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Ebbw Vale v Pontypridd 14/11/2014

Ebbw Vale v Pontypridd 14/11/2014

Llandovery v Pontypridd - 16/08/2014

Pontypridd's pre-season run of games got underway with a taste of defeat against Premiership rivals Llandovery. Ponty found themselves trailing at the interval at Church Bank by 17pts to 10, with tries scored by flanker Luke Crocker and outside half Lewis Williams. A solitary unconverted touchdown by debutant replacement Christian Parker was all that Ponty could muster in the second period, going down to defeat by 34pts to 15. Pontypridd: 1.Chris Phillips. 2.Huw Dowden (Aled Morris). 3. Louis Jones. 4.Craig Locke. 5.Jordan Sieniawski. 6.Luke Crocker (Christian Parker). 7. Tom Hetherington (Wayne O'Connor). 8.Jack Davies. 9.Joel Raikes. 10.Lewis K Williams. 11. Matthew Nuthall. 12. Dafydd Lockyer. 13. Harry Millard (Chris Clayton). 14. Alex Webber (Lewis Morgan). 15. Dale Stuckey (Scott Burrows).

01 Celtic Warriors V Munster

The Warriors were one of the five original regions of the Welsh Regional Rugby Era. The club came into being in the summer of 2003 when the Welsh Rugby Union controversially elected to reduce the current top tier of Welsh Professional Rugby from nine clubs into five regions, attempting to mirror the successful formats in Ireland and the Southern Hemisphere countries of South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Officially representing the mid-Glamorgan area, including Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare, Pontypridd, Caerphilly, Maesteg and Bridgend, and south Powys, the Celtic Warriors was in practice a combination of the Pontypridd RFC and Bridgend RFC Welsh Premier League Clubs. With Bridgend RFC having clinched the 2002/2003 Welsh Premier League title and Pontypridd RFC being consistently strong in those competitions, the Warriors were considered one of the strongest line-ups of the five Welsh regions. However, problems dogged the region from the very start, as they similarly did with the other merged regions of the Neath-Swansea Ospreys and the Newport Gwent Dragons. Discussions and arguments abounded about the team name, colours and home grounds for most of the summer of 2003. The name "Valley Ravens" was a controversial choice but seen by many as a fair compromise (Bridgend's nickname was the Ravens while Pontypridd fans welcomed the Valley reference), however various marketing persons within the Welsh Rugby Union did not like it. "The Crusaders" and "Celtic Crusaders" met with widespread disapproval from both sets of fans as it incorporated neither team's identity. "Celtic Warriors" was finally decided upon more out of the need for a name than from any real agreement. Argument over team colours ran alongside the naming problem until a compromise blue, black and white shirt was unveiled and satisfied most people, as did the initial decision to play an equal number of games at Bridgend's Brewery Field and Pontypridd's Sardis Road. The team itself performed well for a squad almost completely rebuilt over the summer, acquitting themselves well in both the Celtic League and European Rugby Cup. However financial problems at Pontypridd RFC led to the sale of their half of the Warriors to Bridgend RFC owner Leighton Samuel, which he in turn gave to the WRU, a move that would later condemn the club. Further problems occurred as Samuel made the decision to abandon Pontypridd's Sardis Road in favour of playing all Warriors games in Bridgend. This brought the club into conflict with a large proportion of its fan base and attendances fell. Trouble followed in the Spring and early Summer of 2004 where Leighton Samuel repeatedly threatened and revoked threats of selling the club; one such instance went as far as Samuel accepting an offer from the WRU before changing his mind. This transaction was considered to be legally binding, and the Warriors became 100% owned by the WRU who decided to liquidate the club on 1 June 2004.[1] Samuels claimed that the WRU had promised to keep the region going for a second season but reneged on the deal. He challenged the Union over this in a high court case which the Union settled just before it came to court. With the demise of the club, players' contracts were effectively torn up as they were pushed around to fill positions in the other four regional sides. A number simply chose to turn their back on the Welsh game and moved to teams in England, France, Ireland and Italy. This left the ex-Warriors' fans feeling alienated from the professional game. In the aftermath of the demise of the Warriors, a new rugby league club Celtic Crusaders was formed that play out of Brewery Field. They are funded by Leighton Samuel, who has claimed that they are the reincarnation of the Warriors franchise.

03 Pontypridd V Cross Keys - 26th September 2009

03 Neath V Pontypridd - KONICA MINOLTA CUP 2006

Team line-ups and views from the dressing room Ponty vow to upset Neath and win the cup for sidelined 'Chief' May 6 2006 Andy Howell, Western Mail Kick-off 6pm THE "CHIEF" sits out today's Konica-Minolta Cup final at the Millennium Stadium after failing to recover from injury. Pontypridd captain and talisman Dale McIntosh conceded defeat in his fight to recover from damaged ribs. He had been stretchered off after colliding with Cardiff flanker Gareth Gravell during last month's semi-final at Newport's Rodney Parade. And 36-year-old, New Zealand-born McIntosh, below, who was capped twice by Wales, lost his fight to face Neath in what could have been his swansong at the home of Welsh rugby. Fellow lock Chris Martenko has also been ruled out, by a long-standing shoulder problem. That means Chris Dicomidis and Grant Harrington have been picked at lock by Pontypridd coach Simon King. They also have other problems with star scrum-half Wayne Evans (back operation) and hooker Duane Goodfield, on duty with the Blues at Ulster last night, both missing. Stand-in Ponty skipper Nathan Strong is adamant they want to win it for the "Chief" after being denied late on by Llanelli a year ago. "All the boys enjoy playing alongside him because he's a good leader and I'm sure we all step up a bit to compensate for him not being there," said Wales rugby league international Strong. He played for Wales against Ireland and Scotland in the 13-a-side code but admits, "This is bigger. "The people of Ponty will turn out in droves and our team spirit is second to none. It's a massive game and everybody will be giving 100% for Pontypridd." King chipped in, "Neath have done extremely well throughout this season to have suffered only one defeat and, while they have got great strength in depth, it gives us confidence that we were the only team to beat them in the Premiership." Wales Under-21 star and Commonwealth Games sevens player James Hook wins the outside-half vote for Neath, with former Wales No 10 Arwel Thomas likely to join a strong bench with ex-Swansea back-rower and Wales A cap Hywel Jenkins. Former Cardiff blockbuster Dan McShane keeps Jenkins out of the side at No 8. Ed Shervington is preferred to Gerwyn Price at hooker, while Steve Martin captains the side at lock despite nursing a calf strain. Neath coach Rowland Phillips played down his side's tag as hot favourites. "We have got a strong squad, but I don't think there is as much between us and the rest of the pack as people might think," said the coach who has led his side to successive Welsh Premier titles. "The fact that Pontypridd and we have played each other twice with a win each shows the type of close game we can expect on Saturday. "We are a tight squad and we won't be worrying about any favourites' tag. We'll just get on with doing what we do best. It should be a cracker." Neath G Morris; S. Thomas, W Mitchell, A Bevan, R. Johnston; J Hook, P Horgan/M Roberts; C Griffiths, E Shervington, C Mitchell, M Morgan, S Martin (capt), A Llewellyn, D McShane, J McPhail. Player to watch - James Hook: The highly-rated outside-half has shone for Wales Under-21s and the Wales Sevens team this season. Pontypridd M Stoddart; C Clayton, T Riley, D Lockyer, M Nuthall; D Flanagan, G Jones; S Williams, B Phillips, S Roberts, C Dicomidis, G Harrington, L Evans, N Strong (capt), R Shellard. Player to watch - Rhys Shellard: The robust flanker is another youngster with seemingly a big future ahead of him. Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales). Form guide: Neath have lost just once in the Welsh Premiership - against Pontypridd - as they held on to their crown in style. Andy Howell verdict: Pontypridd have been Neath's closest challengers this season but the form-book suggests they'll be edged out in a potential thriller.