Olympic honour for PG10 Coaching at Cardiff torch relay concert

Cardiff has bid the Olympic torch farewell after a weekend of events which included a Coopers Field concert – featuring rock band You Me At Six, Blur’s Damon Albarn, Brit award winner Emeli Sandé and Cardiff-based Kids In Glass Houses – in front of thousands.

But this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the Olympic flame was even more special for Peter Griffiths and 20 young people from Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, members of PG10 Coachingwho were invited by Coca Cola and Street Games on stage with the Olympic Torch.

Crowds in Cardiff welcome the Olympic torch on a sweltering day in the Welsh capital yesterday evening

Hello, Olympic torch!

It was good to see such massive crowds in Cardiff (like the rest of Wales so far) for the Olympic torch relay.

Crowds on Duke Street, outside Cardiff Castle, ready to welcome the Olympic torch to the Welsh capital

Obviously the weather played a big part in getting people out onto the streets of the capital, which was carried by Welsh rugby captain Sam Warburton among others.

It was good to see so many Union flags – as well as Welsh flags – on Cardiff’s streets, demonstrating the Olympics have been embraced by people all over the United Kingdom, not just those in London.

Still, everything has a downer – or in this case, two:

• 1. Tickets for the Millennium Stadium football are still hugely undersold, despite hosting big games in the tournament, including Team GB. It would be a huge shame if Cardiff is embarrassed by showcasing a half-empty stadium to the world, especially as the very first event of the 2012 Olympics will take place in the Welsh capital
• 2. The guy below. OK, so it was only one person in the whole of Cardiff, but who, really, would make the effort to make as unreasonable a point as this on a celebratory occasion? As a Welsh football fan I am not looking forward to watching Gareth Bale and David Beckham (hopefully) on the same side. Lighten up, mate.

• 

  One-man protest at the Cardiff Olympic torch relay against Welsh involvement in Team GB football

London Welsh to appeal RFU’s Premiership promotion verdict

London Welsh will appeal against the decision by the Rugby Football Union to deny them promotion should they triumph in the two-legged Championship play-off final over the Cornish Pirates.

Yesterday the Exiles secured a stunning 37-21 win over the favoured Pirates in the away leg at Mennaye Field. The home leg, to be played at Oxford United’s Kassam Stadium, which Welsh had planned to use had they been granted leave to play in the Aviva Premiership, is next Wednesday evening.

Welsh’s 16-point advantage going into the home leg makes their appeal against the RFU’s decision all the more pertinent. And they have received support from a cross section of rugby players and journalists in their bid to change the RFU’s mind.

• The Daily Telegraph‘s respected rugby writer Brendan Gallagher blames the Premiership sides for forcing the RFU’s hand, calling the decision “gross hypocrisy”. To give a (lengthy) sample:

How dare they criticise London Welsh. Who do Premiership Rugby think they are? Have they completely forgotten recent history? At various times Harlequins and Northampton have rightly been relegated to Division One but prospered massively from the experience and bounced back as model teams.

How dare Premiership Rugby, via the RFU, attempt to deny that to other equally ambitious rugby clubs. How dare they be judge and jury when the only people benefitting is their self-appointed elite. It is so against everything Rugby Union stands for as to be laughable, which they will quickly discover if this London Welsh situation is allowed to go any further.

A natural process of promotion and relegation should always decide who the elite are. Two years ago, Exeter’s promotion was greeted with guffaws around the League, and predictions of their instant relegation and humiliation. Well how wrong were Premiership Rugby on that.

• Gallagher’s Telegraph colleagues Brian Moore and Rupert Bates have both tweeted their support for his article:

How dare Premiership Rugby criticise London Welsh- a fine rant by Brendan Gallagher on Premiership hypocrisy soc.li/IGxzpge

— Brian Moore (@TAFKAbrianmoore) May 24, 2012

The words “hear” and “hear” spring to mind. Read @gallagherbren on London Welsh #rugby story tinyurl.com/c3cgco7

— Rupert Bates (@rupertbates) May 24, 2012

• London Welsh coach Lyn Jones said: “The players feel it’s a negative move for English rugby. That channel to promotion needs to be open at all times for all sides. It’s just a shame the union has complicated that. There’s a big buzz in Oxford about the possibility of Premiership rugby being played there.”
• Welsh international Ryan Jones said:

so @LondonWelshRFC don’t meet the magical RFU criteria for the top flight, shame as I’m sure they’d be a wonderful addition! #itsnotoveryet

— Ryan P Jones (@RyanJonesOnline) May 24, 2012

• Former England captain Will Carling, admittedly not the RFU’s biggest fan, also weighed in:

A very well worded statementlondon-welsh.co.uk/rugby_newsroom…seems to endorse the ‘cartel’ theory of the premiership……#rugby

— Will Carling (@willcarling) May 24, 2012

• Even away from the world of rugby, there was support for London Welsh. Comedian Mark Watson tweeted a response to Brian Moore:

@TAFKAbrianmoore @premrugby Dear Premiership. As a neutral, you absolutely have to let London Welsh go up. Or the whole league looks silly.

— Mark Watson (@watsoncomedian) May 24, 2012

Sport the loser as London Welsh denied promotion

It makes a farce of sport when the Rugby Football Union makes decisions like it did today.

The RFU ruled London Welsh was ineligible for promotion to the Aviva Premiership, meaning if they win their two-legged Championship title decider, the bottom-placed Newcastle Falcons will stay in the top flight.

Oxford United host Wrexham at the Kassam Stadium. The RFU has rejected a proposal by London Welsh to use the ground as their home for Premiership matches should they beat Cornish Pirates. Picture: Flickr, Ben Bore (Rhys)

The Exiles’ opponents, the Cornish Pirates, did not apply for promotion. Indeed, only Bristol of the final four in the Championship title hunt would have been guaranteed a place in the Premiership. The fourth side, Bedford, were dispatched 30-27 over two legs by Welsh.

London Welsh 17-24 Bedford (London Welsh win 30-27 on aggregate)

Forget the Etihad. The day’s big sporting drama was at Old Deer Park, where London Welsh advanced to the final of the RFU Championship despite a thrilling second leg defeat to the Bedford Blues.

Leading 13-3 from their away encounter just over a week ago, Welsh opened up a 9-0 first-half lead thanks to three penalties from fullback Alex Davies.

And although a penalty and a converted try from the visitors gave them a 10-9 half-time lead, the hosts looked comfortable as they looked to book their place in the two-legged Championship final against the Cornish Pirates.

Newport County 0-2 York City

It was disappointment for Newport County as they became the second Welsh side to lose at Wembley this season.

Two second-half goals for the Minstermen, the pre-game favourites, through Matty Blair and Lanre Oyebanjo, were enough to seal the FA Trophy for the Yorkshire club.

But County made the most of their first ever appearance at Wembley, with the majority of the 19,800 crowd members of the Amber Army.

But there were no centenary celebrations in the form of silverware for Justin Edinburgh’s side – who were founded back in 1912 – as York came out on top on what was the 100th match to have been played at the new Wembley to take the trophy back to Bootham Crescent.

Welsh teams have now played at the home of English football on six occasions – with Swansea City’s win over Reading in last season’s Championship play-off final still the only win.

 

Welsh sides’ record at Wembley:

York City 2-0 Newport County (12 May 2012, FA Trophy final)

Liverpool 2p-2 Cardiff City (26 February 2012, Carling Cup final)

England 1-0 Wales (6 September 2011, European Championship qualifier)

Swansea City 4-2 Reading (30 May 2011, Championship play-off final)

Blackpool 3-2 Cardiff City (22 May 2010, Championship play-off final)

Portsmouth 1-0 Cardiff City (17 May 2008, FA Cup final)