Fiji trip is ON!! To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the club, the Llanelli Warriors are arranging a tour to Fiji to coincide with the Wales team’s tour of the Pacific Islands.
Proposal: 15 days to cover the 2nd, 3rd and 4th weekends in June 2017.
Cost: Approximately £2,000 of which it is hoped half can be managed through fundraising. Half of any money raised by individual players can go off their individual cost of tour.
Initially the tour will go to Fiji but we will also be looking at the opportunity to travel to Samoa and Tonga to see the Wales games if feasible.
Open to playing and social members of Llanelli Warriors RFC
(Player membership £25, Social membership £15)
If you are interested in going please contact:
Jamie Evans or the club website: www.llanelliwarriors.co.uk

1st fixture announced: The Warriors will travel to Betws RFC on Sunday 4th of September to play the home team. Former Wales Captain Ryan Jones will be attending to present the Warriors with the A.R.I. Participation Championship trophy.

Curry Night: Following the success of the last one, a curry night at Sultans in Llanelli has been booked for August 22nd. 7pm, £12 per person, half price for children. Great reports of the food last time do should be a good night.

Two events in September: 14th is the monthly disco at Felinfoel RFC. £3 entry, please share the knowledge. Then on 16th in conjunction with the National Autistic Society we have a fundraising night with entertainment at Felinfoel RFC. Please support these events.

Looking further ahead the Warriors intend to have a sit down dinner with guest speaker and entertainment at the Selwyn Samuel Suite. This will be on November 19th after Wales have played Japan.

Burry Port have identified space for the Warriors to have a display cabinet. Anyone with items they might feel relevant please get in contact. To give you an idea some of the items already donated are: shirts; Original Blue Warriors shirt, Southend RFC, Teignmouth RFC, Taranaki Training top, South Auckland Kiwis, Carterton, MAWRT 2015, Xv De Ledre, Ties: Cefneithin, Llanelli and District, St Clears, Rupert Moon, Beret: Pas de Calais, scarf: Gaztedi, medals: Beach Rugby Wales. Trophies: Bryncethin Community Shield, Origin Cup.

Grant information: The following grants may be of interest to some of the Warriors, in particular those going to Fiji:
Alec Dickinson Trust (Under 30 yrs old volunteering/community service)
Hazel’s Footprints: Young people volunteering, community development abroad.
Dickie Bird Foundation: Under 18s disadvantaged, for sport.
Roger and Mirian Pilkington Charitable Trust: enterprising 16-25 year olds for experiences abroad
Go make it Happen: 18-30 year olds, for things may not otherwise be able to do, focus on those who didn’t take conventional academic route.
More information and an individual check: https://www.turn2us.org.uk/

Minutes of meeting
Chairman read out his report as previously published. Main points – managed the same amount of fixtures in addition to entering the MARWT. 10 more players had qualified for medals this season and the club didn’t have to borrow players for any match. Participation Championship successfully retained.
Good off field with relationship with Burry Port especially good.
Club continues to help develop concept of integrated/mixed ability rugby: Gwilym been helping develop a constitution.
Financial report made by Jamie Evans: club has approx. £4,000 which is the same as last season even after participating in the MARWT. Sponsors like Perthyn and Shoreline have again expressed an interest in sponsoring again so feels like club is in a better financial position.
Aims of season:
Apart from the regular season the long standing proposal to tour to Fiji in June 2017 was discussed. All were in favour of the tour going ahead. Discussed that the club has also been invited to the 2nd MAWRT to be held in Basque country hosted by Gaztedi. All felt that Fiji was more important. Gwilym felt that it was better integration to go to different places rather than take part in a ‘special tournament’, Gwilym and Jamie mentioned the frustration they had felt with some aspects of the MAWRT in terms of being told how to play. Dewi felt that Fiji was probably a once in a lifetime opportunity, especially with Wales on tour there. John Horwood agreed with this. There was general regret to be missing something hosted by Gaztedi who had been such a positive part of the 1st MARWT. An official answer isn’t required until the end of September and the club are loath to officially turn down the opportunity until they have to.
Jamie outlined the proposal in as much detail as is currently possible. The club would attempt to spend 15 days in Fiji – from the 2nd to 4th weekend which will hopefully coincide with the Welsh tour of the Pacific Islands. The cost is expected to be approximately £2,000 of which it is hoped that approximately half can be raised through fund raising. It was decided that if more funds than this became available then what to do with the money would be decided at that point (e.g. buy kit, have a kitty, have more money of overall cost etc). Whilst the initial idea is to visit Fiji, potentially the club could look to travel to Tonga and/or Samoa. Jamie mentioned that deposits will be required for flights quite soon. As numbers for the meeting were not representative of the whole club it seems players will have to be individually asked if they wish to come. Merja agreed to look into the best route. It was agreed that keeping costs down would be a priority and that this might include hostels and possibly staying with families.
Local games: there was general satisfaction with the Warriors current fixture list. Trevor made the point that we need to have a number of home fixtures to support Burry Port RFC.
7s was again successful this year but lots of potential if more preparation can be put in.
Social and fundraising. Disco is well established at Felinfoel RFC. Last one was well attended. Could still improve. Genetic poster to be produced and hopefully some better distribution.
Local PCSO organising event in September in conjunction with National Autistic Society to be held at Felinfoel RFC.
Jamie to organise a sit down rugby dinner on day of Wales v Japan. £25/£30 per ticket. Guest speaker and band to be organised.
Other suggestions included – bike ride, sponsored events, individual sponsorship etc. There is a curry night booked for Monday 22nd August, Sultan Restaurant 7pm £12 (children half price). Vanessa said that good raffle prizes would be needed.
Burry Port have identified a place for a Warriors cabinet and several shirts, trophies, ties and other items have been donated. Could anyone who has any such items that they might have picked up from their time with the Warriors or have some link with the Warriors they wish to donate please get in touch. Gwilym suggested as an example Jamie’s RAF jersey, Jamie said that wasn’t happening!
The committee was re-elected en bloc and Gwilym reminded all that meeting were open to all to observe and contribute but voting would be restricted to committee members only.
No other matters arising.