In September 1990 league rugby began in Wales and was welcomed by some but apprehensively by most. The 1990/91 fixture list was a strange one, a mix of forty-one games consisting of Division Two in the new league, the traditional Welsh Cup and ‘friendlies’ with Gloucester, Moseley, Bath and other regular opponents from pre-League days.

Thirty three years later we eagerly await a season of twenty-four Premiership fixtures and the Premiership Cup which cannot compare with the Welsh Cup we knew, an exciting competition in which we experienced rugby at its roots and were often very fortunate to emerge winners.

Last season there were twelve clubs in the Premiership, in 2023/24 there will be thirteen not the expected fourteen. Pontypool and Neath rejoin but Llanelli formed in 1872 have opted out of the Premiership and presumably of the Union. Our journeys to Llanelli are over and no longer will our supporters sit in spacious Parc y Scarlets which has a capacity of 15,000.

The season’s fixtures have been published and are appetizing. There’s no easy game in the Premiership especially when it’s a local Derby which will open our season at The Wern in Merthyr on the first Saturday. The autumn will be a very busy time when we play Merthyr (a) Pontypridd (h), Cardiff (a) and RGC (h) in September and Llandovery (h), Neath (a) and Bridgend (h) in October. While all that is going on Wales will be playing Fiji, Portugal, Australia and Georgia in the Rugby World Cup in France.

Back home we can expect good crowds when Neath and Pontypooi come after languishing in the Championship and also for the return game with Merthyr two days before Christmas. While we concentrate on the challenge every Premiership fixture offers, Matthew Williams will be arranging games for our Youth who did so well last year and those who organise and supervise the Juniors will swing into action. All volunteers, all supporting their club.

Everyone looks forward to a new season, especially players who have joined us in the summer like Ben Main from Abergavenny whose grand-father Gordon was a prop of distinction and our first ever Player of the Year in 1963 and captain in 1968/69. There are fewer fixtures now, but the successors of Gordon Main’s era face an equally big challenge and one they will relish.

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22/06/23

SUMMER OUTINGS WITH A PURPOSE

News of pre-season games has been particularly welcomed by those who remember regular fixtures with Newbridge and nerve-racking Derbies at Tredegar especially one in the third round of the 1983/84 Schweppes Challenge Cup. Having beaten Bangor 33-9 at home and Gowerton 19-13 away we prepared for the five mile journey to our neighbours where we had lost on New Year’s Eve 4-20. We recovered by winning at Saracens 16-12 at Maesteg 15-6 and home to Blaina 7-6 but in the Cup form did not count, anything can happen and it did at Tredegar on Sunday February 5th 1984.

The crowd was huge, noisy and totally biased as it always was in valley Derbies. The Ebbw Vale side was captained by No.8 Carl Dennehy, Tredegar by scrum-half Ian Lewis whose crew included Howard Dwyer, Nick Hunt, Syd Wharton and Frank Jacas. Nerves cracked, hearts pumped and peace came at last when the referee John Groves blew his whistle for no-side with the scoreboard showing Tredegar 9 Ebbw Vale 10.

We returned to the ground in January 2010 for a Cup tie against Llanelli because our ground was unplayable but it was never close, the Scarlets won comfortably. Our last game at Tredegar was in April 2012 which was not close either, 52-0.

For several seasons our first game was always against Newbridge a club with the same intent of playing adventurous ‘open’ rugby. In the closing stages of 2010/11 they were top of Division One East and we were just behind them. Everything depended on Ebbw winning at Bedlinog AND getting a bonus point. From the start we were clear winners but the fourth try eluded us until the pack was rewarded with a penalty try and we were champions. We played Newbridge in 1st Division East and the Championship and have followed them in their WRU East season which has brought them promotion. They only lost one of the 22 games, and that was against Brecon who finished second and are also promoted.

It will be a treat to go back to Tredegar’s ground for an all-Welsh rugby afternoon and a week later to cross the Severn and continue our summer warm-ups in Clifton one of the oldest clubs in English rugby. Pre-season games are important for players, coaches and supporters. This year they will make a short journey over the Severn an even shorter one to Tredegar, two summer outings to look forward to and each with a purpose. REL

10/06/23

THE PROMISE OF YOUTH

A Welsh Youth Rugby Union was formed in 1949 and it’s purpose was to get youngsters whose rugby ended when they left school to keep playing the game. Youth rugby would be run by clubs who also benefited when youngsters qualified as seniors. Two years after formation a Welsh Youth international team was created and played Youth and School teams in the four home countries and France. It created history in 1980 when they toured South Africa and beat Springbok Youth 30-25.

Ebbw Vale Youth did well in the Seventies reaching the final of the WRU Youth Cup in 1973, losing to Llanelli 27-3 but benefiting from the experience. A typical fixture list of the time was in 1974/76, thirty-five games including those home and away to Cardiff, Newport, Bristol, Neath, Pontypridd, Newbridge and Abertillery.

League and then regional rugby changed the Welsh club game but in 2021/22 an Ebbw Vale Youth side was revived and in its second season played well and enjoyed every moment on and off the field. Coaches Matthew Williams (aka Chunky) and Richard Brown have created a team and imparted technical knowledge and experience of the highest order.

Several players were selected for the regional Under 18s and two finals were reached. In the Welsh Cup second round they lost to the more experienced Tondu side and in the Gwent & Caerphilly District Cup Final which they lost to Abergavenny at Blackwood.

“The objective of youth rugby” a club official says is the “development of players along the pathway to the Premiership. Optimisation of skills and talent to support the Ebbw Vale senior XV but also sustain players for the regional game and to ensure player sustainability for community teams within Blaenau Gwent.” In a very short time Ebbw Vale Youth have achieved that.

They follow in the footsteps of Denzil Williams, Byron Hayward, Ian Watkins, Jason Strange and many others who played in local youth teams. Their seniors enjoyed the 2022/23 season and so did they, now like greyhounds in the slips straining upon the start they eagerly wait for 2023/24. Well supported and sponsored they are our future.

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03/06/23

HONOURING THE STEELMEN

A week after Denis Compton and his brother Leslie played football for Arsenal on the last Saturday in April they changed clobber and began playing cricket for Middlesex and England. Lower down the scale in the Ebbw Vale team there were several who hung up their boots and donned whites a week later. Life was simple then, rugby ended on April 30th, cricket began 1st May. How different now, on the last Saturday in May 2003, the Barbarians played a World XV at Twickers and went on to play Swansea to mark their 150th anniversary. A reminder that our 150th is in six years time.

The Presentation Dinner was a great success, more awards were made than in Hollywood on Oscar Night. Some awards are named after club legends like Gareth Howls who was captain five times between 1971 and 1978. In between leading and inspiring Ebbw Vale Gareth played for the Welsh and British Police, Gwent, Wales A and the Barbarians.

He was also our Player of the Year in 1975, the fourth front-row forward to be honoured since the awards began in 1963 when prop Gordon Main was Player of the Year. Two more props followed, Len Dimmick in 1964 and Denzil Williams in 1965. In 1966 the first Most Promising Player award winner was introduced and it came as no surprise when scrum-half Glyn Turner won it. In 1980 the first Clubman of the Year award, selected by the coach, went to another prop Colin Williams, Laird of Deri.

Last year history was made when a joint captaincy was declared and two front row forwards Joe Franchi and Rhys Francis skilfully led us in an exciting season. They will be joint skippers again in 2023/24 campaign with a squad high on enthusiasm, skill, fitness and who will be backed by supporters who other club treasurers long to see. Under a coach and his crew who have great experience a squad is created and to quote one of them there is also “the togetherness of the whole club from the supporters, coaches, players and backroom staff.”

We played 24 competitive games last year and Dom Franchi, Rhys Francis and Lewis Young got their century. In 1963 when the first awards were made, Ebbw Vale’s players faced a season of 48 games and Gareth Howls finally ended his rugby career with 608 appearances for the club. Vastly different times and circumstances but those who were in the club in the old days have remarked how similar the spirit is within the club today.

The 2023/24 Premiership is expected to be more competitive from Day One with two additions, Pontypool and Neath. In the autumn another important rugby event takes place in France. We await our first fixture eagerly, the French know theirs – New Zealand.

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PLAYING THE ALL BLACKS 13/05/23

When the All-Blacks came to Europe In the autumn of 1953 Ebbw Vale had begun a season that would end as Welsh champions. Under the captaincy of second row giant Ben Edwards they played 39 games, won 29, drew 4 and lost six. Sixteen players were selected by Monmouthshire, four by the WRU in international trial games and seven went a step higher, selection in the Ebbw Vale/Abertillery combined XV that would play the tourists in December.

High scoring was not usual in those days but the Ebbw Vale side played what was then described as ‘open’ rugby which featured a back division of pace, quality and style. One of the wings was J B Williams who with centre Graham Powell a future ‘cap’ and John Pugh on the other wing were described by a coastal based rugby journalist as “useful,” the under-statement of the decade.

The Combined side of eight Abertillery and seven Ebbw Vale players was captained by L E T Jones of Abertillery, known when he played for Ebbw Vale as Lyn The Leap. There were 18,000 at The Park on Wednesday afternoon December 23 rd , four days after Wales had beaten New Zealand at the Arms Park. The Ebbw Valians were J B Williams, John Pugh, hooker Albert Jackson, prop Len Coldrick, locks Len Harris and Ben Edwards and wing forward Horace Matthews. The Combined side gave their best but that famous black magic was too powerful and the tourists won 22-3.

Three days later Abertillery Park was full again for the traditional Boxing Day Derby which Ebbw Vale won 3-0. It was a busy December, Ebbw Vale had played at Newport and won 16-5 before an 8000 crowd and on the first Saturday of the New Year won at Pontypool Park 9-3, with three tries one of them by J B Williams. Reporting on the game at Newport was R T Gabe a Welsh legend whose pass to winger Teddy Morgan resulted in victory over
the 1905 All-Blacks. In December 1953 he wrote ”J B Williams sprinted about 30 yards to score a fine try.”
John Bernard Williams, known to everyone as “J B “ was captain of the rugby, cricket and athletics teams at Tredegar Grammar School and became a Graduate of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers. He revelled in a team that played exciting rugby and fulfilled every player’s wish, he played against the All-Blacks. A former player of distinction J B will celebrate his 100 th birthday in August.

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06/05/23

A SEASON OF PROMISE

There are two 20th anniversaries this year that should be noted if not celebrated throughout the land. In Australia in 2003 the fifth Rugby World Cup was won by England, the first and so far the only winners from the Northern Hemisphere. Twenty years ago in Wales the regional system was introduced which prompted one rugby writer to ask if the “perception of Welsh rugby has changed forever.” Regional rugby was not the only change in Wales at the time. In the 2002/03 season we played in four competitions, the Celtic League, Parker Pen Cup, Welsh League and Welsh Cup. Games were played in Ireland, Scotland, France, Spain as well as in South Wales.

But let’s jump twenty years to 2022/23, a season just ended which was so enjoyable, a season of promise that brought everyone in the club closer. The coaches led by Jason Strange produced a squad with an average age of 24 that trained hard and gave their all in a tough and highly competitive Division. They finished in fifth place with fourteen wins including six doubles over Aberavon, Carmarthen Quins, Llanelli, Newport, Pontypridd and Swansea.

While that was going on the budding youth in our rugby community were also doing well. A local girl that really made good, Abi Meyrick played for Wales Under 18s Ladies and is surely destined for a full cap. Harry Rhys Weldon of Ebbw Vale Youth represented Wales in the Under 18s Six Nations and our links with Powys were strengthened when two former Steelmen of renown, Robert Stephens and Des Parry of Gwernyfed RFC recommended a wing, Ryan Davies to us and he has played for Wales Under 19s.

Another new boy, scrum-half Jonathan Evans has played for Crawshay’s Welsh in the Hong Kong 10s tournament and a second rower, Jakub Maleki, has played several times for Poland in the past few months. Special mention and praise must go to Jason Reynolds whose son Josh plays in our juniors, Jason has played in the Wales Wheelchair rugby team.

The tale continues, the future is bright with impressive plans to develop an expansive sports ground where the world’s greatest rugby players and cricketers have played but the season has left the club with a problem. On Saturday May 20th the Annual Dinner and Presentation night will be held when awards will be made, one to the Most Promising Player, but there are so many of them this year.

It has been a pleasure and privilege to watch the team train and play and also socialise with them afterwards, but there is another name to be mentioned, another “first.” We have a young loose-head prop forward, Charley Kearns who hails from over the Severn. He is a former ballet dancer, all 19 stone of him! Hopefully the DJ at the dinner has some Swan Lake in his collection.

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Latest extract from the Ebbw Vale v Cardiff programme Saturday 29th April 2023

THE DAYS WE THOUGHT WOULD NEVER END

On Saturday the 21st of June 2003 Wales played New Zealand in Waikato Stadium, Hamilton and for the last time the players represented their clubs. Two months later Wales played a non-championship game in Dublin and the players came from the five new regions and one who played for Leeds. The days had gone never to return when international players represented Welsh clubs and there is one of many games that reminds us how rewarding that was for players and spectators.

In April 2000 Cardiff played Ebbw Vale at the Arms Park in a Welsh/Scottish League fixture and fielded a side full of capped players. Their team was Rhys Williams; Ian Botham, Gareth Thomas, Jamie Robinson, Nick Walne; Neil Jenkins, Robert Howley; Andrew Lewis, Jonathan Humphries (captain), Spencer John; Steve Moore, John Tait; Owain Williams, Martyn Williams, Emyr Lewis. Replacements were Ryan Powell, Paul Burke, Mike Rayer, Mike Voyle, Steve Williams, Gary Powell, Damien Geraghty.

Ebbw Vale’s side was Siua Taumalolo; Rhys Shorney, Jonathan Hawker, Andrew Wagstaffe; Shaun Connor, Richard Smith; Iestyn Thomas, Leighton Phillips, Andrew Metcalfe; Lee Banks, Kuli Falatau; Nathan Budgett, Mark Jones (captain). Brad Clark. Replacements were Jonathan Williams, Jason Strange, Guy Easterby, Alun Phillips, Andrew Peacock, Deiniol Jones, Mark Spiller, Gareth Green. Added to the international flavour of the game was the referee, Clayton Thomas. Cardiff won 48-31 and in his usual match-winning form Neil Jenkins contributed 19 points.It was a busy season for the clubs in the Welsh/Scottish League with games against Edinburgh and Glasgow. Cardiff topped the table with 59 points followed by Newport (49), Swansea (47), Pontypridd (45), Llanelli (38), Ebbw Vale (38), Neath (35), Edinburgh (34), Bridgend (27), Glasgow (25), Caerphilly (6) and Dunvant (5). Ebbw Vale only lost three games at home, to Cardiff 22-17 and Swansea 23-16 in the league and London Irish 21-20 in the European Shield, a game that was decided in the dying moments when a drop goal attempt by Shaun Connor was approved by everyone except the French referee.

The players, coaches Leigh Jones and Richard Hill and supporters were compensated by a splendid Cup run which took us to a semi-final in the Millenium Stadium. We lost to Llanelli 38-26 who led 26-0 at one stage before we hit back scoring three tries in 15 minutes and twenty points to Llanelli’s seven in the second half. It was a great day at the new stadium, two semi-finals and Welsh club rugby at its best.

A song by Mary Hopkins springs to mind, “Those were the days my friend, we thought they’d never end.” But they did.

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Extract from Ebbw Vale v Aberavon match programme Saturday 22nd April 2023

TALES OF TWO HALVES

There have been many close games with Aberavon from the first time we played them on December 29th 1894 which ended in a 3-0 win for the Wizards to the last on November 11th 2022, also at Port Talbot which went to the wire before we won 24-17. Two encounters in particular remain fresh in the memory of players who pulled off amazing comebacks and the watchers who had no nails left to bite when final whistles were blown.

In a memorable match at Port Talbot in October 1977 the master of lineouts Allan Martin, a lock who kicked goals, converted a try and added a penalty goal to give the Wizards a 9-0 lead increased by as try then worth four points that made it 13-0 with the referee checking his watch. The result seemed inevitable and some locals went into the clubhouse to get their beer before the rush, but in doing so missed the dramatic finale. With minutes left Ebbw Vale wing Russell Cole scored a try converted quickly by Steve Lewis who added a penalty goal. Wizards 13 Steelmen 9.

Then our centre Alan Tovey levelled the score when he powered his way to score a try under the posts which was converted by Steve Lewis. The final whistle was blown at last and we had won 15-13. There were smiles and shocks in the bar after another Wizards/Steelmen thriller.

On Friday September 7th 2018 we were invaded by BBC Wales televising the match with Aberavon who dominated the first half scoring tries by David Pritchard, Luke Davies and Joe Tomlin Reeves. Aberavon led 17-0 at the break but crucially only one of the tries was converted by James Garland which was to prove important. Ebbw dominated the second half with tries by Ronnie Kynes, Ashley Sweet and winger Stefan Thomas, two conversions by Rhys Jones bringing a 19-17 victory.

Ebbw Vale’s side that evening was Dan Haymond; Stefan Thomas, Carl Meyer, Dom Franchi; Rhys Jones, Matthew Flanagan; Joel Harris, Rhys Francis, Rob Sevenoaks; Lance Randall, Ashley Sweet; Ronnie Kynes (capt), Owen Young, Lewis Young. Replacements were Joe Franchi, Ross Jones, Curtis Hicks, Garin Price, Cameron Regan. Dai Jones, James Lewis, Paul King.

Thanks to second half comebacks the opening month of the 2018/19 season had been successful for the Steelmen. After a 43-10 win at Llanelli we won the next four games each one too close for comfort. After edging out RGC 19-12, Bridgend 17-16 and Neath away 25-17 which led our match programme editor Iain Swanson to declare, “Ebbw Vale have made more comebacks than Status Quo!”

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WOLFHOUNDS AT THE WELFARE GROUND

Fifty years ago the Welsh team that played Ireland at Cardiff were captained for the third time by Arthur Lewis of Ebbw Vale and the Irish for the first time by Willie John McBride of Ballymena. In his team were full-back A H Ensor (Dublin Wanderers), scrum-half J J Maloney (St. Mary’s College) and lock forward K M A Mays (University College Dublin) who met up with Arthur again on Thursday September 20th 1973 when they came to the Welfare Ground with the Irish Wolfhounds known as the “second national rugby union team in Ireland.”

There were no squads as we know them today, players worked for a living, playing for their club andrepresentative sides like Monmouthshire and Munsterbefore being chosen for their countries and the Lions. Eight of the Wolfhounds who played at Ebbw Vale were or would be capped by Ireland and six had been in the victorious Leinster side that played Fiji the previous Saturday..

The Ebbw Vale side was David Rees; Robert Fowler, Arthur Lewis, Allan Tovey, Ian Evans; P Lloyd Davies, Glyn Turner; Keith Morris, Mike Paul, Denzil Williams; Gareth Howls (captain), James B Criddle; Eddie Powell, Ray Rowlands, Phil Gardner. They won the game 13-7 but lost the party afterwards.

It was a time of change in world rugby and a voice from the east warned us that “Japan should be worth watching.” That prophecy came from Denis P Evans, Oxford University (1959), Ebbw Vale, Llanelli and Wales, Honorary Coach, Hong Kong RFC).

Back in the Mother Country the five nations produced a quintuple tie in their Championship, two wins and two defeats four points each. The final table was in alphabetical order, England first and Wales last although one writer considered Wales the best team, especially behind the scrum. The back division against England who Wales beat 25-9 was in a class all its own, J P R Williams; Gerald Davies, Roy Bergiers, Arthur Lewis (capt.), John Bevan; Phil Bennett and Gareth Edwards.

It was an exciting era at all levels. The 1971 Lions had won a series in New Zealand and the 1974 team would win every game in South Africa except the last which they drew. Clubs played 45 to 50 games, fixture secretaries were always busy and on the lookout for something speciallike hosting the Irish Wolfhounds on a Thursday evening.

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Extracted from the match programme for Ebbw Vale v Pontypridd 6 April 2023

A LICENCE TO THRILL

On the 8th of April 2000 we were home to Pontypridd and 23 years almost to the day we welcome them again. The April 2000 game turned out to be a rugby spectator’s dream and a scoreboard operator’s nightmare. It was a Welsh Scottish League fixture and a South Wales Valley Derby which invariably attracts many supporters of both clubs. In October 1999 we lost at Sardis Road 36-20, Ponty full back Brett Davey kicking five penalty goals but we returned the compliment in April in a game of tries galore to win 47-26.

The Ebbw Vale team was Jonathan Williams; Rhys Shorney, Siua Taumalolo, Jonathan Hawker, Andrew Wagstaff; Shaun Connor, Richard Smith; Iestyn Thomas, Leyton Phillips, Andrew Metcalfe; Glyn Llewellyn, Kuli Faletau; Nathan Budgett, Brad Clark, Mark Jones (captain). Replacements – Andrew Peacock, Damien Pencini, Lee Banks, Paul Williams, Guy Easterby, Jason Strange, Stephen John.

Pontypridd – Brett Davey; Gareth Whyatt, Sonny Parker, Jason Lewis, John Colderly; Lee Jarvis, Paul John (captain); Christian Loader, Sven Cronk; Ian Gough, Robert Sidoli; Michael Owen, Richard Field, Dale McIntosh. Two replacements were announced, Matthew Taylor and Ceri Sweeney

It was a fixture of some importance with a place in the following season’s Heineken Cup at stake. The battle of the half-backs would be decisive and so it was. Western Mail reporter Andy Howell, a Western Valley lad and clearly a Bond fan, wrote “Shaun Connor was given a licence to thrill,” and gave credit to backs coach Richard Hill, former Bath and England scrum-half. Shaun Connor contributed 32 points that included two tries, Rhys Shorney also got two and Richard Smith one. Head coach Leigh Jones who was destined for World Cup fame five years later in the Japanese coaching team under Eddie Jones when they beat South Africa, was more than pleased.

It was a high-scoring afternoon in South Wales, at Swansea the All-Whites defeated Neath 52-44, a week after the Welsh All-Blacks had beaten us at the Gnoll 29-25 scoring four tries to our three. Little did we know that one of Neath’s try scorers would be our coach one day, Alex Codling.

April used to be the month of tours when the citizens of the Duchy of Cornwall prepared for our traditional annual visit which was very demanding playing three matches in four days which we invariably won. Now we have play-offs and remember two at Sardis Road, in May 2015 when Pontypridd won 28-14 and a year later when we won 38-12 and our full-back Don Haymond won an Oscar for his dive when scoring the last try of the game.

Memories of the 2016 play-off final keep coming back but Pontypridd’s win in 2015 should be recalled. Ebbw Vale’s report on the game summed it up, “The home side were eventually convincing and deserved winners……….but had to fight every inch of the way as the Steelmen gave them a severe test.” It is interesting to note the top five places of the 2014/15 Premiership table – 1st Pontypridd (94 pts), 2nd Ebbw Vale (73), 3rd Cross Keys (71), 4th Cardiff (60), 5th Bedwas (60). RE

PROMOTION FAVOURITES IN EBBW VALE CUP TIE

While our players, coaches and supporters were at Carmarthen where Ebbw Vale played the Quins in the Premiership there was a Championship Cup semi-final on our ground between Neath and Pontypool both favourites to gain promotion. They have dominated the Championship and have kept scoreboards busy, the only close results so far being in the league games against each other, Pontypool winning both 28-23 at The Gnoll and 34-30 at Pontypool Park. Of interest to Ebbw Valians in their squad are former Steelmen Dai Jones, Dai Langdon, Cameron Regan, Ashley Sweet and Lance Randall.

The last time we played Neath was in August 2022 when we returned to The Gnoll for a pre-league game. The last competitive game with them was in the 2018/19 season when we got the double, winning at The Gnoll 25-17 and in the penultimate game of the season 74-7!. That was unusual but so were the results in 2006/07, two drawn games both 23-23. That was the season Neath finished top of the Premiership with 53 points and we were second with 51.

Our last competitive game with Pontypool was in the Championship in the 2013/14 season when we got the double 33-10 at home and 19-13 at Pontypool Park. I am told by former players that they enjoy reading the names of teams they played in so for the “veterans” this is the Ebbw Vale team that played Pontypool at ECP on Saint David’s Day 2014.

Ebbw Vale – Tom McAloon; Wes Cunliffe, David James, Jordan Howells, Paolo Uni; Ian Smerdon, Dai Jones; Ross Jones, Matthew Williams, Robert Sevenoaks; Damien Hudd (capt.), Ashley Sweet; Gareth Rusby-Davies; Ronnie Kynes, Cameron Regan. Replacements were Luke Liddington, Joe Franchi, Rhys Clarke, Chris Thomas and Luke Davies.

After another absorbing Six Nations it is refreshing to return to club rugby which has been played in Wales for almost a hundred and fifty years and has inspired loyalty from its players and supporters who take pride in a club’s traditions and history. The book “Fields of Praise” was written for the Welsh Rugby Union’s centenary in 1980 and describes Welsh rugby as a “rainy night at the end of the Llynfi Valley watching Maesteg drive forward on their table-top ground…….the bass intimidation of ‘Neath! Neath!’, the drumming affirmation for a beaten WRU Cup semi-final team of ‘Ebbw, Ebbw, Ebbw.’ Welsh rugby is very different now but it is still based on clubs who provide rugby for all ages from juniors to the 1st XV and are as important and as indispensable as ever.

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VALE’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE ENTENTE CORDIALE

Before fixtures were arranged for us not by us we often played on the eve of international Championship matches later known as Five Nations which became Six with the welcome addition of Italy. For many years Wales played England in January, Scotland in February and Ireland and the favourites France in March. In the 1960s Ebbw Vale played Paris University, the Alma Mater of many famous French players and coaches, three times on the eve of the Cardiff game and twice in Paris where the Ebbw Vale players sought culture and upheld the tradition of Entente Cordiale.

The first of a short but enjoyable series of March games with Paris University was in 1962 on the eve of Wales v France at Cardiff Arms Park. Club captain Len Dimmick and his ‘other ranks’ won a most enjoyable game 17-9 unlike the next day’s international which Wales only won 3-0. A year later the team led by Dennis Evans went to Paris, enjoyed the sights and came home educated and satisfied with an 11-11 draw. Next day Wales lost at Stade Colombe 5-3 and for the first time for fourteen years finished at the bottom of the championship table despite there being seven of the team from Gwent clubs, captain Clive Rowlands (Pontypool), David Watkins and Brian Price (Newport), Hadyn Morgan and Alun Pask (Abertillery) and Denzil Williams and Graham Jones (Ebbw Vale).

The annual Gallic clash in 1964 followed the trend, an era when scoreboard operators read a book to pass the time, but at least we beat Paris Uni under the captaincy of Graham Jones 5-3 the night before Wales and France drew 11-11, The 1965 games were much brighter but not successful, we lost 11-25 and Wales 13-22 but in 1966 the fifth and last fixture with Paris University brought home wins to Ebbw Vale 10-3 and Wales 9-8.

Thirty years later French rugby re-appeared with European Cup and Shield games against prominent clubs like Toulon, Toulouse and La Rochelle but not one of the Paris clubs, a disappointment to the artistic minded in the front five. There were no Under 20s in the 60s but Welsh Schools and Youth flourished and provided more opportunities at club and international level than today

In the Sixties Wales Secondary Schools and the Under 15s and Wales Youth played the other countries. The Youth launched to stardom an outside-half from Felinfoel named P. Bennett. In a game at Stradey against French Youth he inspired a 16-0 victory despite being kicked in the face and knocked about behind his goal-line he raced 45 yards with his left eye completely closed and scored a brilliant try.

The Rugby World Cup will be held in France next year and hopefully will be free of controversy, referees will reach the pinnacle of their profession supported by their assistants running the line and the TMO who has the final word. In the pre-professional years even being selected to referee a Schools international was an honour. When Wales and England met in a Schools international at the Arm Park in April 1967, the referee was a teacher from Ebbw Vale who went on to be become the club secretary. Ivor George.

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