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Rugby League legend Prendeville to take bite at RL Conference
Gary Baker on 15/12/2005
Llanelli-based Rugby League legend Paul Prendiville is behind one of the two new teams expected to be involved in next year's Welsh Conference.
Prendiville, who was a prestigous winger for Hull and Wales and played at Wembley in the 10-5 Challenge Cup Final defeat to arch rivals Hull Kingston Rovers in 1980, is helping to put together a club called West Wales Sharks that will enter the Conference next summer.
The Sharks, to be based at New Dock Stars RFC, will be joined by Aberavon Fighting Irish, Swansea Valley Miners and reigning Welsh champions Bridgend Blue Bulls in a re-structured competition that will see the Conference split into east and west leagues.
Also, a side based around the Swansea city area is being proposed in a ten-team competition that will see Cardiff Demons, the Valley Cougars, of Pontypridd, plus former British Shield runners-up Torfaen Tigers, from Pontypool, Newport Titans and another new side based at Blackwood all figuring in the east region.
And a new tournament in memory of former Aberavon Fighting Irish 16-year-old Scott McCrory, who tragically collapsed and died in May 2004 , is to be inaugurated next year.
New Welsh Rugby League executive chairman Mark Rowley said: "The Conference will be going to two groups of five and hopefully then we will be expanding further.Behind that as well, we have the junior structure of under-13s, 15s and 17s which most clubs will be supporting.
"We are in talks for a team in Swansea that will make the west region up to five and ten in the Conference overall."
And, with the Celtic Crusaders beginning their debut season in the semi-professional National League Two in April, Rowley, the former Wales Union and League international, believes the 13-a-side code is growing more than ever.
He added: ""We are looking to develop the youngsters alongside the more experienced players. It will be going to two groups of five and hopefully then we will be expanding further.
"Behind that as well, we have the junior structure of under-13s, 15s and 17s which most clubs will be sup porting. Ultimately it will be working towards a Crusaders' Academy next season in September at under-18 level and they will play all Super League teams then at least once at home."
The end-of-season knock-out stages will see a cup and shield tournament as in previous years. Rowley, who is involved with the Valley Cougars, added: ""It will be top of East v second in West and top of West v second in East for the cup. For the Shield, it will be third against fourth in both leagues.
"This is another step forward for us. It will mean that we will go into the British Cup that Bridgend Blue Bulls won last year and also the National Shield that Cardiff Demons won two years ago. We didn't enter the Shield this year because the time overlap with the Rugby Union season wasn't good enough.
"The season next year will run from June to August. This will be of benefit to us as there is no overlap.
"Also we are going to run a Scott McCrory Nines in me mory of the boy that died at Aberavon and we are hoping to run that in Blackwood on the May Day Bank Holiday weekend just to get the interest in that area. Blackwood have agreed to host it and every year after that, we will move it around the different clubs.
"Every team will be entering it so that they can use it as a warm-up and a selection process if they want to. We are hoping that the clubs will be able to enter two teams each."
But the biggest change of the lot is that the Welsh Rugby League is going to be unshackled from the Rugby Football League in Leeds and be able to look after their own affairs.
The RFL will, of course, continue to be the governing body but they will allow the Welsh RFL to make their own decisions in their competition.
Rowley added: ""I hope to be signing the agreement to be autonimous on Monday and we will have an office in Bridgend. All international matches will be played at Bridgend and we will make the Brewery Field the home of Welsh Rugby League then although we may move one or two age grade games around the clubs."
So that brings the total number of Welsh clubs to 12 with:
Wales West:
Aberavon Fighting Irish
Bridgend Bulls
Swansea Valley Miners
Swansea (New side)
West Wales Sharks
Wales East:
Blackwood
Cardiff Demons
Torfaen Tigers
Newport Titans
Valley Cougars
RLC North West Division:
North Wales Coasters
National League 2:
Celtic Crusaders
Gary Baker on 15/12/2005
Llanelli-based Rugby League legend Paul Prendiville is behind one of the two new teams expected to be involved in next year's Welsh Conference.
Prendiville, who was a prestigous winger for Hull and Wales and played at Wembley in the 10-5 Challenge Cup Final defeat to arch rivals Hull Kingston Rovers in 1980, is helping to put together a club called West Wales Sharks that will enter the Conference next summer.
The Sharks, to be based at New Dock Stars RFC, will be joined by Aberavon Fighting Irish, Swansea Valley Miners and reigning Welsh champions Bridgend Blue Bulls in a re-structured competition that will see the Conference split into east and west leagues.
Also, a side based around the Swansea city area is being proposed in a ten-team competition that will see Cardiff Demons, the Valley Cougars, of Pontypridd, plus former British Shield runners-up Torfaen Tigers, from Pontypool, Newport Titans and another new side based at Blackwood all figuring in the east region.
And a new tournament in memory of former Aberavon Fighting Irish 16-year-old Scott McCrory, who tragically collapsed and died in May 2004 , is to be inaugurated next year.
New Welsh Rugby League executive chairman Mark Rowley said: "The Conference will be going to two groups of five and hopefully then we will be expanding further.Behind that as well, we have the junior structure of under-13s, 15s and 17s which most clubs will be supporting.
"We are in talks for a team in Swansea that will make the west region up to five and ten in the Conference overall."
And, with the Celtic Crusaders beginning their debut season in the semi-professional National League Two in April, Rowley, the former Wales Union and League international, believes the 13-a-side code is growing more than ever.
He added: ""We are looking to develop the youngsters alongside the more experienced players. It will be going to two groups of five and hopefully then we will be expanding further.
"Behind that as well, we have the junior structure of under-13s, 15s and 17s which most clubs will be sup porting. Ultimately it will be working towards a Crusaders' Academy next season in September at under-18 level and they will play all Super League teams then at least once at home."
The end-of-season knock-out stages will see a cup and shield tournament as in previous years. Rowley, who is involved with the Valley Cougars, added: ""It will be top of East v second in West and top of West v second in East for the cup. For the Shield, it will be third against fourth in both leagues.
"This is another step forward for us. It will mean that we will go into the British Cup that Bridgend Blue Bulls won last year and also the National Shield that Cardiff Demons won two years ago. We didn't enter the Shield this year because the time overlap with the Rugby Union season wasn't good enough.
"The season next year will run from June to August. This will be of benefit to us as there is no overlap.
"Also we are going to run a Scott McCrory Nines in me mory of the boy that died at Aberavon and we are hoping to run that in Blackwood on the May Day Bank Holiday weekend just to get the interest in that area. Blackwood have agreed to host it and every year after that, we will move it around the different clubs.
"Every team will be entering it so that they can use it as a warm-up and a selection process if they want to. We are hoping that the clubs will be able to enter two teams each."
But the biggest change of the lot is that the Welsh Rugby League is going to be unshackled from the Rugby Football League in Leeds and be able to look after their own affairs.
The RFL will, of course, continue to be the governing body but they will allow the Welsh RFL to make their own decisions in their competition.
Rowley added: ""I hope to be signing the agreement to be autonimous on Monday and we will have an office in Bridgend. All international matches will be played at Bridgend and we will make the Brewery Field the home of Welsh Rugby League then although we may move one or two age grade games around the clubs."
So that brings the total number of Welsh clubs to 12 with:
Wales West:
Aberavon Fighting Irish
Bridgend Bulls
Swansea Valley Miners
Swansea (New side)
West Wales Sharks
Wales East:
Blackwood
Cardiff Demons
Torfaen Tigers
Newport Titans
Valley Cougars
RLC North West Division:
North Wales Coasters
National League 2:
Celtic Crusaders
