Redrow Homes Blues Cup presents a great advert for the community game across the region
With a new principle sponsor Redrow Homes on board the Blues Cup competition will look to build on what has yet again been an outstanding competition. In its fifth year the Blues Cup once again proved to be huge hit throughout the region and is a great advert for the community game as each of the four finalists across the two age groups produced rugby of an outstanding level resulting in 9 tries.
Sunday’s final day at Cardiff Arms Park hundreds of spectators saw The ‘Redrow Homes Blues Cup’ finals bring the 2012 – 2013 seasons to a spectacular finale. The finals were a culmination of well over 2000 players, 40 clubs going head to head since the start of the season in a competition where its profile has gone from strength to strength since its beginning in 2008.
Encouragingly, each year new teams come through to the finals and this year it was the turn of Builth Wells RFC who made an appearance in the U13 final for the first time and were cheered on during the day by an astonishing SIX coach loads of supporters.
Finals of this tournament are rarely dull, and the style of play in the opening game between St Peters and Pontypridd in the U12’s was an absorbing clash with a great combination of commitment and skill with Pontypridd eventually coming out on top. Every player contributed to what was a fantastic advert for the game with St Peters winger Wilfred Ulrich proving to be the real threat as he crossed for two unanswered tries in the early stages of the first half. Pontypridd however kept their composure and patients and managed to get the on scoreboard midway into the first half through some great play between forwards and backs. Both sides to their credit kept trying to play and once again Wilfred Ulrich managed to cross to complete his hat trick to keep the pressure on Pontypridd. Pontypridd managed to hold out and cross for a further try and were justified winners at the final whistle.
Final Score: St Peters U12 17 V Pontypridd U12 18
Points Scorers’: Pontypridd - Jake Cannon 1T, Jake Morgan 1T, Ioan Evans 1T 1P
St Peters - Wilfred Ulrich 3T Ioan Lloyd 1C
Separating the U12 and U13 finals there was a mini round robin festival held between the cup finalist U8’s and two local U8 clubs. Each team should be applauded for their contribution as these games maintained the support and atmosphere in the ground and played a huge part in the success of the day.
The passion was continued into the U13 final between Builth Wells and Abercynon. Abercynon who were beaten finalist in last year’s competition came out of the blocks quickly and were on the scoreboard with the opening seconds of the game. This gave them a great confidence as the ball carriers in the pack made some effective gains into the Builth defence to build a solid first half lead. Into the second half Builth Wells could not get their hands on any quality ball and if there was a difference between the two sides, it lay with the strong running of Abercynon Captain Connor Dixon in the back row. Builth Wells to their credit kept trying to play but as the game entered the final quarter Abercynon starved Builth of possession and managed to pull away for the win.
Final Score: Abercynon U13 22 V Builth Wells U13 0
Points Scorers’ Abercynon - Josh Phillips 1T, Jamie Minnett 2T, Connor Dixon 1T, Jack Fear 1C