortunes for Neath's Academy sides this week.
At The Gnoll on Tuesday, the Under-17's rather unluckily lost 14-15 to a Cardiff side which kept going to the end to clinch the match in the dying minutes. The Tonna pair of scrum-half Lloyd Evans and prop Craig Mitchell got Neath's tries and full back Aaron Bramwell (Resolfen) converted both but the young Blacks were left regretting not going for a couple of kickable goals in the second-half.
Neath Under-19's also came from behind to win their fixture at the Arms Park where the young Blacks recorded a memorable 21-14 victory. Neath Athletic's Aled Bevan was the hero with 16 points from a try, a conversion and three penalties while prop Sean Price (also Neath Athletic) got the other try.
Don't forget Boxing Day action at Sardis Road for the Under-21's (kick off 2.30pm)
Result
Neath 56 Armatori &
Calvisano 10
Man of the Match:
Steve Tandy (3 tries)
The Neath team to play Armatori &
Calvisano in the Heineken Cup, at The Gnoll, on Saturday 14th December,
kick off at 14.30pm will be as follows:
15 Adrian Durston 14 Kevin James 13
James Storey 12 Dave Tiueti 11 Gareth Morris 10 Lee Jarvis 9 Patrick Horgan 8
Nathan Bonner-Evans 7 Brett Sinkinson 6 Steve Tandy 5 Gareth Llewellyn (c) 4
Steve Martin 3 Adam Jones 2 Steve Jones 1 Duncan Jones
Replacements: Shaun
Connor, Andy Moore, Paul James, Barry Williams, Andrew Millward, Andy Newman,
Alfie Mocelutu
Quote from Coach, Lyn Jones "This weekend gives us an immediate opportunity to shed some of the memories of last weeks match. It will haunt us for some time but we have to take the chance to make up on lost ground an look positively towards the rest of the season"
Quote from Assistant Coach, Rowland Phillips "Although the squad has been down after last weeks match, we have picked up the pieces in training and now need to put last weeks performance behind us. When it comes down to it the only way to get the events of last weekend out of our system is to show how well we can perform against them this week. It is more disappointing for the players left out of the team, as all of the boys wanted to make amends for letting themselves and the club down last week. We have recently beaten Pontypridd at Sardis Road and we must remember that one poor performance does not make us a bad side. Looking ahead to the next month, we have big games against Swansea, Pontypridd and Cardiff on the horizon, and we must not make the same mistakes in these fixtures. We must make sure we get a winning run ahead of the Celtic Quarter final against Cardiff, and that has to start with this weekends match"
Online Forum - Amatori & Calvisano
v Neath
Just a note to thank all those who attended the forum during the
above match and to thank Nigel Gunter our "Roving Reporter" for the
updates.
Apologies for the hiccups in todays proceedings "off the field" on
the website. Couldn't do anything about "on the field" stuff unfortunately. The
chat software version we were currently using (released earlier this week) had
a fault: "Dec/07/2002 - New Chat Anywhere 2.12a released. There is a bug in
V2.12 - when someone sends a message to you, it will active your chat window
but will also remove the cursor from the text-input field. Now it is fixed."
Better luck next time, don't forget to Log in on Monday at 8pm :)
U21s Result
Neath
Under-21’s visited Seven Sisters on Saturday and ran out comfortable
winners by 52-21. The young All Blacks crossed for 8 tries in all, outside-half
Matthew Jones getting two of them and converting 5 for a 20-point total. The
other tries came from scrum-half Gareth James, flanker Lee Evans, centre John
Leyshon, lock Ben Davies, replacement Ricky Richards and centre Peter
Smiriglia. Full back Aled Davies also kicked a conversion.
Result
Amatori & Calvisano
38 Neath 29
All Blacks Chat - Monday 9th
December
The next All Blacks Chat will be between 8pm and 9pm on Monday
9th December.
Access will be available only at this time, via the link
on the menu bar.
Don't forget: MONDAY NIGHT IS CHAT
NIGHT
The Neath team to play Armatori &
Calvisano in the Heineken Cup, at Centro Sportivo San Michele, Calvisano,
on Saturday 7th December, kick off at 14.30pm local time (13.30 UK time), will
be as follows:
15 Adrian Durston 14 Gareth Morris 13 Allan Bateman 12
James Storey 11 Shane Williams 10 Lee Jarvis 9 Andy Moore 8 Rowland Phillips
(c) 7 Brett Sinkinson 6 Alfie Mocelutu 5 Lyndon Bateman 4 Andy Newman 3 Andrew
Millward 2 Barry Williams 1 Paul James
Replacements: Shaun Connor, Steve
Jones, Adam Jones, Duncan Jones, Steve Martin, Dave Tiueti, Steve Tandy
Travel News / Accommodation in
Italy
Supporters travelling to Italy for the Amatori & Calvisano
fixture on the weekend of 6th /7th /8th December can find further details on
accommodation at http://www.venere.it/ Log
in and search for Brescia. Brescia is approx 10-15 minutes travel from
Calisano Airport.
Quote from Coach, Lyn Jones "Last years Italian fixture has had no bearing on the way we have approached Saturdays match, as we were under significant pressure to score tries. It is difficult not to think that we are anything but favourites going into the match so it is important that we achieve the individual and team targets we have set in order to get the result we need"
Quote from Andy Moore "The last time I played against Calvisano was two years ago in the Italian Championship Final. They are a strong side who reached the national final again this year. They have a particularly influential back three, in particular full back Paulo Vicari who is international class and always a threat"
Press Release - Neath RFC / Bridgend
RFC
The first Steps have been taken toward towards a coming together of
Neath RFC and Bridgend RFC to form the first Welsh Provincial Side
Neath RFC and Bridgend RFC have taken the first steps towards setting up a provincial side to cover Mid Glamorgan and West Glamorgan as a bold example of how the future of Welsh rugby should be transformed with the coming together of two historic Welsh club sides for the benefit of Welsh rugby.
The WRU and the Premier clubs have been informed of this agreement and a letter of intent has been signed by both parties although detailed negotiations are still ongoing.
It should be emphasised that this agreement applies only in the event that the option of a four or five provincial, professional structure is agreed by the 239 member clubs of the Welsh Rugby Union. Both clubs wish to stress that they see an independent future for each should an option of six or more clubs or provinces be agreed.
The clubs have agreed a blueprint that will effectively establish the first provincial side in Wales. It will take in a population of some 300,000 and an area of some 70,000 hectares. Both clubs feel that this is a best-fit alliance in terms of club culture, playing resources and geographical area.
An essential element of the plan is that the existing Neath and Bridgend clubs will be retained as independent entities playing in an expanded semi-professional Premier Division below the provincial level.
The proposed partnership will be on an equal basis in terms of Board and administrative representation from each club. Mr. Leighton Samuel and Mr. Mike Cuddy intend to make themselves available for appointment to the new Board and both have indicated that they will support the new province in both management and financing matters.
The first meeting of the Provincial Board of Directors will decide upon key items such as the appointment of a Chief Executive, Coach and Captain. An equal number of Provincial matches will be played at both the Brewery Field and The Gnoll.
Players in the current Neath and Bridgend squads have been informed of the development and have been made fully aware that performances between now and the end of the season will count when it comes to securing a contract with the new Province for which no name has yet been settled.
The Management of these two forward-thinking clubs now call upon other Welsh clubs to set aside self-interest and follow this example by acting in the best interests of Welsh rugby to concentrate scarce resources and thus ensure a viable future for the professional game in Wales.
Neath and Bridgend have recognised that it is better to bring together such alliances by agreement than by imposition.
It is the sincere hope of the management of both Clubs that supporters will both continue to support their existing clubs at Premier level and embrace the new Province as an extension of their club and support it with the passion and loyalty which they have traditionally shown.
Quote from Director of Neath RFC, Mike Cuddy on the reaction in this mornings press from some other Premier Club Directors "I have read with interest some comment suggesting that due to the fact that facilities at Bridgend are perhaps slightly better than those at the Gnoll it may mean the Provincial team playing more regularly at Bridgend. All I can say to this is that the two clubs have agreed that this is an equal partnership in every way, including the fact that matches will be split equally between the Brewery Field and the Gnoll. I am particularly disappointed to hear comments made by Mr Gareth Thomas of Pontypridd, whose quotes come from a gentleman who only in the last four weeks has written to Premier clubs stating his intention that Pontypridd should stand alone in whatever future structure is agreed. Although I wish the Pontypridd club all the best in whatever