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'Unforgivable ineptitude': Pontypool demand WRU resignations
Rugby at grassroots level in Wales has been thrown into turmoil this week following an extraordinary statement by Pontypool after they were left fuming with the WRU following its inability to rearrange an important National Championship fixture. The club described the conduct of Beddau as “unprofessional and disgraceful” and have called for resignations to happen WRU level.
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The statement was issued on Monday after Pontypool opted to end their season following its frustration with the inability of the WRU to get the back-match played before the May 14 deadline. Their withering attack on those tasked with running the community game in Wales ran to nearly 600 words and nothing was seemingly left unsaid with its stinging criticism, the statement concluding that the governing body had again proven it wasn’t fit for purpose.
The statement in full read: “Pontypool RFC can confirm that the club’s 2021/2022 WRU National Championship campaign has concluded prematurely, meaning the quest for a fourth successive title has been stripped away through no fault of our own.
“Despite numerous efforts by Pontypool RFC to re-arrange the Beddau RFC fixture, Beddau rejected several dates before ultimately refusing to fulfil the fixture without explanation. After referring this matter to the Welsh Rugby Union, the governing body not only confirmed that Pontypool would not be awarded a bonus-point walkover victory but there was no means by which Beddau RFC could be sanctioned for their unprofessional and disgraceful conduct.
“A lead member of the Welsh Rugby Union’s community game board committed to display further weakness by ‘asking’ Beddau to fulfil the fixture, but we have heard nothing since. After waiting over two weeks for a progress update and given all fixtures were to be completed by May 14, 2022, our patience has run out and we refuse to be degraded a day longer.
With immense frustration, @PontypoolRFC can confirm the club's 2021-2022 season has ended.
The club is calling for @BeddauRFC to be expelled from the National Championship and for the @WelshRugbyUnion's Community Game Board to resign.
Club statement ? https://t.co/lnvrBdFDhC
— Pontypool RFC (@PontypoolRFC) May 3, 2022
“Given that the season will not conclude with all fixtures completed, Pontypool and Ystalyfera officials have today agreed that there is no point in devoting time and financial resources into re-arranging the fixture between the two clubs. Pontypool is grateful to Ystalyfera for the spirit in which these discussions were held and we share their frustration in this matter.
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“This means the ‘final’ National Championship league table will show Pontypool having played just eleven of its thirteen scheduled games and the club will finish no higher than third place. Pontypool would like to place on record its strong dissatisfaction towards Beddau for how it has chosen to conduct its business.
“To forfeit a National Championship fixture diminishes the league’s credibility and makes an even greater mockery of what has already been a disjointed season. It is the club’s position that they should be expelled from the National Championship immediately, but this clearly is not going to happen due to the unforgivable ineptitude of the Welsh Rugby Union.
“As such, the club also wishes to place on record its frustration for how the Welsh Rugby Union has lost complete control of its ability to govern the game. Time and time again, the governing body has proven it is not fit for purpose and Pontypool is again calling for the entire community game board to resign from their positions with immediate effect.
“Welsh club rugby deserves a community game board – and a board of directors for that matter – that hold the requisite skills to manage the game at all levels. To place an ambitious club such as Pontypool in a position whereby the club’s season has been abruptly terminated whilst still holding a mathematical opportunity to win a National Championship is indefensible. They have caused untold damage to the reputation of the second tier of Welsh club rugby.
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“We extend our sincerest apologies to our supporters for this highly embarrassing and unacceptable display of unprofessionalism from Beddau and the Welsh Rugby Union. We also wish to express our immense gratitude to the Pooler Army for your unwavering support during what has been an immensely challenging period throughout Covid-19 and the subsequent return to play.
“Our focus will now turn to making preparations for a hugely important 2022/2023 season, but we do so with an intense level of cynicism and concern for how the Welsh Rugby Union will govern the National Championship effectively, given its abysmal track record of presiding over a culture of failure and apathy towards the clubs it supposedly represents.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Good to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
17 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
17 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
7 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
7 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
17 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
17 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
7 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
17 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
17 Go to comments