Maesteg RFC - A truly depressing tale.

Just read Peter Jackson's interview with former Welsh and Lions back-rower Richard Webster in TRP. A sobering and depressing tale it is too.

Webster, a former Welsh Premiership coach of the year, had left rugby to concentrate on his business when in November 2011 a friend asked him to help at Maesteg who were in a bit of trouble. Slight understatement. They were at the bottom of the 3rd Tier with -24pts. Yes, they had been docked 24pts - 4pts per match for the 6 matches they were unable to raise a team.

Webster talks about the difficulties of raising a team, and how a good week is when he has 14 players. He talks about buying boots for the players himself. He talks about his frustrations with the WRU. Frankly he talks about things that are just , well depressing.

That such a once great club could fall so far is extremely sad - no matter what country you are from.

That situation is rife among rugby clubs all over. With money tight and schools no longer keen to offer rugby as a PE option it's hard for a lot of teams tobget numbers.

It's pretty common place though sadly. I don't know what can be done about it really. Tredegar Ironsides in Risca's league are looking dodgy (games off left, right and centre) and there's probably plenty of others in the same boat.

Back a few years ago there used to be a thriving second team fixture list for a lot of clubs too, but you don't get that anymore. In our district league we could go undefeated all season and still lose the league through not being able to fulfil fixtures (mostly down to other teams).

Pity there's no link for that article by the way, as I'm unable to see TRP. I've seen Jackson's column online, so hopefully it'll be on there soon.

There was an article on here about similar, that visited a few of the famous clubs. I can't immediately find it, but think Webster was one spoken to in that. Things like players running round with cigarettes on their ears and back chatting him and that.

There is no money and no jobs in the area... There hasn't been for thirty years.

What can the communities do?

Maesteg RFC produced players like John Devereux, Kevin Ellis, Allan Bateman, Dai Young, Chico Hopkins, JJ williams to name the famous ones.



It would be good if you posted a link....???

Risca Rev wrote:There was an article on here about similar, that visited a few of the famous clubs. I can't immediately find it, but think Webster was one spoken to in that. Things like players running round with cigarettes on their ears and back chatting him and that.

That was not covered in this interview - but it was described as a follow-up piece to an article looking at the plight of club rugby.


Sam - I agree it is a problem across England as well, with school rugby becoming the preserve of the independent sector it seems.

There is no link (yet) MM, as a lot of TRP's stuff is in the actual sold paper and not online.

maestegmafia wrote:It would be good if you posted a link....???

Would it be breaking copyright if I scanned the article and uploaded the picture?

Wouldn't have thought. You bought the paper didn't you? It's just the same as you passing us the paper to read surely?

LondonTiger wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:It would be good if you posted a link....???

Would it be breaking copyright if I scanned the article and uploaded the picture?

Depends which paper