Defeat at Church Bank on Saturday brought the curtain down for us in this inaugural Super Rygbi Cymru season. The squad now start their well-earned break from rugby although there is, as always, plenty going on behind the scenes with preparations well under way for next season.
Having made our intentions clear in October 2023 that we would be applying to join SRC we’re very happy with the first season and how the competition has progressed, albeit we would have liked to have gone all the way through the playoffs ourselves.
A number of fears were raised by our supporters relating to the SRC so it’s worth looking back at some of their key objections and reviewing each:
· Clubs would lose independence and have no operational & strategic control. Coach & player selection would be controlled by regions with players outside of academies not getting game time
· There were not enough meaningful fixtures for players or supporters with a fallow period of inactivity between December and April
· Development leagues aren’t sustainable
· The league would not be financially viable
Our partnership with the Dragons is exactly that, a partnership! We’ve worked extremely well with eachother with good working relationships established at all levels including rugby management, the boardroom and across marketing teams and we’re looking forward to developing this further still. We know some supporters have long-standing views that will never change but hopefully they’ve noted that Pontypool RFC has retained full control of its destiny.
Everyone will have seen that there have been plenty of playing opportunities for players contracted solely to us and every player who’s pulled on the jersey has bought into our ethos. There is clear communication between us and the Dragons when it comes to player availability and we work together to provide game opportunity for senior professionals only when it suits both parties. Across the season the average age of our match day squads stands at 26.77 which was in line with our commitment made to the WRU as part of our application – Our older heads have blended incredibly well with the younger squad members, who will no doubt realise a significant benefit from their experience as their own careers progress.
It was fantastic to see DKG, Evan, Harri & Owain make their Dragons debuts this year, alongside Huw, Morgan & Sam who made further significant appearances this season having made their debuts last campaign. This reinforces the good work we’re doing and it’s brilliant to hear many supporters say they’re now interested in following the Dragons to see how the boys go - that’s how joined up Welsh rugby should be!
One significant fear was around the possible lack of fixtures. The format of the cup competition actually helped us plan with certainty knowing we were guaranteed 11 home fixtures within a minimum total of 23 potentially rising to 26 should we have achieved a strong run in the Playoffs and progression to the cup final. Given past cup competitions have been straight knock out formats we haven't been able to guarantee the number of fixtures let alone any at home as last season demonstrated when we were knocked out at Aberavon. We are pleased to report that the season schedule is being refined for the 25/26 season and we thank the WRU and our fellow SRC clubs for collaborating over this. Watch this space over the coming weeks and months.
The annual funding from the WRU (£105k) was always a no-brainer for us and goes a long way to ensuring financial sustainability, although as we’ve stated recently we need to increase other commercial & sponsorship income to balance and reduce our reliance on Peter Jeffreys. Ticket sales remained consistent over the season with the festive fixtures providing bumper attendances. Crowds for our Thursday evening fixtures have tended to be lower however these games are strategically important to S4C’s coverage. We're very much in support of them given they're factored into the WRU funding & provide greater exposure for SRC clubs.
The salary cap introduced by the WRU for the SRC has been very positive and seems to have ensured a more balanced and competitive competition whilst ensuring wagerolls moved to a more sustainable level. The first year has proved beyond doubt to us that the SRC is by far the most financially viable option overall for us.
The standard of rugby played across all 10 clubs has been very strong - Player development is a key aim of the SRC but the quality of the rugby served up throughout the season has been excellent.
In summary, we’re proud of our achievements this season and like to think we've added much in the way of entertainment. We’ve made the right choices in the best interests of Pontypool RFC whilst being able to fulfil a key role in the professional player pathway. We’re committed to continuing our current activities and ensuring the highest standard of rugby attainable to us is played at Pontypool Park.
We want to thank everyone who contributes to the club whether you play, coach, volunteer or pay to support the boys as part of the Pooler Army.
Keep an eye our for lots of exciting developments through the off-season.
