There is still romance in community rugby, Penallta Youth’s visit to the Principality Stadium is proof of that.
Tomorrow, the young Pitmen face Cardiff Quins Youth in the Welsh National Youth Plate Final, kicking off at 1.15pm. It is Penallta Rugby Club’s seventh visit to the national stadium, a remarkable achievement for a community club.
What’s so rewarding about this visit is that it’s not come easily. For this current group of youth players, the achievement to reach the final has been borne out of sheer hard work and a determination to stick together through tough times. This youth team is no bunch of gilded lilies. The current crop is built from three age-groups of players who didn’t have it all their own way and were certainly not a side expected to grace a big occasion. They have faced player-drain, defeats and a lack of consistency that’s been unaccustomed to Penallta sides over recent decades. But they have stuck together, and with a bit of luck and some excellent performances they’ve earned themselves the privilege of playing at the home of Welsh rugby.
Reaching a national final and getting to play at the stadium is a lovely moment for the boys and for their families. There will certainly be many proud parents in the arena tomorrow. But it is also a heart-breaking time for the players who didn’t make the match-day 22. For a community club like ours, delivering the news to a young player that there is no space for him in the selection is terribly difficult, and we understand how awful it is for the family involved. If there is any consolation, Penallta is a club full of boys who suffered final-day heartbreak only to go on and achieve their dream at a later date. Stick at it boys, you are important to the club, one of the reasons we are where we are, and still part of the wider 24-man training squad who can train at the Stadium and lift the trophy if we get the win. One day your time will come.
Tomorrow morning the 24-man squad will be presented with their matchday kit. The club would like to thank Lucas Estates Agents for their generosity in buying the boys a full kit each It is wonderful you’ve done this so that the boys get to keep a prized memento from their big day. The club would also like to thank Pinnacle Carpentry, P&A Transport and Pole & John Plumbing Contractors for their generosity in sponsoring the training tops and polo shirts. And of course our annual sponsors:
Bryn Group
Focussed Recruitment
Ask 4 Leasing
MOR Training
Skelton Thomas
RMS
JPR Phoenix
Guilfoyle Design
Your ongoing support and generosity to the boys is greatly appreciated.
At 11am the squad will leave Penallta RFC for the Principality Stadium. The supporters' coaches will leave at midday and the game kicks off at 1.15pm. Adults will be charged £5 for entry and Under 16s can go into the stadium for free. There will be no alcohol served at the stadium, it is very much a family day.
Back at Penallta Rugby Club there will be a post-match party with a DJ in the bar area and an opportunity, win or lose, to celebrate a fantastic season in which the boys proved that hard work gets you everywhere… and that there is definitely plenty of romance left in the game.
Good luck boys – go win this and make it lucky number seven for our fantastic village club.
Welsh National Youth Plate Final
Principality Stadium
4th May 2019
Penallta Matchday Squad
Rhys Williams
Harris Lewis
Shane Harding
Jac Morris
Cadeyrn Hassall
Dafydd Loy
Morgan Bertram
Ben Powell
Callum Langworthy
Luke Thomas
Connar Roach
Joshua Flanagan
Will Keep
Karlin Claridge
Lewis Stevens
Alex Langworthy
Ciaran Lewis (captain)
Joseph Mcbride
Dane Bridges
Oliver Andrews
Ethan Snow
Ethan Williams
Kieran O’Leary
There doesn't appear to be any tagged photos.
Please wait as the server processes your request. Do not attempt to refresh the page.