Swalec Cup Final and Regional Players

Looking for a clarification on the rules for the Swalec Final. I have been told that each club in the Swalec Cup is limited to a maximum of 6 regional/academy players in this competition and that is one of the reasons that Pontypridd struggled on the weekend as they regularly field more than this through the regular league season.

Is it true that they regularly field Blues regional and academy players? If so I find that quite ironic due to their loathing of the Blues?

Clarification appreciated please.

I can't clarify anything, but I heard they had 7 Blues players playing for them on Saturday, which makes it all the more impressive (and satisfying) that Bridgend beat them.

It is definitely true. Throughout the season i believe Pontypridd have used around 20 Cardiff Blues contracted players. Wether they're full time professional players like Humberstone, Filise, Ellis Jenkins, Dicomedis or acadamy players like Seb Davies and Aled Summerhill.

The cost of the use of these players is around £170,000 for the season which they will not pay a penny towards.

You can see why blues fans are unhappy about this arrangement. Ponty and their fans will slate the current set up, have a got at the blues but happy to accept the handouts (as you've mentioned).

So glad Bridgend won.

Chuffed to bits that Bridgend won. Ponty are just a leeching entity that has a massive chip on both shoulders, constantly biting hands that feed, and constantly bitter towards anything that isn't Ponty.

It is on our forum (Ospreys) that they had 6 Blues registered players, whereas Bridgend had none of ours, great for the Ravens

Personally delighted for Bridgend too, both for the reasons listed above and for the fact it'll stop some of their supporters trying to big their tinpot club up to be bigger than they are (for a week at least anyway).

Ponty beat fully pro teams mind

Here comes the Ponty bashing again, from supporters who have had to make the grand total of, feck all sacrifices when it comes to supporting their team, also, for the record, the players that Ponty are getting from the Blues, some of them actually started their careers at Pontypridd.

LordDowlais wrote:Here comes the Ponty bashing again, from supporters who have had to make the grand total of, feck all sacrifices when it comes to supporting their team

What deems a 'sacrifice'? Paying money to watch them each week? Or paying money to follow them abroad? Just curious.

LordDowlais wrote:also, for the record, the players that Ponty are getting from the Blues, some of them actually started their careers at Pontypridd.

Well that's nice, where they started their careers doesn't contribute to their salaries though does it?

gcBlues wrote:What deems a 'sacrifice'? Paying money to watch them each week? Or paying money to follow them abroad? Just curious.

No, you support more or less the same side you did before regionalism, there was no change for you, you did not have to merge with anybody, you did not have to go to another ground to watch your team, you should realise just how luck you are.

gcBlues wrote:Well that's nice, where they started their careers doesn't contribute to their salaries though does it?

Well, what are Ponty supposed to do, find players, get them started, and then just hand them over ? At that rate Pontypridd would not have hardly any players, if Blues want those players, then fine, but if they are not going to use them, then let them play for Ponty until they want them.

LordDowlais wrote:No, you support more or less the same side you did before regionalism, there was no change for you, you did not have to merge with anybody, you did not have to go to another ground to watch your team, you should realise just how luck you are.

Or how the team i support could afford not to be merged and paid not to do so? Not my fault others were in a different situation.

LordDowlais wrote:Well, what are Ponty supposed to do, find players, get them started, and then just hand them over ? At that rate Pontypridd would not have hardly any players, if Blues want those players, then fine, but if they are not going to use them, then let them play for Ponty until they want them.

I would suggest Ponty fully embrace the Cardiff Blues. If they like to get the players for free then they need to be publicly supporting the pro club who plays in the region.

gcBlues wrote:Or how the team i support could afford not to be merged and paid not to do so? Not my fault others were in a different situation.

Yes you are right, it is not your fault, but perhaps a little bit more humility would not go a long way, you really need to realise how lucky you are, you did not have to pay to keep your club stand alone, yet your club is, stand alone. The rest of us did not get that luck.

gcBlues wrote:I would suggest Ponty fully embrace the Cardiff Blues. If they like to get the players for free then they need to be publicly supporting the pro club who plays in the region.

I would think that by actually getting players for Cardiff Blues, then they are doing their bit, it does not mean they have to like them though.

LordDowlais wrote:


I would think that by actually getting players for Cardiff Blues, then they are doing their bit, it does not mean they have to like them though.

Chuffin Nora. Talk about ungrateful.

LordDowlais wrote:

gcBlues wrote:Or how the team i support could afford not to be merged and paid not to do so? Not my fault others were in a different situation.

Yes you are right, it is not your fault, but perhaps a little bit more humility would not go a long way

Humility is something that wouldn't go amiss with some Ponty fans (and former players) on Twitter. Of course they want to celebrate the success they've had in the Premiership, but they should also acknowledge they've had a serious helping hand from the Blues to get that success, instead of slagging them (and the other regions) at every given opportunity and getting a rod on every time they lose.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:but they should also acknowledge they've had a serious helping hand from the Blues to get that success.

But without Pontypridd, Blues would not have those players in the first place. Look, it is a catch 22, and it needs to be a two way street, it does not mean that they should be all lovey dovey with each other.

LordDowlais wrote:Here comes the Ponty bashing again, from supporters who have had to make the grand total of, feck all sacrifices when it comes to supporting their team, also, for the record, the players that Ponty are getting from the Blues, some of them actually started their careers at Pontypridd.

How do you know who supported which team pre-regionalism? Perhaps you would care to stop making assumptions Dowlais.

LordDowlais wrote:

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:but they should also acknowledge they've had a serious helping hand from the Blues to get that success.

But without Pontypridd, Blues would not have those players in the first place. Look, it is a catch 22, and it needs to be a two way street, it does not mean that they should be all lovey dovey with each other.

So because they happened to live in Pontypridd we (or they, the Blues) should be eternally grateful to Pontypridd? What about the regional academies? They were likely in the Blues academy set-up before playing for Pontypridd.

I also echo the sentiments expressed here (apart from yours LD, you regurgitate the same moans over and over), good to see life left in the Ravens. Also brings a smile to my face knowing that rugby bashers like Steffan are nowhere to be seen. I'm actually ashamed of myself sometimes for wishing Pontypridd RFC well when their fans are the worst in world rugby.

Is it Pontypridd RFC themselves that hate the Blues or just SOME of their fans. I would imagine that the Chief and John have good relations with Ponty still.

I have said for sometime now that I think its good the Dragons have a Gwent coach there in the shape of Kingsley as he still has strong links with Ebbw Vale RFC and some of the local youth set ups.

'Ponty's Six of the Best'

No fewer than six Pontypridd players have been named in the initial Wales under 20s squad to prepare for the forthcoming Junior World Championship in Italy. The six, all Bues Academy members, are prop Dillon Lewis, hooker Liam Belcher, lock Seb Davies, scrum half Tomos Williams, outside half Jarrod Evans and centre Garyn Smith.

http://www.ponty.net/ponty-s-six-of-the-best?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

ALL of their fans beds, and yeah, probably the club too. I think in all my time I've met one Ebbw Valian who hated the Dragons, he decided to go and support Cardiff Blues instead funnily enough . Anyway, Ebbw Vale in seasons gone-by have had a fair few Newport boys in their ranks. Without Newport, Ebbw Vale would not have had those players in the first place....

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:'Ponty's Six of the Best'

No fewer than six Pontypridd players have been named in the initial Wales under 20s squad to prepare for the forthcoming Junior World Championship in Italy. The six, all Bues Academy members, are prop Dillon Lewis, hooker Liam Belcher, lock Seb Davies, scrum half Tomos Williams, outside half Jarrod Evans and centre Garyn Smith.

http://www.ponty.net/ponty-s-six-of-the-best?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

Laughable. Shameless vile club.

The Saint wrote:ALL of their fans beds, and yeah, probably the club too. I think in all my time I've met one Ebbw Valian who hated the Dragons, he decided to go and support Cardiff Blues instead funnily enough . Anyway, Ebbw Vale in seasons gone-by have had a fair few Newport boys in their ranks. Without Newport, Ebbw Vale would not have had those players in the first place....

Saint,

Trust me there is more than 1, I have 4 in my own family who wont set foot inside Rodney Parade unless Ebbw are playing Newport and yeah I know of a fair few who have decided to support the Os.

There has been an increase in the ones that have decided to support the Dragons and that's in no small part to do with the work they do in the Gwent community as a whole and I do think KJ being there helps.

I don't quite understand what the bit in bold means or what you mean by it sorry.

The bit in bold was a p*ss take.

ah sorry straight over my head

bedfordwelsh wrote:

The Saint wrote:ALL of their fans beds, and yeah, probably the club too. I think in all my time I've met one Ebbw Valian who hated the Dragons, he decided to go and support Cardiff Blues instead funnily enough . Anyway, Ebbw Vale in seasons gone-by have had a fair few Newport boys in their ranks. Without Newport, Ebbw Vale would not have had those players in the first place....

Saint,

Trust me there is more than 1, I have 4 in my own family who wont set foot inside Rodney Parade unless Ebbw are playing Newport and yeah I know of a fair few who have decided to support the Os.

There has been an increase in the ones that have decided to support the Dragons and that's in no small part to do with the work they do in the Gwent community as a whole and I do think KJ being there helps.

I don't quite understand what the bit in bold means or what you mean by it sorry.

Not just at Ebbw, Beds. I have some mates who are Newport RFC fans who refuse to support the Dragons or set foot in RP when the Dragons are playing (although they're happy to go there when Newport are playing). This is why it gets my goat when people say Gwent Dragons is just Newport RFC - clearly not as it caused division in Newport fanbase too!

Risca Rev wrote:

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:'Ponty's Six of the Best'

No fewer than six Pontypridd players have been named in the initial Wales under 20s squad to prepare for the forthcoming Junior World Championship in Italy. The six, all Bues Academy members, are prop Dillon Lewis, hooker Liam Belcher, lock Seb Davies, scrum half Tomos Williams, outside half Jarrod Evans and centre Garyn Smith.

http://www.ponty.net/ponty-s-six-of-the-best?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

Laughable. Shameless vile club.

What is laughable is the bile you and your ilk spew out.

Those are players produced by Pontypridd and who have generally come up through all the age groups with them.

So shouldn't they get the credit. Signing for the Blues academy later on is fine but why should Blues get the pat on the back.

Throughout their history Cardiff have rarely produced many players and have relied on the valleys, BNridgend and West Wales to do most of it for them. So I find it strange that somehow Ponty are supposed to be so grateful for being allowed to play players that they have produced in the first place.

Perhaps Cardiff should pay Ponty a fee for all the time and effort that went in to producing these players.

Thank you Doc, what I find the most annoying on here, is that people who have not lost any pro rugby and have not had to make any sacrifices are the first to get all high and mighty when it comes to Pontypridd and rugby in the valleys.

LordDowlais wrote:Thank you Doc, what I find the most annoying on here, is that people who have not lost any pro rugby and have not had to make any sacrifices are the first to get all high and mighty when it comes to Pontypridd and rugby in the valleys.

But what you never seem to acknowledge is that, for example, a lot of the Dragons fans on this board are not from Newport but have become Dragons fans after the advent of regional rugby. But I bet you still lump them in with the 'never lost pro rugby' crowd. While you're quick to defend anyone who puts down Ponty, how about some praise for those who swallowed their pride and got behind a new regional concept when they probably felt like outsiders at RP at first. They've made sacrifices too.

Griff wrote:'never lost pro rugby'

Ok Griff, I will explain this to you so that you can try and understand what I am saying, I am not talking about people who have accepted regionalism, most of the Ponty fans did that exact same thing when Warriors were formed. They then had that taken away from them and were then told there would be no pro rugby in your area, go and support Cardiff.

Griff, you are a Dragons fan, nothing more, nothing less. That has never been taken away from you, what if the worst happened and they were shut down, and you were then told to go and support Cardiff Blues, how would you feel about that ? The people in the valleys are very passionate rugby supporters, you cannot take their rugby off them, not only did the people of Ponty and the surrounding valleys have to adjust to supporting their region, Warriors, they then, after adjusting, were told they had to adjust again, nobody else has had to do that.

What then followed, was the Warriors fans being made to whiteness the WRU bailing out another region, who were stand alone and should never have been, then watched the same WRU come in, and rescue Dragons by taking partnership in them, you need to understand why they are the way they are, before you have a go at them. None of what has happened is the fault of the fans from other regions, but when these other fans get on their high horses and call them names like vile supporters, they will shout back, and in all honesty they have a right to, because no other fans have been through what they have, not yet anyway.

Sorry for the long winded reply, but I am trying to explain to you as best I can and at the same time, trying not to get people on here throwing stones my way.

bedfordwelsh wrote:Is it Pontypridd RFC themselves that hate the Blues or just SOME of their fans.

When you have the guy running the club coming out and bad mouthing the blues and the guy who runs the magazine allowing articles to go in which openly criticise the pro team which inhabits the region i'd say it goes beyond sjust some of their fans.

There's a complete inability to accept they are not a pro club anymore and never will be. They need to openly embrace this concept and acknowledge the role they play, rather than believe/demand change so they can be included.

LordDowlais wrote:Not only did the people of Ponty and the surrounding valleys have to adjust to supporting their region, Warriors, they then, after adjusting, were told they had to adjust again, nobody else has had to do that.

What then followed, was the Warriors fans being made to whiteness the WRU bailing out another region, who were stand alone and should never have been, then watched the same WRU come in, and rescue Dragons by taking partnership in them

First of all, your chronology is wrong, and secondly, didn't the WRU's 'rescue' of the Dragons come to the grand sum of a pound?

LordDowlais wrote:
when these other fans get on their high horses and call them names like vile supporters, they will shout back, and in all honesty they have a right to, because no other fans have been through what they have, not yet anyway.

:

That doesn't excuse the Ponty fans for their lewd and vile behaviour everytime Llanelli or Cardiff visit their ground. They belong in football not rugby.

The amount of abuse the other regions get for the Ponty predicament is insane. Good honest, rugby fans paying their hard earned cash to keep pro rugby afloat in Wales - getting abused by a chippy typically Welsh mindset. So sad.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:First of all, your chronology is wrong, and secondly, didn't the WRU's 'rescue' of the Dragons come to the grand sum of a pound?

They still rescued them though, and what is wrong with my chronology, would you please care to explain ? What I have said is correct, another team was bailed out by the WRU, to the tune of 900,000 big ones.

bedfordwelsh wrote:Is it Pontypridd RFC themselves that hate the Blues or just SOME of their fans.  I would imagine that the Chief and John have good relations with Ponty still.

I went up to Sardis Rd a few years back to see Ponty v Llanelli in the Prem final. Ponty had won the league outright, but the play offs meant that Llanelli were in with a shout to win the trophy.

The 2 hours I spent there were sheer hell. There were old women swearing at us juts because we had red on and not black. There were kids spitting on our backs. When we won, the entire crowd booed as if they'd been wronged. When the trophy got presented to the Llanelli captain - the Ponty officials turned out the floodlights so we had to receive it in the dark.

Ponty - the true spirit of rugby.

Chunky Norwich wrote:The amount of abuse the other regions get for the Ponty predicament is insane. Good honest, rugby fans paying their hard earned cash to keep pro rugby afloat in Wales - getting abused by a chippy typically Welsh mindset. So sad.

We shall forget how the Llanelli fans behaved before the start of regionalism then shall we ? How people forget, I do agree though that Pontypridd fans should let go of things, but until you feel what they have been through, then calling them names is a bit rich, especially from Llanelli supporters.

LordDowlais wrote:
We shall forget how the Llanelli fans behaved before the start of regionalism then shall we ? How people forget, I do agree though that Pontypridd fans should let go of things, but until you feel what they have been through, then calling them names is a bit rich, especially from Llanelli supporters.

How did they behave?

Chunky Norwich wrote:How did they behave?

What,are you kidding me ? All the protesting about not being allowed to be a stand alone region ? All the hostility that was coming out of Llanelli ? All the threats ? All the taking the already bankrupt WRU to court ? Have you just forgotten all that ?

doctornickolas wrote:

Risca Rev wrote:

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:'Ponty's Six of the Best'

No fewer than six Pontypridd players have been named in the initial Wales under 20s squad to prepare for the forthcoming Junior World Championship in Italy. The six, all Bues Academy members, are prop Dillon Lewis, hooker Liam Belcher, lock Seb Davies, scrum half Tomos Williams, outside half Jarrod Evans and centre Garyn Smith.

http://www.ponty.net/ponty-s-six-of-the-best?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

Laughable. Shameless vile club.

What is laughable is the bile you and your ilk spew out.

Those are players produced by Pontypridd and who have generally come up through all the age groups with them.

So shouldn't they get the credit. Signing for the Blues academy later on is fine but why should Blues get the pat on the back.

Throughout their history Cardiff have rarely produced many players and have relied on the valleys, BNridgend and West Wales  to do most of it for them. So I find it strange that somehow Ponty are supposed to be so grateful for being allowed to play players that they have produced in the first place.

Perhaps Cardiff should pay Ponty a fee for all the time and effort that went in to producing these players.  

That isn't strictly true. Seb Davies is a Pentyrch player who joined the Blues set up at U-16's

LordDowlais wrote:

Chunky Norwich wrote:How did they behave?

What,are you kidding me ? All the protesting about not being allowed to be a stand alone region ? All the hostility that was coming out of Llanelli ? All the threats ? All the taking the already bankrupt WRU to court ? Have you just forgotten all that ?

So, you think they should have said:

"We have existed as a first class rugby club for 128 years, but now is the time to call it a day. Somebody else should have a go"


?

Chunky Norwich wrote:"We have existed as a first class rugby club for 128 years, but now is the time to call it a day. Somebody else should have a go"

Isn't that what the Pontypridd fans are being told ?

So you can justify the behaviour of your fans by making out you were on some kind of cause for the good of rugby, but Pontypridd fans are vile for the way they behave ?

Talk about double standards.

gcBlues wrote:

bedfordwelsh wrote:Is it Pontypridd RFC themselves that hate the Blues or just SOME of their fans.

When you have the guy running the club coming out and bad mouthing the blues and the guy who runs the magazine allowing articles to go in which openly criticise the pro team which inhabits the region i'd say it goes beyond sjust some of their fans.

There's a complete inability to accept they are not a pro club anymore and never will be. They need to openly embrace this concept and acknowledge the role they play, rather than believe/demand change so they can be included.

Correct.

LordDowlais wrote:

Chunky Norwich wrote:"We have existed as a first class rugby club for 128 years, but now is the time to call it a day. Somebody else should have a go"

Isn't that what the Pontypridd fans are being told ?

So you can justify the behaviour of your fans by making out you were on some kind of cause for the good of rugby, but Pontypridd fans are vile for the way they behave ?

Talk about double standards.

Can you answer the question please. What reaction would you expect from a 128 year old sports club after being told they are to not exist anymore.

LordDowlais wrote:

Griff wrote:'never lost pro rugby'

Ok Griff, I will explain this to you so that you can try and understand what I am saying, I am not talking about people who have accepted regionalism, most of the Ponty fans did that exact same thing when Warriors were formed. They then had that taken away from them and were then told there would be no pro rugby in your area, go and support Cardiff.

Griff, you are a Dragons fan, nothing more, nothing less. That has never been taken away from you, what if the worst happened and they were shut down, and you were then told to go and support Cardiff Blues, how would you feel about that ? The people in the valleys are very passionate rugby supporters, you cannot take their rugby off them, not only did the people of Ponty and the surrounding valleys have to adjust to supporting their region, Warriors, they then, after adjusting, were told they had to adjust again, nobody else has had to do that.

What then followed, was the Warriors fans being made to whiteness the WRU bailing out another region, who were stand alone and should never have been, then watched the same WRU come in, and rescue Dragons by taking partnership in them, you need to understand why they are the way they are, before you have a go at them. None of what has happened is the fault of the fans from other regions, but when these other fans get on their high horses and call them names like vile supporters, they will shout back, and in all honesty they have a right to, because no other fans have been through what they have, not yet anyway.

Sorry for the long winded reply, but I am trying to explain to you as best I can and at the same time, trying not to get people on here throwing stones my way.

When you go on about the 'Valleys' what part are you on about, certainly not the Gwent Valleys as Ponty has never represented us nor would the often muted Valleys Region.

You go on about when you lost the Warriors we didn't even have that luxury in the first place Newport Gwent Dragons were our Region and we had to take it or leave it and it's a personal point. Ponty to Cardiff is 9 miles with trains every 10 minutes, Ebbw to Newport is 19 miles with no direct train so what would the hardship be IF people wanted to go and watch the Blues, if they don't then that is fine as well just why bang on about it all the time.

People in the Gwent valleys either go and watch the Dragons or they don't there isn't nowhere near as much animosity aimed at the Region as there is from Ponty to the Blues and before you say it maybe due to a better working relationship then trust me it wasn't always that way but relationships are a two way street and both parties have to make strides to improve them. Even if it means being the better person so to speak and make first moves.

Chunky Norwich wrote:Can you answer the question please. What reaction would you expect from a 128 year old sports club after being told they are to not exist anymore.

What reaction would I expect ? Well,the exact same reaction as we are getting from the Pontypridd fans now. Please do not tell me the Llanelli fans would be any different if it was their region that was killed off by the WRU.

LordDowlais wrote:

Chunky Norwich wrote:Can you answer the question please. What reaction would you expect from a 128 year old sports club after being told they are to not exist anymore.

What reaction would I expect ? Well,the exact same reaction as we are getting from the Pontypridd fans now. Please do not tell me the Llanelli fans would be any different if it was their region that was killed off by the WRU.

Well I for one wouldn't behave like Ponty fans do.

I would expect any club to fight off the threat of exctinction from the pro game. Just like Cardiff did. Just like Ponty did. Just like Llanelli did.

And at the time I was incredibly sorry for Pontypridd rugby club. Not anymore after the way they behave to my region. Scumbags.

LordDowlais wrote:Thank you Doc, what I find the most annoying on here, is that people who have not lost any pro rugby and have not had to make any sacrifices are the first to get all high and mighty when it comes to Pontypridd and rugby in the valleys.

They haven't lost pro rugby, they choose not to support it. If Dragons did go under, I don't know what I would do (whether I'd support Blues or Ospreys), but I would still have pro rugby in Wales available to me to support.

I certainly wouldn't lie about my club's attendances constantly and pan the regions' (2.5k to Cornwall mind), wouldn't take out articles in a match day magazine running pro rugby down (shame on Pontypridd for printing such one sided guff too), wouldn't make a point of constantly saying meritocracy, South of the M4 or never be a blue ad nauseam and wouldn't believe I was entitled to pro rugby on my doorstep.

bedfordwelsh wrote:When you go on about the 'Valleys' what part are you on about, certainly not the Gwent Valleys as Ponty has never represented us nor would the often muted Valleys Region.

Sorry, I should have been more specific, I mean the Glamorgan valleys. But I think you are missing my point Beds. The Ponty fans had to do the exact same thing as the Ebbw fans, they had to embrace a new region, they did this, they merged with Bridgend to make a region, but after they did it, they had it pulled from them. So not only did they have to make compromises the first time around, they were then told to go and support somebody else anyway. All this, whilst watching the WRU help out two other regions not long afterwards.

Look I am not defending some of the idiots who support Pontypridd, but people need to get down off their high horses before they go and start being judge, jury and executioner all at once when talking about them.

bedfordwelsh wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:

Griff wrote:'never lost pro rugby'

Ok Griff, I will explain this to you so that you can try and understand what I am saying, I am not talking about people who have accepted regionalism, most of the Ponty fans did that exact same thing when Warriors were formed. They then had that taken away from them and were then told there would be no pro rugby in your area, go and support Cardiff.

Griff, you are a Dragons fan, nothing more, nothing less. That has never been taken away from you, what if the worst happened and they were shut down, and you were then told to go and support Cardiff Blues, how would you feel about that ? The people in the valleys are very passionate rugby supporters, you cannot take their rugby off them, not only did the people of Ponty and the surrounding valleys have to adjust to supporting their region, Warriors, they then, after adjusting, were told they had to adjust again, nobody else has had to do that.

What then followed, was the Warriors fans being made to whiteness the WRU bailing out another region, who were stand alone and should never have been, then watched the same WRU come in, and rescue Dragons by taking partnership in them, you need to understand why they are the way they are, before you have a go at them. None of what has happened is the fault of the fans from other regions, but when these other fans get on their high horses and call them names like vile supporters, they will shout back, and in all honesty they have a right to, because no other fans have been through what they have, not yet anyway.

Sorry for the long winded reply, but I am trying to explain to you as best I can and at the same time, trying not to get people on here throwing stones my way.

When you go on about the 'Valleys' what part are you on about, certainly not the Gwent Valleys as Ponty has never represented us nor would the often muted Valleys Region.

You go on about when you lost the Warriors we didn't even have that luxury in the first place Newport Gwent Dragons were our Region and we had to take it or leave it and it's a personal point.  Ponty to Cardiff is 9 miles with trains every 10 minutes, Ebbw to Newport is 19 miles with no direct train so what would the hardship be IF people wanted to go and watch the Blues, if they don't then that is fine as well just why bang on about it all the time.

People in the Gwent valleys either go and watch the Dragons or they don't there isn't nowhere near as much animosity aimed at the Region as there is from Ponty to the Blues and before you say it maybe due to a better working relationship then trust me it wasn't always that way but relationships are a two way street and both parties have to make strides to improve them.  Even if it means being the better person so to speak and make first moves.

Good post.

Risca Rev wrote:I certainly wouldn't lie about my club's attendances constantly and pan the regions' (2.5k to Cornwall mind), wouldn't take out articles in a match day magazine running pro rugby down (shame on Pontypridd for printing such one sided guff too), wouldn't make a point of constantly saying meritocracy, South of the M4 or never be a blue ad nauseam and wouldn't believe I was entitled to pro rugby on my doorstep.

Yes they can be a bit idiotic on times, but it is easy for you to say what you are saying when you have not even been through anything on the scale that they have.

Risca Rev wrote:They haven't lost pro rugby, they choose not to support it.

Yes they have, they have lost Warriors. Look, I do not think you understand the rivalry between Cardiff and Pontypridd pre regionalism, it was never going to work, the WRU would have been better off telling Pontypridd to embrace Ospraylia, at least there would not have been any bitter rivalry to get over before they even started.