News

The newly reformed Newbridge Youth held their Presentation on Saturday after an exceptional season.  Losing just 6 of 30 games they scored 916 points including 148 trys and conceded just 361 points.  Iwan Burgwin scored 192 points, Wales Rugby League Cap Garin Price celebrated his first season with the team with an outstanding 29 tries for 145 points in just 26 games.  Fellow new boy Luke Shore scored 82 points from 16 tries and a conversion.  Ioan Lloyd 70 points from 14 trys and Tom Deinko scored 55 points from 11 trys.

The squad was made up of last years Under 16s plus Tyler Price and Max Filer who were both in their last year of Youth rugby. 

The team won the Dragons D League with a 100% record scoring 210 points and conceding just 27.  This made the teams defence the meanest in all the youth leagues in Wales - the 27 points included a miserly 2 trys.

Tour was to Holland where they won the Amsterdam Tournament beating Kent County Champions Medway RFC 19-0 in the final. This was achieved with only 17 players available.  The last game of the season was the Caerphilly Plate Final against Risca Youth who had beaten Newbridge 45-0 in a pre-season friendly at Risca.  Having exerted revenge for that defeat in March, Newbridge gained a stunning double over their older, much bigger opponents from 3 divisions above to complete a brilliant treble of trophies in their first year of youth rugby.  Burgwin won the Man of the Match award in the final.

Other notable wins came against: Gloucester County Cup and League Champions - Thornbury; WRU Bowl Winners and Blues C Divison Champions – Treorchy and Gwent Plate Winners – Pontypool United.

Will Griffiths played up a year for Wales Under 18s against both France and England.  All playing up a year: Nathan Evans, Zach Hewlett, Taylor Hansen, Garin Price, Cole Jones, Iwan Burgwin, Ioan Lloyd, Luke Shore and Joel Witcombe were part of the Dragons Under 18 squad that were Finalists in the National Regional Cup.  Tyler Lewis and Calum Cottle played for The Crawshays Welsh Youth XV.

Jack Davies, Morgan Thomas, Zach Morgan, George Price, Garin Price, Hewlett, Shore, Burgwin and Witcombe won the Welsh Schools Plate with Crosskeys College.

On the night awards were made by Coaches Robert Burgwin, Rhys Littlejohns and Paul Hitchens to: Most Improved Player: Zach Morgan; Clubman: Nathan Evans; Players Player: Iwan Burgwin; Supporters Player of the Year: Garin Price; Ever present Euan Lewis presented the Captains Award for outstanding contribution to Taylor Hansen.  The Man of Steel award went to Zach Hewlett and Player of the Year was presented to Iwan Burgwin. 

Presentations were also made to the small army of helpers who support the team raising money.  The team made presentations to coaches Robert Burgwin, Rhys Littlejohns and Paul Hitchens and finally Team Manger Louise Burgwin received a number of gifts from the team and then from the parents for her tireless efforts in organising tour, presentation and looking after the boys throughout the season.

All those mentioned were joined by Jack Littlejohns, Alastair Crockett, Jacob Hill, Joe Hacker, Ethan Chess, Kian Chess, Dafydd Clissett, Cae Richins, Tyler Smith and Dylan Davies to celebrate the successful season.

The team will resume training in July having lost just 2 of the squad who move into senior rugby.  The team will move up 3 divisions to play in the Dragons A league and also play in the Welsh Youth Cup.  They will be joined by last seasons successful U16 team who will also play games as the newly formed Newbridge U17 team.  Amongst this group are a further 5 players who will be part of the Dragons U18 squad next season:  Owen Peddle, Dylan Davies, Dyaln Bartlett, Matthew Jefferies and Elliott Haines.  This will give the Youth 15 players in the Dragons U18’s squad.   With so many players involved in regional and college rugby the squad needs to be bolstered against availability and injury.  New players are invited to attend training at Newbridge RFC on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30.