Treorchy RFC

Firstly, I need to apologise for the lack of updates to the club website over the last couple of weeks - especially as it's the start of the season. I've got a good excuse though ... I'm on holiday!

I'm typing this using a free internet terminal on the Interislander Ferry from Picton to Wellington ... that's in New Zealand by the way! As I type, I'm looking out at the bluest sea you can imagine with mountains on the distant horizon ... better than what I usually see out of the window when I write to you by a mile.

The holiday has been a blast so far and I've only been woken in the middle of the night 3 times by people who can't tell the time ... I won't name names at the moment but ... you know who you are ... Afterall, I did want to know how the 1st XV got on in their first match of the season.

As I mentioned earlier, I'm on the ferry travelling from the South Island of NZ to the North. After a day watching Whales yesterday, I'm getting ready for watching Wales on Sunday. As it will also be my birthday, I'm hoping that I'll get the birthday present that I ordered and we'll beat South Africa!

Before that though, I'll be hoping for a win for the Zebras v Merthyr ... we produced an excellent display last season to beat the Steelmen and I'm sure that nothing less than that will be needed if we are to equal last season's achievement.

The Youth and Development teams are also in action tomorrow - Home to Rhydyfelin and away to Tylorstown respectively.

That's all from me for now - I'm hoping for better internet access on North Island so I may get a chance to update the website ... please be patient if I can't.

I'll give Wales a cheer for you on Sunday, so make sure you cheer a Zebra team for me on Saturday please.

Well our first August weekend is here and it actually feels like Summer ... just in time for the start of pre-season rugby ... Typical!

It’s also typical that the sun is shining while I’m stuck in the house waiting for a delivery from Argos ... Unfortunately, I can’t hear the doorbell in the back garden. They won’t give a delivery time – could be any time between now and 7pm so I’ve got my fingers crossed that it will be earlier rather than later.

Anyway, being stuck in the house means that I have no excuse not to send out an e-mail this morning! So, on to business ...

This Weekend:
There’s live music at the clubhouse tonight when local band, the Duplicates, take to the stage at the clubhouse. Doors open at 7pm, tickets are £4.

Wales start their World Cup Warm-up at Twickers on Saturday ... come and watch it with us on the big screen.

Zebras’ Friendlies:
Preparation for the new season starts in earnest next week with the first of three friendly matches.
Thursday 11 August – Treorchy v Cardiff – The Oval – KO TBA
Saturday 20 August – Treorchy v Glynneath – The Oval – KO 2.30
Thursday 25 August – Llantrisant v Treorchy – Away – KO TBA

Let’s Talk about Text:
We’re launching a new service to keep you up to date with news about rugby fixtures and clubhouse events. If you’d like to receive weekly texts with the latest news, just text WEEKLY to 07977 886654.

Here Come the Girls:
Our women’s team had a great season and finished on a high when they beat Lampeter University 119-0 and then took the spoils when they played their more experienced local rivals, Tylorstown, in a sevens tournament.

The team and the club are keen to build on this momentum and we are looking for 2 new coaches to take the team to the next stage in their development. Please spread the word to anyone who might be interested.

That’s all for now ... I’m off to look out of the window for the Argos lorry (again).

Well, three in a row .. a much better start to the second half of the year! It's probably because I've got another day off ... I'm trialling a move to compressed hours where I do five days work in four days and have a day off each week. It's going well at the moment and I'm definitely enjoying the benefits of a three day weekend. No rude coments about public sector workers please

On the subject of enjoyment ... I have to give a mention to the Treorchy Festival. What a fantastic day ... it was a great boost to the pubs, clubs and shops in the local area as well as for all of the bands that played at the venues. The clubhouse was full from 2pm till midnight and there was a really good atmosphere. I really hope that the organisers are able to do it again next year.

The Zebras' pre-season boot camp is progressing well and numbers have been good at all training sessions. We're still on the look out for physios though and, I know I'm keeping on but please spread the word!

Plans for the 125th anniversary season are starting to come together and there'll be a pre-match lunch for Friends of Treorchy and Vice Presidents on 3rd September ... info on more events will be coming soon.

Pre-season fixtures have been arranged - including one v Cardiff - I'm waiting to find out dates and times etc and will post them on the website shortly.

Right ... got to dash ... chores to do before catching the train to Cardiff ... I'm on a boozy day out with work colleagues old and new! Is it cocktail weather?

I bet you didn't expect to hear from me today! Oh ye of little faith! I've got a day off so didn't have to find time to write before going to work. I've got the next few Fridays off as well (you've got to love flexi-time) and so I'll have no excuses.

The countdown to the world cup (and my birthday) has well and truly started and I'm getting just a tad excited as I'll be in Wellington (NZ - not boots) to watch the Wales v South Africa match. I'm hoping that Wales will give me a birthday present to remember ... ever the optimist!

Wales are starting their world cup prep with a training camp in Poland. The Zebras are not quite so fortunate and their pre-season prep started on Tuesday with an intensive session on the cabbage patch. I've heard some disturbing tales of broken men!

Seriously though, the pre-season training has begun in earnest and the coaches and players are already focussed on the season ahead. The season will kick off on 3rd September with a home fixture versus Blackwood (have I mentioned that I'll be on holiday then?). The rest of the fixtures will be on the website later.

Blackwood finished in 4th place last season, did the double over the Zebras and will be tough opponents on what is the first match in Treorchy RFC's 125th Anniversary Season. Over the next few weeks, I'll let you know how plans to celebrate this milestone are taking shape.

We're still on the lookout for physios for the Senior and Women's teams - please spread the word and ask any interested parties to get in touch as soon as possible please.

Don't forget that tomorrow is the date for the first ever Treorchy Festival. Thirty or so bands will play at 5 venues in Treorchy and Cwmparc – including our Rugby Club. The first band on stage at the clubhouse is the Satellites at 2pm. They’ll be followed by Heaven for Haters, Smash Alley, The Materazzis, 100000 Bodybags, Dead Radio and Ten Cent Toy. The festival closes with a set from the Deadheads who’ll be on stage at approximately 8.30. For more details go to http/www.treorchyfestival.org

Have a good weekend!

Have you missed me? I hope so ... because if you have, seeing this pop up in your inbox will have made you smile! If you haven’t and it doesn’t, then there’s always the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the e-mail!

I failed my New Year resolution to be a better blogger ... failed miserably in fact as this is my first e-mail since the end of January! In my defence, I blame work and travelling to work for my complete failure!

As today is the start of the second half of the year, I thought it would be a good day to restart my blogging – call it my Half Year resolution if you like. I’ve also moved offices (back to Treforest) so I can’t blame travelling to work any more.

So ... where to start? Last season is done and dusted and, whilst not quite forgotten, it’s certainly towards the back of everyone’s minds. The prep for next season has already started ...

• Meirion and Gareth are confirmed as coaches
• Gatch Wilcox is taking over from Howard Laz as Team Manager
• The runs up to the Mast are getting easier (allegedly)

All we need now are some new physios and the fixtures! Rumours are that the WRU will publish the fixtures today ... as soon as I have them; I’ll upload them to the website. If you know physios that may be interested let me know – or ask them to get in touch please.

As part of the pre-season ritual, players old and new will be getting together in the clubhouse tomorrow afternoon. We’ll be showing the Super 15 semi-final ‘as live’ on the TV and supporters are more than welcome. The clubhouse will be open from 3pm and the match will be on at 4pm.

If you come to the club tomorrow, ask to see the plans for the new gym / weights room. We’ve had planning permission to do some re-modelling (as they say on makeover shows) out the back ... old walls will come down and new ones will go up and the new facility should be in place for the start of the season.

Next Saturday sees the first ever Treorchy Festival where 30 or so bands will play at 5 venues in Treorchy and Cwmparc – including our Rugby Club. First band on stage at the clubhouse are the Satellites at 2pm. They’ll be followed by Heaven for Haters, Smash Alley, The Materazzis, 100000 Bodybags, Dead Radio and Ten Cent Toy. The festival closes with a set from the Deadheads who’ll be on stage at approximately 8.30. For more details go to http://www.treorchyfestival.org/

That’s all from me for this week ... let’s see if I can manage 2 weeks in a row at least!

Have a good weekend!

It’s not been a bad week so far ... I finally have a debit card that works; the trains have been on time; I haven’t got drenched; I’ve almost made it to the end of Jan without alcohol and McDonalds and, I got the new job!

Let’s hope that this good fortune continues into the weekend and that it will rub off on the Zebras.

The 1st XV travel to Blackwood for a rearranged fixture - the original having been postponed due t the “lovely” weather we had in December. According to the Yahoo! Weather forecast app on my iPhone, the temperature is going to drop to -5 tonight, so I guess we’ll have to wait for a pitch inspection in the morning before we make our travel plans.

After a very strong start to the season, Blackwood have now dropped into mid table with 6 wins from 11 starts. Blackwood have scored an average of just over three tries per match and have 5 try scoring bonus points ... including one from the opening match of the season against the Zebras at the Oval. Our performance that day was a more than creditable one and this is reflected in the Blackwood match report ... “Fair play to Treorchy they kept going and they finished the game with a consolation try. It was not enough to predjudice the result though and Blackwood went back to the very welcoming clubhouse to celebrate the win. Both sides gained from this game and I can see Treorchy winning a lot more games than they lose.” All we need now is to fulfil that promise and notch up some more wins!

The Ath and Youth Teams are both home (again, I guess there will have to be pitch inspections). Mr Baglan’s team will be at the Baglan Field whilst the Youth will entertain Rhydyfelin at the Oval.

Next week sees the start of the Six Nations and, as usual, we’ll be showing all of the action at the clubhouse ... we’ve gone all hi-tech now as well and have got multi-room so we can even cater for those who’d rather watch Coronation Street than Wales v England!

Just one reminder before I go ... don’t forget to put your order in for the new design polo shirt ... I’ll upload a pic to the website over the weekend for you to see what they look like.

Have a good weekend and keep your fingers crossed for some rugby tomorrow!

As usual, I’m really glad it’s Friday ... it’s been a bit of a week! The lovely long break over Christmas and the New Year seems months ago. I guess it’s the post holiday blues, and the rain really doesn’t help ... getting drenched going to and from work is not fun!

Also not fun, is cash machines eating my card TWICE in less than a week!!! I wouldn’t mind if there was no money in my account but it’s only the second week of the month and my account is fairly healthy. A “machine fault” apparently caused the first eating of the card on Saturday morning. My new card was waiting for me when I got home from work on Wednesday, I validated it on line and was looking forward to going shopping (there’s a 40% off sale in my fave handbag shop). You can imagine my fury when a visit to the cash machine yesterday resulted in my card being retained and no cash being dispensed. Apparently, my new card didn’t allow cash withdrawals or payments in shops ... the new card order had been input incorrectly! Aaaaargh ... the air was blue!!! It’s just as well that I went to get cash first and didn’t try to use it to pay in a shop .... imagine if I’d had a trolley full of shopping in Tesco or a tank full of fuel in the petrol station ... I’m coming out in a cold sweat at the thought!!! Needless to say, I am reverting to old fashioned methods today and cashing a cheque!

Rant over ... let’s get on to rugby! The fixture list shows a full weekend of matches for the 1st, Ath, Women and Youth Teams but how many of these will go ahead is really up to the weather and the state of the pitches.

The 1st XV are due to travel to Llanharan for an important League fixture but it looks like there’s only a slim chance of the match going ahead. The Llanharan website says that “torrential rain has left the field saturated and it will take a major break in the weather if the match is to go ahead”. Llanharan are currently 1 place above the Zebras and a win for us would see us move ahead of them and into 9th place in the table. We were unlucky to lose to the Black and Blues at the Oval earlier in the season and the Zebras will certainly be approaching the match knowing that a win is well within their grasp.

The Ath and Youth have a Gilfach Goch double header. Both teams are home but I’m not sure which one is playing on the Oval and which on the Baglan Field. I will update the website with the details once I know if the matches are on. You can also check out our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter for up to date info. If the matches go ahead, the Ath need to win to make sure they stay at the top of the league table whilst the Youth, who are currently in third place in their division with matches in hand, need to win to maintain their challenge for the top spot.

On Sunday, the Women’s team are due to face Lampeter University at the Oval, kick off 2.30. This team is going from strength to strength and are in with a good chance of winning.

That’s all from me today; I’m off to catch a train. Have a good weekend.

Well, it’s been a while hasn’t it! So I’d better start with saying Happy New Year ... I hope you had a good Christmas and that 2011 will be a good year for you.

My New Year Resolution is to send out my e-mail update more regularly ... I was a bit erratic last year and have resolved to be more efficient this year ... time will tell!

It’s been a struggle going back to work this week and I’ll be glad to see the end of the working day today ... I just hope that we don’t have too much snow disruption ... I haven’t got enough bread and milk to last the weekend and the shops will be bare by lunchtime!

I’m hoping that the snow (and rain) will hold off so that we actually get some rugby tomorrow! I’m getting withdrawal symptoms! There’s a full set of fixtures for the 1st, Athletic and Youth Teams and you’ll be spoilt for choice!

The 1st XV play host to Gilfach Goch at the Oval. Gilfach have become a bit of a bogey side for us and we’ve lost 6 of the last 7 encounters. The form book makes Gilfach favourites to win tomorrow – they are in 2nd place in the league compared with our 10th place. However, the Zebras are nothing if not battlers and, so far this season, have played well against the “better” teams in the Division. If we’ve got our heads on straight tomorrow, we’ll be in with a chance and a surprise may well be on the cards.

The Athletic XV make the short trip to Penygraig for a league match aiming to consolidate their position at the top end of the table. They beat Penygraig convincingly (35-7) in the corresponding home fixture so they should be in a confident mood.

The Youth XV play Pontyclun at the Baglan Field in the quarter final of the Taff Rhondda cup. Our young side have had an excellent season so far and on current form look to be in with a good chance of a win.

That’s all for me for now ... I’ve got a train to catch ... yes, no more car park lift/stairs battles ... I’ll explain next week!

Have a good weekend.

Oh boy has it been a long week! I’m working on a new project in work and it’s making my brain hurt ... I haven’t had to concentrate this much for years! My body is hurting too as the lifts in the car park (yes I’m back on my pet subject) have been out of order all week and yesterday, I had to climb to the 5th floor carrying 2 bags of shopping ... the air was blue! I’ve had enough for this week ... I’m going to let the train take the strain today ... a nice relaxing journey reading my book, no lifts, no stairs ... don’t know why I don’t take the train everyday!

So the Autumn Internationals are here again ... hope the Aussies don’t play like they did last weekend against the All Blacks!

It’s good to see former Zebra Matthew Rees getting the Captain’s armband ... it’s a huge challenge and we wish him all the best. It’s also good to see Andrew Bishop in the starting line-up ... he and his centre partner Tom Shanklin will certainly have their hands full tomorrow with Giteau and Ashley-Cooper though. Let’s hope he puts in a good performance and makes the starting spot his own.

The Wales v Australia should mean that we’re in for an exciting weekend and, if you want to finish it off with a bang, the Oval is the place to be. Now before you start thinking rude thoughts ... remember, remember it’s the 7th of November on Sunday! Treorchy RFC’s Mini and Junior Section’s annual Fireworks Display is the best display in the area and a terrific fundraiser for the next generation Zebras. Gates open at 5pm with the display starting at 7ish. There’s a barbecue, hot and cold refreshments and music from DJ Martin Dibble. Entry is £5 for adults, £3 for children or £10 for a family of 4.

The club still has some tickets available for the Wales v South Africa – contact Bryan James on 07791 541732.

Have a good weekend –I’m going to watch the match in the rugby club ... I’ve had enough of Cardiff this week. If you’re going to Cardiff to watch the match, don’t park in the Knox Road car park ... the lifts aren’t working!!!!

I'm so glad the weekend is nearly here ... I hate working during half term! You'd think it would be quiet with the amount of people who have taken the time off but no ... it's been another manic week. The one bonus is that I've had the boss's parking space under the building ... so no battles with the car park stairs for me this week!

It was a better week on the rugby front too ... it's amazing how a good performance by the Zebras on a Saturday can perk me up! The way that the team played to get back into the match showed the strength and character that that we've come to expect (but had gone walkabout for the previous 3 weeks!).

Strength and character is what will be tomorrow when we take on Ebbw Vale at the Oval tomorrow. Despite having won more matches than anyone else (7 from 8), Ebbw are currently in second place in the league courtesy of a lower number of bonus points than near rivals Newbridge and Blackwood. Although it's still early days, this could yet have an impact on their quest to bounce straight back to the Premiership.

The Zebras will need to be at their best tomorrow if we are to upset the odds. This team is certainly capable of doing just that so we should be in for an interesting day!

In this case, past encounters between the two teams are no indication of future results ... we've only been in the same Division for 3 seasons since the start of the National leagues in 990/1 and the last time we met was during 1996/7 season.

That's all from me this morning ... catching the train today as I'm having a flexi half day to go to the pub ... life's not too bad really, is it?