PONTYPOOL, South Wales, 15th June 2018 - Pontypool RFC is pleased to announce the signing of Danny Hodge from Old Redcliffians for the club’s crucial 2018-2019 WRU National Championship campaign.
The 33-year-old second-row joins the club after spending the 2017-2018 season at the Bristol-based outfit, but Hodge is certainly no stranger to Welsh club rugby. Between 2010 and 2017, he established himself as a formidable force as a member of Cross Keys RFC’s squad and his arrival at Pontypool Park will see him reunited with fellow WRU National Cup winners in Rob Nash and Rhys Dyer.
Hodge joins Pooler ahead of the most important season in the club's recent history, with promotion to the Principality Premiership once again becoming a possibility.
On the prospect of Pooler achieving this goal, Hodge said: "Everything the club has worked for over the last couple of seasons has been geared towards returning to the top tier of Welsh club rugby and we will be going all out to deliver promotion back to the Premiership.
"I am delighted to have the opportunity to play my part in making sure the club gets back to where it belongs, but I fully appreciate the commitment required to ensure that this happens at the first time of asking.
"I am really looking forward to starting pre-season and getting to know the rest of the squad. The opportunity to join such an ambitious club is one I simply could not pass up and the prospect of what we can achieve is hugely exciting.”
A solid foundation in the forwards has been the cornerstone of the club’s success and it was Hodge’s reputation for physicality and combativeness that drew Pontypool RFC’s head coach, Leighton Jones, to securing his signature for the coming season.
On his arrival, Jones said: “We are pleased to have made such a quality addition to our forwards in what is going to be a pivotal season for everybody connected with the club.
"Danny will bring a huge amount of experience and know-how to our already highly mature and capable squad. Our pack options were already strong last season and Danny's arrival will only strengthen us further in this department."
"Danny is able to contribute in every facet of the game, but his work in the tight is his bread and butter and that is where we expect him to excel most at the most crucial periods during the season.”
