Regional A teams

First topic message reminder :

http://www.ponty.net/ponty-rugby-ltd-statement0?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook


It looks like the superclubs have now hijacked the B&I Cup for themselves now that the LV is over.

Richard Holland is about as slimy as you get. Look at the email he sent. What a tool.

From an outsider pov. I think that the best thing is to streamline the "pathway" (as they call it now) from Club to bigger club to region to National team. Whether this is via Prem clubs or Regional A sides does not really matter in the greater scheme of things.

I did notice that the prem clubs had to qualify by Region over the last few seasons, so this has been coming.

I also did a thread on these "pathways" (no it still sounds a bit corporate) recently.

https://www.606v2.com/t58638-welsh-rugby-pyramid

Don't say I don't care about yiz lads.

offload wrote:Wales needs regional A teams to develop players.  Let's face it - Ponty aren't going to support anything that doesn't place Ponty at the centre of the rugby world.

Do they though? I would counter argue the point here that they are barely bringing youth through at the regional level without A Squads, with the exception of the Ospreys who have clear development pathways. For me A Team's could just become littered with players not capable of playing in the Pro12 but used as squad players who essentially will never make the grade and be little more than emergency injury cover.

I appreciate the Scarlets and Ospreys have good records in developing youth through the system. The Dragons are at least making an effort but the Blues are a total waste of time. Youth will only truely develop with expereienced players around them and a high level of rugby to play in. The creation of a A League will no doubt serve nothing more than match fitness purposes and do little to create any real sense of competition. That's fine if there where enough genuine A games around to make these meaningful tools to keep players sharp throughout the season. But setting up a A side for a handful of games seems hardly a development pathway of any kind.

Welshmushroom wrote:

offload wrote:Wales needs regional A teams to develop players.  Let's face it - Ponty aren't going to support anything that doesn't place Ponty at the centre of the rugby world.

Do they though?  I would counter argue the point here that they are barely bringing youth through at the regional level without A Squads, with the exception of the Ospreys who have clear development pathways.  For me A Team's could just become littered with players not capable of playing in the Pro12 but used as squad players who essentially will never make the grade and be little more than emergency injury cover.  

Funny you should say that. I was at the AIL (All Ireland League) final last Saturday between Mike Ruddock coached Lansdowne and Clontarf. Both teams had a lot of Leinster academy players in them.

All Irish players would be allocated to a club. The high profile ones would rarely if ever tog out for their club, but even foreign players would have a club.

The club game took a massive hit at the dawn of professionalism when the IRFU went with Regions (Provinces) which previously played a couple of inter pros a year and the odd touring team.

Welsh club rugby is at a higher standard than ours I would imagine. (I watched a decent bit of the Bridgend v Ponty game which was in your nat stadium like our one was)

Anyway. What I am coming around to is that we are trying to get Academy players more involved at club level because they learn more than playing in provincial A teams.

It was a feature of the B&I cup for me too. Watching the young strong superfit Academy lads (in A teams) going up against wily old gnarly props from the English championship and the Welsh prem, who were not as fit, but had the nous.

There is room for both approaches. Would there be a tighter cooperation between prem clubs and their region elsewhere in Wales? (Other than Ponty I mean)

The Cardiff/Ponty entente cordiale in tatters I would suggest.

Short Rodger Lewis interview on the saga

https://audioboom.com/boos/3181640-british-irish-cup-proposals-wru-s-roger-lewis-gives-his-views

Steffan wrote:Short Rodger Lewis interview on the saga and his slug infestation.

https://audioboom.com/boos/3181640-british-irish-cup-proposals-wru-s-roger-lewis-gives-his-views

Hedgehogs.

bedfordwelsh wrote:If any of the Welsh semi pro teams were arguing their case from a position of strength I could understand but Keys are the only ones to have ever made the Final, hardly a glowing recommendation that the status quo should be kept.

Using your logic none of the regions have got into the finals of the HC maybe we should scrap the regions like the Dragons from having a chance of qualifying.

Does this mean the City and Llanelli teams will be replaced with A Teams as they are all doing poorly.

glamorganalun wrote:Does this mean the City and Llanelli teams will be replaced with A Teams as they are all doing poorly

No I think being as Llanelli Scarlets and Cardiff Blues Pro-Clubs have failed to reach any finals in European competitions they should now be replaced with a Wales 'A' team to bridge the gap between "regional" and national level in the European Rugby Champions Cup

If that fails we should try to merge with England Saxons (the team can still be called England Saxons but we will all turn up at Twickenham to support our local lads) and really give those other teams in Europe what for

Steffan wrote:
No I think being as Llanelli Scarlets

No such team. We've embraced our region.

If that fails we should try to merge with England Saxons (the team can still be called England Saxons but we will all turn up at Twickenham to support our local lads) and really give those other teams in Europe what for

Id be happy for all Ponty fans to leave Wales on a regular basis.

#Embarrassment.

Steffan wrote:

glamorganalun wrote:Does this mean the City and Llanelli teams will be replaced with A Teams as they are all doing poorly

No I think being as Llanelli Scarlets and Cardiff Blues Pro-Clubs have failed to reach any finals in European competitions they should now be replaced with a Wales 'A' team to bridge the gap between "regional" and national level in the European Rugby Champions Cup

If that fails we should try to merge with England Saxons (the team can still be called England Saxons but we will all turn up at Twickenham to support our local lads) and really give those other teams in Europe what for

P2 W1 L1.

Chunky Norwich wrote:

Steffan wrote:
No I think being as Llanelli Scarlets

No such team. We've embraced our region.

#Embarrassment.

Agreed

Steffan wrote:

Chunky Norwich wrote:

Steffan wrote:
No I think being as Llanelli Scarlets

No such team. We've embraced our region.

#Embarrassment.

Agreed

Chunky Norwich wrote:
Id be happy for all Ponty fans to leave Wales on a regular basis.

#Embarrassment.

This is what gets my goat up. If you disagree with the views of Ponty fans then try and put up a decent argument. Try make people see that the view you agree with is better than theirs. Try to diplomatically change peoples minds

But nah, nothing but spiteful, patronising 'Im so sick of "you lot" and your views type attitude

You are either part of the problem or part of the solution. And this type of snobby generalising makes you no better even if a lot of Ponty fans are in the wrong...

Thankyou and goodnight

Steffan wrote:

Chunky Norwich wrote:
Id be happy for all Ponty fans to leave Wales on a regular basis.

#Embarrassment.

This is what gets my goat up. If you disagree with the views of Ponty fans then try and put up a decent argument. Try make people see that the view you agree with is better than theirs. Try to diplomatically change peoples minds

But nah, nothing but spiteful, patronising 'Im so sick of "you lot" and your views type attitude

You are either part of the problem or part of the solution. And this type of snobby generalising makes you no better even if a lot of Ponty fans are in the wrong...

Thankyou and goodnight

Well, when you look at the rubbish you and Glam Al have just written then it's no surprise (to those outside of Pontypridd) that he disagrees with you. You spout rubbish and hatred about welsh rugby on a regular basis so it's a bit rich to be moaning. I have to be honest, I disagree with your view. Not because I'm intolerant, but because your view is very out of touch with reality. I'm not going to generalise this to Pontypridd as I know a girl from up your way, and she happens to be nice; but with that said she has never been a real supporter of Pontypridd RFC. Unfortunately every Pontypridd RFC supporter we come across is just like you; bitter with this sense of entitlement shoved up their backside, out of touch with reality, and have this 'us' and 'them' attitude that seems to dictate how they go about their involvement in rugby (whether that be spitting on opposition fans or having the chairman write anti-blues blogs). Maybe you should behave more appropriately. Take Pyle for example, seemingly from Pontypridd but very much living in the real world...

Their fans certainly aren't covering themselves in glory on Twitter.

glamorganalun wrote:

bedfordwelsh wrote:If any of the Welsh semi pro teams were arguing their case from a position of strength I could understand but Keys are the only ones to have ever made the Final, hardly a glowing recommendation that the status quo should be kept.

Using your logic none of the regions have got into the finals of the HC maybe we should scrap the regions like the Dragons from having a chance of qualifying.

Does this mean the City and Llanelli teams will be replaced with A Teams as they are all doing poorly.

Alun,

That is why when it came to the new format for Europe the Regions were run rough shod over really, if they had been successful and were arguing from a point of strength like the English and French were then things might have been different.

Similarly if Ponty or any of the other Prem sides had been winning the B&I regularly or even making finals more than just the once then they would have had a stronger bargaining chip.

I like the idea of A teams,but if we are going to do it,we need an A league as well, so that the players can play more regularly. The only unfortunate thing was how the reagions were set-up in the first place, it was and still is a shambles. Llenelli should have merged with Neath and Swansea (West Wales), Newport should have merged with Cardiff (East Wales) Ebbw Vale should have merged with Pontypridd and Bridgend (Valleys Rugby) and there should have been a North Wales "project" from the start, who knows if they had done this 13yrs ago, North Wales could be a competitive region by now.

munkian wrote:Their fans certainly aren't covering themselves in glory on Twitter.

Some of it is staggering. There was one tweet that said, 'what is it with the Cardiff Blues? It's all take take take with you!' Complete denial (or ignorance) that the Blues are almost propping them up in terms of personnel.

There's a protest march planned ahead of the playoff final against Ebbw Vale. Then the protesters will cheer on a side containing over half-a-dozen Blues players. Bravo!

Steffan wrote:Short Rodger Lewis interview on the saga

https://audioboom.com/boos/3181640-british-irish-cup-proposals-wru-s-roger-lewis-gives-his-views

Nicely done Lewis. 3 minutes and 2 seconds of saying absolutely nothing.

Plus ca change.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:Plus ca change.

Mais oui mange tout

offload wrote:

Steffan wrote:Short Rodger Lewis interview on the saga

https://audioboom.com/boos/3181640-british-irish-cup-proposals-wru-s-roger-lewis-gives-his-views

Nicely done Lewis.  3 minutes and 2 seconds of saying absolutely nothing.  

Why are we still wasting time on this waste of oxygen

munkian wrote:

offload wrote:

Steffan wrote:Short Rodger Lewis interview on the saga

https://audioboom.com/boos/3181640-british-irish-cup-proposals-wru-s-roger-lewis-gives-his-views

Nicely done Lewis.  3 minutes and 2 seconds of saying absolutely nothing.  

Why are we still wasting time on this waste of oxygen

I've got thick skin Munkian but I still hope your referring to lewis and not me.

LordDowlais wrote:I like the idea of A teams,but if we are going to do it,we need an A league as well, so that the players can play more regularly.

Where would the Welsh prem go then? We still need that competition. Hopefully they're smart enough to realise that these A teams could do with a few fixtures against each other before entering the B&I cup.

offload wrote:

munkian wrote:

offload wrote:

Steffan wrote:Short Rodger Lewis interview on the saga

https://audioboom.com/boos/3181640-british-irish-cup-proposals-wru-s-roger-lewis-gives-his-views

Nicely done Lewis.  3 minutes and 2 seconds of saying absolutely nothing.  

Why are we still wasting time on this waste of oxygen

I've got thick skin Munkian but I still hope your referring to lewis and not me.

Column A., column B

munkian wrote:Their fans certainly aren't covering themselves in glory on Twitter.

Not just on Twitter. I've just seen this gem on Facebook:

'I've said from the start that the regions were set up to destroy Ponty RFC.'

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:
'I've said from the start that the regions were set up to destroy Ponty RFC.'

That is a stupid comment to be fair

Can we ban whoever said that from Sardis

If anything the regions were set up to destroy all of Welsh rugby and certainly not just Ponty

Yes, of course. The regions were set up to destroy Welsh rugby.

Dear oh dear.

Steffan wrote:

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:
'I've said from the start that the regions were set up to destroy Ponty RFC.'

That is a stupid comment to be fair

Can we ban whoever said that from Sardis

If anything the regions were set up to destroy all of Welsh rugby and certainly not just Ponty

And you wonder why Ponty fans are treated the way they are?

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

munkian wrote:Their fans certainly aren't covering themselves in glory on Twitter.

Not just on Twitter. I've just seen this gem on Facebook:

'I've said from the start that the regions were set up to destroy Ponty RFC.'

To be fair I have read some equally stupid comments from supporters of other teams on social media and messageborads. Especially that Arms Park Forum website. Then again I guess you wouldn't highlight those ones as it doesn't suit your agenda here.

The best comment on the Arms Park forum has to be about Paul John. Basically some Cardiff supporter is making out that Paul John is Cardiff through and through and Pontypridd should be so grateful that they lent him out to help coach them. Is that the same Paul John that has been with Pontypridd for the last 20 odd years lol. The attitude seems to be that if Pontypridd supply Cardiff Blues with a youth player like young Jarrod Evans it's ok as it's all part of the regional process, but if Cardiff Blues lend that player back to get some game time then Pontypridd have to be building up shrines in tribute of Cardiff's generosity. It's quite funny to be fair. I actually think regional 'A' sides would be a good idea but it does make you laugh that when for example Cardiff or Llanelli demand stand alone status it's ok but as soon as Pontypridd stand up for themselves trying not to get wiped out like back in 2003 they become the route of all evil in Welsh rugby lol.

Semi-pro teams = feeder, supporter, supplier to Pro teams (in Wales' case, the Regions). What don't you understand?

Well done to Pontypridd on becoming Welsh champions yet again. I couldn't make the game but managed to watch it on S4C and it was a good game infront of a packed crowd. I bet the beer will be flowing in Sardis Road rugby club tonight. Well done again lads

Yes, congrats to Pontypridd. Well done on your league win.

CHAMPIONES CHAMPIONES OLÉ OLÉ OLÉ

PONTY PONTY PONTY

Jimmy Moz wrote:Well done to Pontypridd on becoming Welsh champions yet again. I couldn't make the game but managed to watch it on S4C and it was a good game infront of a packed crowd. I bet the beer will be flowing in Sardis Road rugby club tonight. Well done again lads

Didn't look as if many were there on the telly.

The Saint wrote:

Jimmy Moz wrote:Well done to Pontypridd on becoming Welsh champions yet again. I couldn't make the game but managed to watch it on S4C and it was a good game infront of a packed crowd. I bet the beer will be flowing in Sardis Road rugby club tonight. Well done again lads

Didn't look as if many were there on the telly.

I was at the game. It was pretty packed and fair do Ebbw brought a good load with them

Just over 4000 crowd according to Wales Online.

Griff wrote:Just over 4000 crowd according to Wales Online.

Not bad then for a 4pm Sunday match which was live on TV

Just over 2000 according to Ponty, I'm sure.

Surprised we aren't talking about the Ponty release on twitter today mind and their rather unnecessary pop at Scarlets.

Some of us don't have Twitter... And if I did I'm sure I wouldn't be following them lot! But now I'm interested in what was said.

http://fb.me/srmDfTHl

Risca Rev wrote:Surprised we aren't talking about the Ponty release on twitter today mind and their rather unnecessary pop at Scarlets

Ponty did not have a pop at the Llanelli. The article was written by Professor Dai Smith and it's more about the failures of "regional" rugby and ostracisation of the Valleys from professional Welsh rugby as opposed to a pro-Ponty rant

I know who it's by. They published it in their match day programme and put it on their own twitter feed though. You would think they'd maybe have better things to do than criticise Scarlets attendances on a day they were playing a final. Particularly when they then only get 2200 in.

Risca Rev wrote:Just over 2000 according to Ponty, I'm sure.

Surprised we aren't talking about the Ponty release on twitter today mind and their rather unnecessary pop at Scarlets.

Unnecessary commas too.

Risca Rev wrote:I know who it's by. They published it in their match day programme and put it on their own twitter feed though. You would think they'd maybe have better things to do than criticise Scarlets attendances on a day they were playing a final. Particularly when they then only get 2200 in.

As someone else said, there has been plenty of drivel against Ponty as well on social media. It's just the way Welsh rugby infighting goes. The problem we have on here is that people like you only want to highlight the Ponty stuff to suit your 'Ponty are the villains' manifesto as opposed to having a mature and open-minded discussion about the situation

You and other people on here don't like Ponty. Yes we get the picture Rev. Surely you have better things to be doing with your time than just coming on here to attack the club on a day where they won a fourth title in a row

That being said I got a date with a Llanelli girl lined up and she is 10 years younger than me (back of the net) so I had better say I disapprove of this comment on the Scarlets

Steffan wrote:That being said I got a date with a Llanelli girl lined up and she is 10 years younger than me (back of the net) so I had better say I disapprove of this comment on the Scarlets

You're only 24 yourself aren't you Steffan?