2014 season review and ideas.

China? Who's China? It's February 2014 and I'm told by a former player that a guy called "China" wants to re-start Bridgend-based Welsh Conference side The Blue Bulls.

For me there is something special about Summer Rugby League in the Welsh Conference. I love the way that players from all levels of the Union game are treated as equal and are just happy to play the game they love. In our side we'd have the top try scorer from a Premiership Union side playing next to second team and youth players, and all were deemed equal in this alternative code.

I quickly told China (who turned out to be former Celtic Crusaders forward Lee Harben-Jones) that I was keen to be involved and immediately started work on a new website and programme. There was the promise of a small amount of funding for the Club, but it would take some time to come through so to start with, at least, we would need to beg, steal, and borrow whatever we needed to get started.

When the fixtures were released, I was very pleased to see that our first match was away to a brand new side. I thought that being fresh Union converts they would take some time to find their feet, and we should have too much experience for them with many of our players having played League before. I was wrong.

This new side were the Aber Valley Wolves, and they were huge. I was the first of our camp to arrive at their ground in Senghenydd and as I stood in the doorway of our changing room one of the biggest guys I'd seen filled the corridor. I thought to myself "that's their one big forward, stop him and we'll be fine". However he was followed by another guy just as big, and then another and another and another. This was not going to be the comfortable start I'd hoped for.

We went into the match as the six-time Champions vs the newcomers, and were seen by many as favourites. However, we hadn't played at all the previous season and truth be told poor attendance at training in April meant that despite having several experienced players that had played for us in the past, as a whole we didn't really know what we were doing. Players were introduced to each other for the first time on the pitch during the warmup and the side was picked there and then with just ten minutes till kick-off.

The match was a one-sided affair with the dominant Wolves forwards battering their side to 50+ points and a comfortable win. As with the first result of any season in any sport we were left wondering how much of a sign of things to come it would prove to be. Were they that good? Were we that bad? We would have to wait and see how things panned out, but before then there was a small presentation to make.

Prior to the start of the season I'd collated all the results from the first incarnation of the Club and calculated that over 11 seasons we had scored 4986 points, meaning that the 14th point scored would be our 5000th. I was delighted who won it.

Freshly appointed Captain Nathan Hawkins touched down for the decisive try. Nathan is an interesting case study of a Welsh Rugby League player. Within just five miles of his front door in Bridgend County's Garw Valley there are a dozen or more Rugby Union Clubs, but Nathan loves Rugby League. Given the opportunity he would gladly play the sport all year round, but sadly he doesn't get that opportunity.

As a promising teenager Nathan was a regular for both the Celtic Crusaders Academy and Wales U18s, but along with so many other players at the end of their Academy days during this time, he had no other option but to reluctantly return to Union.

By the time the South Wales Scorpions were launched in Championship One and the haemorrhaging of players began to be addressed, Nathan was an out-of-shape 4th division Rugby Union player who yearned for the summer to be able to squeeze in a dozen games for the Blue Bulls and Dragonhearts before the Union season started again.

Thankfully as time has gone on there is more of a pathway in place to keep hold of young Welsh talent, but we still need to ensure that there is a place for everyone to play and continue to develop - we can't just concentrate solely on the top young players. For Rugby League to be successful we need to provide a platform for players of every age and ability to enjoy the game.

And as for Nathan, at the age of just 23 with a determination to get fit and play the code he loves, there is still a chance for him to progress.

I digress. Back to the Bulls.

Our second match of the season was against old rivals Valley Cougars who took advantage of their new relationship with the Scorpions to bring in some players from a higher level, but despite this we were able to beat them for the 15th time in 20 meetings and really kick-start our season.

By this time our numbers were greatly boosted by the end of the Union season, training was going well, old faces were coming out of the woodwork, and new players were turning up all the time.

Once we nailed down a settled side we were back to the good old days of beating all before us and just a narrow home loss to the Wolves broke up a run of eight wins which took us to the playoffs.

During this purple patch we recorded victories over the Titans, Tigers, Raiders, Spartans and Demons. Our 54-4 win down in West Wales at the Raiders was the pick of the bunch as it was one of those days when everything just clicked and we were unstoppable.

The two wins against the Cardiff Demons were bitter-sweet. On the one hand they were high scoring record wins, yet on the other hand it was sad for the competition to see our oldest Club struggling to raise a side.

To their great credit they fulfilled all their fixtures when those around them were happy to sit back and just take a default 18-0 loss for not fielding a side. There are good people working there and I'm sure Rugby League in Cardiff will be much stronger next summer as a result.

Our fine run of results was topped off with a win at reigning Champions Torfaen Tigers in the Playoffs which meant the season had gone full circle and our final match was the same as our first - we would face the Wolves in the Grand Final, and would be ready for them this time.

We went into the final on the back of six wins but knew our two defeats during the season were both at the hands of the Wolves. Our side had grown through the season and everyone knew their role. We knew we were unrecognisable from our opening day defeat, but were still wary of a team which were threatening to become our bogey side.

On the day we came away with a 33-30 win in a match that was befitting of the occasion and showcased the two best sides in the Competition. In our first season back we were top dogs again and had qualified for the 2015 Challenge Cup as Welsh Champions!

That would have been a nice day to end the season on. However, we had also qualified for a National Championship called the Harry Jepson Trophy, and Rugby Union was also about to return.

We knew right away that fielding our strongest side in the Harry Jepson Trophy would be tough but we wanted to respect the Competition and show we were worthy of our place in the Challenge Cup next season.

It was clear from the offset that the timing of the Competition was proving a problem for other sides too. Aberdeen were the first to pull out, followed by our scheduled opponents Gloucester, and then St.Ives. We had a strong side for the Gloucester match as we were just up against pre-season Union friendlies but the following week we were required to play against Telford Raiders in Hereford on the first day of the Union season. Yikes!

On the day we had over 20 players unavailable, many of whom were playing Rugby Union. It was disappointing to see so many drop out after the season we had just had. A few were Semi-Pro Union players with contracts, but many were lower league Union players who chose a local match of Rugby Union over a UK Quarter-Final in Rugby League.

We had a determined core who chose to continue with League, and we went to Hereford with what we had. Just to show how dire things were - we had two players who were called into work on the morning of the match, and I was driving there with the thought that I may have to go on the bench myself! Thankfully a replacement was found.

Our objective at the start of the Competition was to fulfil our fixtures in order not to incur any punishment for pulling out. However, it was clear from the start that our much depleted side were still superior to Midlands Runners-up Telford Raiders, and it was with mixed emotions that we went through to the Semi-Final not knowing if we could put together 17 players again the following week.

A win's a win and fielding a Welsh Community Rugby League side on the first day of the Union season was an achievement in itself.

Our Semi-Final was against North East Champions Jarrow Vikings, and as has happened many times in the past, the man in charge of the map at the RFL must have misplaced Wales as we once again travelled much further than our opponents, and had the kind of financial provision that would barely cover a trek from one side of Yorkshire to the other let alone South Wales to Sheffield.

Logistical dilemmas and player availability headaches took their toll on the run up to the match, but this can't be used as an excuse as the Vikings were worthy winners as they dealt us a comprehensive record defeat.

At the start of the season we'd have been delighted with a playing record of 12 wins from 15 matches, a Welsh Title, a UK Semi-Final, and a place in the Challenge Cup for next season. Who knows what we can achieve in 2015 with a little more support?


Between 2007 & 2011 I was just photographing for the Bulls, but this season having taken on a more hands-on role in helping to run the Club, I've observed some improvements that we can all make as a League and Governing body.

1. LEAGUE SPONSOR - It goes without saying that we all need more money to improve our clubs and promote the game. To me bringing in a sponsor for the league and passing that money onto the clubs involved is an obvious move.

2. CENTRALISED PURCHASING - Currently each club individually purchases their own Physio equipment, balls, kit, etc. We would have far more buying power if we combined our requirements into a single order for the league rather than several individual orders for clubs.

3. CENTRALISED MARKETING - Currently each Club markets themselves and their matches in their own way with varying amounts of success. A centralised marketing campaign where all clubs use and adapt the same slogans and designs would be more effective.

4. ACADEMY DUAL-REGISTRATION - Arguably our best young player this season was a halfback called Joe Symons. As a Bridgend-based player we shared him with the Scorpions Academy in an arrangement that saw him play for us on weekends when there were no Academy matches. I propose a system where every player in the Scorpions U19s Academy is on Dual-Registration with their local Conference side and is available to play for them when there is no Academy match.

5. YOUTH CURTAIN-RAISERS - Holding a Youth Match prior to every Conference Fixture would help to foster good relations between age-grade and Senior sides, and would boost attendances and ticket revenues.

6. HARRY JEPSON WEDNESDAYS - For the Harry Jepson Trophy to be a sustainable competition it needs to be played on a Wednesday Evening, and travelling costs to truly neutral venues need to be based on an agreed pence-per-mile formula.

There are plenty of people who want to see Community Rugby League succeed in South Wales. I hope this account of our season together with these six suggestions will help in a small way.

Wales Dragonhearts - A young man's game?

Wales Rugby League Media Officer Paul Hart looks at the future of the Wales Amateur side.

I have photographed for the Wales Dragonhearts side over several seasons, and am a passionate supporter of both this side and all grassroots Rugby League in South Wales.

In recent years I've been saddened by the number of quality players who have left both the Celtic Crusaders and South Wales Scorpions Academies never to play the game again.

Each year a few make it through to the first team and a few others make it even further to the Superleague, but what happens to all the others?

Some will persevere due to their love of the game, they will choose to shun the well trodden path back to Union and instead concentrate on playing in the poorly funded South Wales Conference. Here they are joined by talented young Union players, older Union players and a few ex-pros.

How do these Academy graduates and talented young Union players then go on to play at a higher level? I've not seen a Wales Rugby League or South Wales Scorpions Scout watching a Conference match and am unaware if such a person exists, the Wales Dragonhearts team seems to be the best way for these young Conference-based players to get their chance to shine.

The Dragonhearts are a side made up of the best players from the amateur Welsh Conference. I feel that making this team an Under-26 side would give a boost to the player pathway in South Wales and ensure that these younger players get a chance to progress.

I take nothing away from the veteran players who have served the game well, but with this change the Dragonhearts could become a team that looks at the next 10 years of a player's career rather than one that pats a player on the back for the last 10 years.

One possible solution is splitting the Dragonhearts. There could be an Under-26 side looking to impress and progress in their careers and also an older side which would be free to enter into the more "social" post-match side of rugby which is of high importance to many of the more senior players. However at current funding levels it's fair to say that running two amateur sides is unlikely.

How strong could Rugby League in Wales be if every player leaving an Academy and every talented Union youngster had a place to play and we weren't just creaming off the top and forgetting the rest.

A stronger Conference and younger Dragonhearts could lead the way.


NOTE: These are the personal views of Paul Hart and do not necessarily reflect those of any Club or Individuals he is associated with.

 

Blue Bulls back in the game

(Article for the June edition of the South Wales Rugby League Magazine)

Bridgend Blue Bulls Media Manager Paul Hart looks back on the first two rounds of the 2014 South Wales Conference.

Our first two matches of the 2014 were away to new side Aber Valley Wolves and home to old rivals Valley Cougars.

Traditionally when we see ourselves drawn against a new side we are pleased, sides often need time to get acclimatised to the Competition so on paper Aber Valley Wolves was a nice fixture to have on our return after missing the 2013 season.

However, Aber Valley Wolves took the opportunity to show the whole league that they are serious contenders this season as their massive pack bludgeoned their way to an impressive 52-24 victory.

The rest of the league need to take note of these new boys as they look set to steamroller the league in the style of the Bonymaen Broncos from just a few seasons ago.

The difference between the Wolves and Broncos though is that the Wolves are determined to stay in the competition long-term and not join the long list of 16 clubs that have folded since the inception of the Competition in 2003.

Our second match was against our old rivals the Valley Cougars whom we had previously met on 19 occasions and been victorious on 14 of them.

Despite our long rivalry we support the player pathway and have been hoping the Cougars do well in the Conference South.

We were however disappointed to see so many players from the Conference South side in the Cougars 'A' side that were sent to play us, and there were even players from the South Wales Scorpions in the side too.

Despite reassurances that they were just there to "make up the numbers" and their involvement would be minimal, at least one Scorpions regular appeared to be on the field for the full 80 minutes playing an influential role throughout.

I sympathise with the Cougars management as fielding 40 players on a Saturday is a tough task, but there will be plenty of weekends where the Scorpions and Cougars National side will both have their own matches so a genuine 'A' side will have to be fielded.

We did however come away with a 32-26 win and at the end of the day, for better or worse, we are just glad to be "back in the game". We look forward to all the ups and downs the season has to offer as we play our part in this great game we all love.

Who was Scott McCrorie? - A brief history of the Scott McCrorie 9s

The Scott McCrorie 9s have served as the starting point for the Wales Rugby League Summer Conference since 2006. Everybody in the competition knows the name Scott McCrorie but who actually knows who Scott was?

I found the unfortunate answer was that very few people knew who Scott was, including myself. I therefore decided to do a little research on Scott and the history of the Competition that bears his name.

On Good Friday 2004 The Wales Rugby League U16s side played against England in Aberavon. Starting the match at Centre on his home ground was Aberavon Fighting Irish's young starlet Scott McCrorie.

According to current Wales Rugby League Students Assistant Coach Matthew Cuss who was playing Hooker that day - "Scott was an outstanding player - very strong and fast! Outstanding defender! - he would have attracted attention from scouts and big clubs definitely"

These thoughts are backed up by comments made at the time of Scott's death by Wales U16s Manager Chris O'Callaghan - "He was an immensely talented young player and had attracted the attention of all the rugby league scouts. We were talking to him about going up to one of the big academies."

Scott died on May 6th 2004 in Birmingham Children's Hospital from what was reported at the time as a "mystery bug" and later shown to be a rare form of Cancer. It was less than a month after he had played in the Wales vs England match.

To answer how far he might have gone in the sport we need look no further than his Centre partner on that day. The name Lee Williams will be well known to Welsh Rugby League fans having won 7 caps and turned out for both Celtic Crusaders and South Wales Scorpions. By all accounts Scott was as good a player as Lee, so would it be too much of a stretch to say that Scott could well have become a top International player? The sad truth is that we will never know.

The Tournament this year comes 10 years after Scott's death, and while bad weather has meant that the tournament has not been played every year, the matches that have been played form a fitting tribute to this young player.

The tournament was first run by the Aberavon Fighting Irish at the end of the 2004 & 2005 Seasons as both Senior and Junior Competitions, but as these were "unofficial" tournaments very little is known about their outcomes.

Wales Rugby League first took over the running of the Tournament in 2006 and switched it from a post-season competition to a pre-season one.

The first Tournament was played at Blackwood RFC in what was the very first appearance of the successful yet short-lived Blackwood Bulldogs side. The Cardiff Demons were victorious on that day and retained their title in Blackwood two years later.

In 2009 the Tournament was held at the home of the holders Cardiff Demons at St.Albans RFC. The tournament will be remembered as the one where the first result of each club counted towards the league that season - a move that raised a few eyebrows and was not repeated.

2009 signalled the start of a period of dominance from the Valley Cougars as the first of their three victories in the three most recent tournaments.

This year the Tournament returns to Blackwood and with all eight Conference sides expected to enter, there appears to be no clear favourite. The holders Valley Cougars will be entering their 'A' team, which is unlikely to be supplemented with players from their first team, as they are playing their own match in the Conference South at Oxford the day before.

The reformed Blue Bulls have signed a lot of players and will be strong, as will current champions Torfaen Tigers. Less is known about the new sides Aber Valley Wolves, Cardiff Spartans and Gwendraeth Valley Raiders, but for them it will be a great opportunity to judge where they are in their development. Established Conference sides Cardiff Demons and Newport Titans complete the lineup and have as good a chance as anyone to win the competition on the day.

Whoever wins this year will achieve the title of "Scott McCrorie 9s Champions 2014", it is my hope that they will now have a greater understanding of who Scott was and appreciate this title all the more.

46 Players join relaunched Blue Bulls.

The County Borough of Bridgend covers an area that is approximately 13 miles wide and extends a similar distance inland. In 2013 the Borough was an exclusively Rugby Union territory with 20 Senior clubs packed into it's borders.

Now in the Spring of 2014 with the South Wales Scorpions moving to Maesteg and the Bridgend  Blue Bulls relaunching in Pyle, we can at least say that even-though we are still very much in a minority, we are at least on the scoreboard, albeit 20-2 behind.

Currently there are actually more Senior Rugby Union Clubs in Bridgend County than there are Senior Rugby League Clubs in the whole of Wales. Against these kind of figures, do will give up or do we grow? I for one say we grow!

The very fact there are so many Rugby Union Clubs in the County should be seen as a positive thing, as having 20 active senior clubs with many running two sides there is something in the region of 600 players actively playing Rugby Union in the borough, therefore should it really be a surprise that within a few days of relaunching the club 46 of them have agreed to join the Blue Bulls in the Rugby Union off-season?

It is a testament to the growth of Rugby League in the County that for many players the long period of September to April when they are forced to return to Rugby Union is seen to them as the "off season" as they long to return to the code when endless collapsed scrums and aerial ping-pong are nowhere to be seen.

Out of the 46 players now on the books of the Bulls, 30 have played for the Club before, meaning 16 are new to the club, some of whom will be playing League for the very first time.

Although "The Invisibles" side that won the first five Welsh Titles and fielded famous names such as Bateman, Devereux and Ellis is now only a fading memory, regular fans will still recognise plenty of familiar faces from our 2011 title-winning side amongst the 30 who have re-signed, with popular players such as Craig Fox, Gareth Howells, and Nathan Trowbridge turning out once again.

In Cross Keys winger Nathan Trowbridge we have arguably the best player in the League as demonstrated in 2011 when he scored five tries in the Grand Final and followed it up a week later with three for Wales Dragonhearts against England Lionhearts.

Amongst the first 16 new signings are two players at opposite ends of their careers. As one of a number of former age-grade Internationals at the Club, young hooker Xavier Manaseitva will be looking to make a big impression in his first season of senior rugby league and seek to emulate the success of his Father - club legend Tevita Manaseitava. Conversely at the age of 39, former Wales International Paul Morgan has joined the Club and will be looking to "roll back the years" and show some of the skills that once made him a Celtic Crusaders regular.

The possible icing on this already substantial cake is the possibility of the club fielding Wales Sevens player Efan Ellis at half-back. Efan is much in demand on the summer 7s circuit, but it is testament to the good standing of our club that he has shown a desire to play for us if the timing of fixtures allows.

Our squad is by no means full, we are still recruiting as many players as possible due to fluctuating player availability through the summer meaning a large squad is essential in this competition.

Please get in contact with us via Facebook, Twitter, and www.BlueBulls.co.uk if you fancy playing rugby league for Wales' most successful Community Club this summer.

USW look to go out in a blaze of glory!

USW have reached their third consecutive BUCS Final and a win would undoubtably be one of their greatest ever achievements.

At the start of the season I boldly predicted that they were destined for a league and cup double, and despite a minor slip-up against Exeter, that was still very much on the cards as they swept away all before them.

However, around a month ago it looked like their great success had come to a shuddering halt. New South Wales Scorpions Coach Mike Grady had seen many of the players on Wales Student duty and at the Scorpions trials and promptly signed up several of the top players in the side for his new-look all-welsh side.

While this was a great pat on the back for the work of Coaches Steve Parry and Harrison Elliot, it left the USW Students' season in limbo as Grady decided that with a small and close-knit squad at the Scorpions this season he couldn't afford to be without players due to injuries picked up playing University Rugby League.

Without their Scorpions the USW management found they didn't have sufficient players left in their squad to be competitive and reluctantly took the decision to withdraw from the league.

But all was not lost, Grady recognised that being on the verge of a semi-final match was a great achievement for the side and something of significance for Rugby League in South Wales, he generously allowed the players to return for the remainder of the cup run.

The semi-final was a tight affair away to Nottingham, from which the USW Sharks came away with a 23-22 win to take them to their third consecutive final, a tie with Leeds Met 2nds.

Unsurprisingly to anyone with knowledge of Rugby League, Leeds Met are one of the top sides in the country, so much so that their 2nd side could comfortably beat most of the student sides in the BUCS leagues.

For many of the USW squad this will be their final match of rugby league at this level, they will be giving everything they have as they look to go out in a blaze of glory! 

The Challenge Cup - Welsh Adventures.

The date is February 1st 2014 and one of the most famous rugby tournaments in the world is about to get underway.

The famous rugby league challenge cup sits upon its freshly erected plinth as the teams file out of the changing rooms, but this isn't a club such as Leeds, Hull, or Wigan in rugby league's northern heartlands, this is Chiswick on the banks of the River Thames in London.

The hosts are South West London Chargers and the visitors Torfaen Tigers in a first round tie that pitches the best amateur side in London against the best amateur side in Wales. There is barely a Northern accent to be heard during the warmups as shouts of "oh butt" and "yes Dai" from the Welsh camp intertwine with the more exotic Australian accents from many of the London Players. 

Such is the importance of the tie to the RFL as they seek to expand "The greatest game on earth" to all parts of the UK, that as well as the famous old trophy they have also sent a Media Team to cover the match. The Media guys are very friendly and open as I spend much of the buildup to the match chatting with them and Chargers Chairman Cameron Paul.

The cameraman's car is full of all kinds of goodies that catch the eye of Cameron and myself as we revel in the buzz of the big day, and while the expensive camera equipment is very impressive, it's the two Official Tetley's Challenge Cup branded match balls that we are both instantly drawn to! I'm sure at a higher level of the game few people would bat an eyelid at something so basic and simple as a ball, but for us they are something special, they make us feel part of something bigger and symbolise that we have stepped up a level from our regular "any ball will do" matches. The Media guys see our excitement and the their credit agree to look the other way at the end of the match so we could each keep one as a precious souvenir.

A buzz is in the air as the kick-off approaches, the fans have filed past the famous old trophy and their Camera Phones have been passed around as they each seek to be the envy of friends and family with a new Facebook profile picture. 

Now it's down to business. I set myself up behind the posts that Torfaen are attacking and much like an Emperor at a Roman Colosseum I sit back to observe and cast a critical over the battle played out before me, knowing full well I myself would be struck down in the opening moments of such a brutal conflict.

I see little of my 13 Champions in the first half as they bravely stage a backs-to-the-wall defensive effort on their own line for what feels like forever. I contemplate moving camp to the other end of the field, but the prospect of missing a possible length-of-the-field breakaway try by my favourite player Tylon Mafi causes me to stay put and hope for the best.

For all the London side's pressure in the first half, the one thing that shines though is that neither team has played for five months and rustiness is all too evident in basic handling errors from both sides. The Tigers' defensive effort meant they were just 4-0 down and could push on for the win if they could get some good play going in the second half.

Alas the second half went much the way of the first and it was safe to say that this my 213th match would not be a classic. The Chargers scored a converted try and penalty edging the score to 12-0 before the Tigers walked in a simple try in the final minute, by which time the result was decided and the Chargers celebrated knowing the conversion would be the last kick of the game and they were safely in the hat for round two.

Ultimately this was a great occasion for the sport in non-heartland areas if not a great game. The Chargers progress to the next round with my best wishes, while the Tigers are left to reflect on what might have been.

The Tigers will be attempting to qualify for next year's competition by defending their Welsh Premier Title in a highly competitive league this summer starting with the annual Scott McRorie 9s on May 11th. Check in with www.WalesRugbyLeague.co.uk for all the latest information.

Paul Hart has been a Photographer and Media Officer at the grass roots of Welsh Rugby League for six years. Over 300 of his best photographs are featured in his excellent hardback book "The Heart and The Art of my Rugby Photography" which is available for just £10 at www.PaulHartPhotography.co.uk as well as via Amazon and eBay plus at Celtic Cameras in Bridgend Market.

Published in the March 2014 Edition of the Official South Wales Rugby League Magazine.