The Celtic Warriors were a regional Rugby Union team from Wales, playing in the Celtic League and European Rugby Cup/European Rugby Shield.

Club History

The Warriors were one of the five original regions of the Welsh Regional Rugby Era. The club came into being in the summer of 2003 when the WRU elected to reduce the current top tier of Welsh Professional Rugby from nine clubs into five regions, effectively mirroring the successful formats in Ireland and the Southern Hemisphere countries of South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Officially representing the whole South Wales Valleys area, including Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare, Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Bridgend, the Celtic Warriors was in practice a merging of the Pontypridd RFC and Bridgend RFC Welsh Premier League Clubs. With Bridgend RFC having clinched the 2002/2003 Welsh Premier League title and Pontypridd RFC being consistently strong in that competitions, the Warriors were considered one of the strongest line-ups out of the Welsh regions.

However problems dogged the region from the very start, as they similarly did with the other merged regions of the Neath-Swansea Ospreys and the Gwent Dragons. Discussions and arguments abounded about the team name, colours and home grounds for most of the summer of 2003. The name Valley Ravens was a controversial choice but seen by many as a fair compromise (Bridgend's nickname was the Ravens while Pontypridd fans welcomed the Valley reference), however various marketing persons within the WRU did not like it. The Crusaders and Celtic Crusaders met with widespread dissaproval from both sets of fans as it incorporated neither teams identity. Celtic Warriors was finally decided upon more out of the need for actually needing a name than from any real agreement.

Argument over team colours ran alongside the naming problem until a compromise Blue, Black and White shirt was unveiled and satisfied most people, as did the initial decision to play an equal number of games at Bridgend's Brewery Field and Pontypridd's Sardis Road.

The team itself performed admirably well for a squad almost completely rebuilt over the summer, acquitting themselves well in both the Celtic League and European Rugby Cup. However financial problems at Pontypridd RFC led to the sale of their half of the Warriors to Bridgend RFC owner Leighton Samuel, which he in turn gifted to the WRU, a move that would later condemn the club. Further problems abounded as Samuel made the decision to abandond Pontypridd's Sardis Road in favour of playing all Warriors games in Bridgend. This brought the club into conflict with over 50% of its fan base and attendances (which were not great before) fell even further.

A farcical episode followed in the Spring and early Summer of 2004 where Leighton Samuel repeated threatened and revoked threats of selling the club, one such instance went as far as Samuel accepting as offer from the WRU before changing his mind. Unfortunately the transaction was already considered to be legally binding and so the Warriors became 100% owned by the WRU who controversially decided to liquidate the club in the Summer of 2004.

What followed was scandalous even by the standards of Welsh rugby, with players' contracts effectively torn up as they were pushed around to fill holes in the other four regional sides. A number simply chose to turn their back on the Welsh game and head for England, France, Ireland or even Italy.

This leaves the rugby future of the South Wales Valleys in serious doubt and a large proportion of fans and players feeling alienated from the professional game.

Home Ground

The Warriors shared their home games between Bridgend's Brewery Field ground (home of Bridgend RFC and Pontypridd's Sardis Road ground (home of Pontypridd RFC).

Statistics

Celtic League

Celtic League Cup

European Rugby Cup

Notable Former Players

• Brent Cockbain (Lock) - Wales International
• Gareth Cooper (Scrum Half) - Wales International
• Mefin Davies (Hooker) - Wales International
• Dafydd James (Wing/Centre) - Wales International
• Gethin Jenkins (Prop) - Wales International
• Neil Jenkins (Outside-Half) - Wales International, World Record Points Scorer
• Christian Loader (Prop) - Wales International
• Sililo Martins (Scrum-Half) - Tonga International
• Maama Molitika (Flanker) - Tonga International
• Kevin Morgan (Full-back) - Wales International
• Sonny Parker (Centre) - Wales International
• Richard Parkes (Flanker) - Wales International
• Robert Sidoli (Lock) - Wales International
• Ceri Sweeney (Outside-Half) - Wales International
• Gareth Thomas (Wing/Centre/Full-back) - Wales International - Welsh Record Try Scorer
• Lee Thomas (Centre/Outside-Half) - Wales Youth International
• Gareth Wyatt (Wing) - Wales International

See also

• Celtic League
• Heineken Cup
• European Rugby Shield

External links

• Bridgend RFC (http://www.bridgendrfc.co.uk/) official site
• Pontypridd RFC (http://www.pontypriddrfc.co.uk/) official site