South Wales Warriors

South Wales Warriors
Established 2001
Based in Llanharan, Wales
Home stadium The Dairy Field
Head coach David Pruett
League BAFA National Leagues
Division Premiership South
League titles One (2011)
Division titles None
Current uniform
Home kit
Away kit

The South Wales Warriors are an American Football team currently competing in Premier South of the BAFA National Leagues (BAFANL). The team was formed after the Tiger Bay Warriors had disbanded due to the departure of head coach Rob Mota, along with key staff and players, by the remaining players and staff, using equipment, resources and shirts from the folded Tiger Bay Warriors for economical purposes.

They play their home games at the home of Llanharan rugby club. In the 2008 season the South Wales Warriors won their conference with a record of 9 wins and 1 loss before losing their playoff quarter-final to the Cambridgeshire Cats. However, they were promoted following the reorganisation of the BAFL for the 2009 season. They were relegated to Division 2 West during the 2010 BAFA Community League restructure.

In 2011, the Warriors finished the regular season as runners up in the Division 2 West and finished fifth seed in Division 2 enabling them to enter the playoffs, eventually winning promotion and Division 2 Championship on 25 September at the Britbowl Championships held at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.

In 2012, the Warriors finished the Season with a record of 6 wins and 4 losses leaving them out of the playoffs and 4th in the Division 1 South and Central Division.

History

South Wales Warriors (2001 to 2010)

In 2001, the team was formed as the South Wales Warriors and were admitted into the British Senior League to compete in Division Two South. After a year out of action, they found the going tougher and finished with a 2-5-1 record.[1] The following two seasons repeated this pattern, with the Warriors finishing with 3-6 and 5-5 records in 2002 and 2003 respectively.[2][3] However, 2004 saw a vast improvement and they finished second in their group with a 7-2-1 record, making the playoffs for the first time since reforming. Unfortunately, they were knocked out at the first stage, losing their quarter-final 6–30 to the Chiltern Cheetahs.[4]

This feat was repeated in 2005, finishing the regular season in second place before losing their playoff quarter-final.[5] In 2006, the Warriors once again finished in second place, cliching their spot on the last matchday of the regular season with a 27–21 win away to the Andover Thrashers. They were drawn at home to the Essex Spartans for their wildcard playoff. The Warriors posted an impressive win, however, the visitors complained to the BAFL that the pitch at Bedwas RFC was too short, and therefore did not comply with league rules. After consultations between the two teams, the game was played as normal but the BAFL decided afterwards that the Warriors would forfeit the game, and therefore the game was awarded to the Spartans as a 1–0 victory.[6][7]

The 2007 season saw the Warriors get over their play-off disappointment by winning their group with a near-perfect 9-1 record to win their second ever conference championship. A 13–7 quarter-final win against the Cambridgeshire Cats set up a semi-final tie away to the Norwich Devils, who came into this game on the back of a perfect 10-0 regular season and a quarter-final win against the Cornish Sharks. Unfortunately for the Warriors they were unable to beat an impressive home team, going down 28–43.[8]

South Wales Warriors (2011)

The 2011 Season saw the Warriors compete in the reformed BAFA National Leagues. The opening game of the season saw them take on the Gloucester Banshees and win 46-0, one of four shut out games that season, which were to set the tone of the Warriors season. Eight wins and two defeats to the hands of the Berkshire Renegades resulted in the team finishing runners up in the Division 2 West league and entering the playoffs as wild card fifth seed. The quarter finals against the Kent Exiles resulted with a 33-13 Warriors victory . The Warriors then moved on to the semi finals at the home ground of the Lancashire Wolverines in Blackburn. The Wolverines were soundly beaten 32-17, leading to a South Wales Warriors and West Coast Trojans Britbowl final at Crystal Palace and promotions to Division 1 for both teams. The Division 2 Britbowl final was played on 25 September 2011 at the Crystal Palace Stadium, London, with the final result of 48-20 to the Warriors crowning them Britbowl XXV BAFANL Division 2 Champions.

South Wales Warriors (2012)

2012 saw the newly promoted Warriors to Division 1 South and Central play a condensed season of football (10 Games over 13 weeks). The warriors had a mixed result to the season, winning six games and losing four. The Warriors home game to Essex Spartans was postponed from 16 June to 15 July due to adverse weather conditions affecting large parts of mainland Britain at the time, the subsequent game was forfeited after Essex were unable to field a team. The Warriors managed to keep a 100% home record for the season which left them finishing in fourth place within the division.

On 23 September is was announced that the South Wales Warriors were to be promoted to the Premiership South Division after an expansion programme run by BAFA.[9]

South Wales Warriors (2013)

2013 saw the newly promoted Warriors in the expanded Premiership South Conference and played a season of 10 games from end of April till the end of August. The Warriors played each club in the Conference once give a total of 5 away games and 5 home games. The Warriors started the season at home to Peterborough Saxons, which ended in a narrow loss and ended the season on the road to London Olympians, which again was a narrow loss. The Warriors finished 9th in the division and started to get ready for their second season in the Premiership South Conference.

South Wales Warriors (2014)

2014 saw the Warriors again in the Premiership South Conference and played a season of 8 games from end of April till the end of August (8 as Sussex Thunder pulled out before the season began. The Warriors played each club in the Conference once give a total of 4 away games and 4 home games. The Warriors started the season at home to Colchester Gladiators, which ended in a victory and ended the season at home to the London Olympians, which was a narrow loss. The Warriors finished 6th in the division with a 3-5 record, with victories in the home games against Colchester Gladiators, East Kent Mavericks and Cambridgeshire Cats, and defeats against Bristol Aztecs, London Blitz, London Warriors, London Olympians and Berkshire Renegades.

Senior team season records

Summary

Season Division W L T PF PA Final Position Playoff Record Notes
2001 BAFL Division 2 South 2 5 1 66 104 7 / 9 — First season competing
2002 BSL Division 2 South 3 6 0 258 128 7 / 19 — —
2003 BSL Division 2 South West 5 5 0 158 172 4 / 6 — —
2004 BSL Division 2 South West 7 2 1 228 129 2 / 6 Lost 6–30 to Chiltern Cheetahs in quarter-final. —
2005 BAFL Division 2 South West 8 2 0 298 71 2 / 6 Lost 16–30 to Kent Exiles in quarter-final. —
2006 BAFL Division 2 West 7 3 0 285 93 2 / 5 Defeated Essex Spartans in wild card playoff. Forfeited the game against Essex Spartans on 80 yard pitch technicality.
2007 BAFL Division 2 South West 9 1 0 255 91 1 / 5 Beat Cambridgeshire Cats 13–7 in quarter-final.

Lost 28–43 to Norwich Devils in semi-final.

 Conference champions
2008 BAFL Division 2 South West 9 1 0 255 59 1 / 5 Beat Colchester Gladiators 21–12 in wild-card playoff.
Lost 7–21 to Cambridgeshire Cats in quarter-final.		 Conference champions.
Regular season record includes one win by forfeit.
Promoted to Division One.
2009 BAFL Division 1 South West 6 4 0 194 86 3 / 5 — —
2010 BAFACL Division 1 South West 4 6 0 ? ? ? / ? — Relegated to Division 2 West
2011 BAFANL Division 2 West 8 2 0 317 66 2 / 6 Beat Kent Exiles 33-13 in quarter finals playoff.
Beat the Lancashire Wolverines 32-17 in semi finals playoff.
Beat the West Coast Trojans 48-20 to win Division 2 Britbowl Final at Crystal Palace.		 Finished Western Conference as runners up to Berkshire Renegades.[10]
Britbowl XXV BAFANL Division 2 Champions.
Promoted to Division 1 South and Central
2012 BAFANL Division 1 South and Central 6 4 0 270 192 4 / 8 — Promoted to Premiership South through Premiership Expansion Programme
2013 BAFANL Premiership South 2 8 0 93 302 9 / 11 — —
2014 BAFANL Premiership South 3 5 0 58 244 6 / 9 — —

2011 Results

Date Fixture Result Notes
24/04/11 WARRIORS @ Gloucester Banshees 46~0 —
07/05/11 Bristol Apache @ WARRIORS 0~34 —
28/05/11 Cornish Sharks @ WARRIORS 8~42 —
05/06/11 WARRIORS @ Berkshire Renegades 6~9 —
19/06/11 Gloucester Banshees @ WARRIORS 14~46 —
26/06/11 Berkshire Renegades @ WARRIORS 19~14 —
09/07/11 WARRIORS @ Bristol Apache 54~8 —
16/07/11 Bournemouth Bobcats @ WARRIORS 0~34 —
23/07/11 WARRIORS @ Cornish Sharks 22~0 —
06/08/11 WARRIORS @ Bournemouth Bobcats 19~8 —
29/08/11 WARRIORS @ Kent Exiles 33~13 Wild card playoff
05/09/11 WARRIORS @ Lancashire Wolverines 32~17 Playoff semi final
25/09/11 WARRIORS @ West Coast Trojans 48~20 Britbowl Playoff final at Crystal Palace

2012 Results

Date Fixture Result Notes
28/04/12 Hampshire Thrashers @ WARRIORS 18~34 —
06/05/12 WARRIORS @ Berkshire Renegades 20~22 —
26/05/12 Kent Exiles @ WARRIORS 12~56 —
02/06/12 WARRIORS @ Sussex Thunder 13~28 —
10/06/12 WARRIORS @ Hampshire Thrashers 42~13 —
16/06/12 Essex Spartans @ WARRIORS P~P Postponed due to adverse weather conditions
23/06/12 WARRIORS @ Cambridgeshire Cats 36~44 —
07/07/12 East Kent Mavericks @ WARRIORS 12~18 —
14/07/12 WARRIORS @ East Kent Mavericks 15~17 —
15/07/12 Essex Spartans @ WARRIORS 0~1 Essex forfeited
28/07/12 Sussex Thunder @ WARRIORS 26~35 —

2013 Results

Date Fixture Result Notes
28/04/13 Peterborough Saxons @ WARRIORS 13~8 —
04/05/13 WARRIORS @ East Kent Mavericks 26~35 —
25/05/13 WARRIORS @ Sussex Thunder 0~20 —
09/06/13 London Warriors @ WARRIORS 56~0 —
22/06/13 WARRIORS @ Cambridgeshire Cats 14~30 —
30/06/13 Bristol Aztecs @ WARRIORS 41~0 —
14/07/13 Ipswich Cardinals @ WARRIORS 7~12 —
03/08/13 WARRIORS @ London Blitz 0~69 —
10/08/13 Berkshire Renegades @ WARRIORS 18~33 —
25/08/13 WARRIORS @ London Olympians 0~13 —

2014 Results

Date Fixture Result Notes
27/04/14 WARRIORS @ London Blitz 0~43 —
04/05/14 Colchester Gladiators @ WARRIORS 12~14 —
11/05/14 WARRIORS @ Bristol Aztecs 0~52 —
25/05/14 WARRIORS @ Berkshire Renegades 6~7 —
08/06/14 East Kent Mavericks @ WARRIORS 14~17 —
29/06/14 Cambridgeshire Cats @ WARRIORS 20~21 —
20/07/14 WARRIORS @ London Warriors 0~70 —
10/08/14 London Olympians @ WARRIORS 26~0 —

Stadium

The home of the South Wales Warriors from 2009 has been the Dairy Field, home of Llanharan RFC, which is situated around half an hour north west of Cardiff. The ground was purchased by the rugby club in 1989. A 440-seat stand was built shortly afterwards, with a bank of covered terracing built on the opposite side two years later and a new clubhouse in built 2002 on the site of the local British Legion Club.[11] It is one of only three American football venues in the United Kingdom to use a referee's microphone.[12] The team also use Roath Park Recreational Ground for informal training sessions.

For the 2008 season, the Warriors played their home games at Sully Sports & Leisure Centre, located in the village of Sully, just outside Barry. They shared this ground with a number of local sports teams including Sully rugby club and a baseball club.[13] For the 2006 and 2007 seasons, the Warriors played their home matches at the Bridge Field, located in Bedwas, Caerphilly, which they shared with Bedwas rugby club.

Before this, the team were based in Cardiff with most of their games played at Canton rugby club, and a few games also being played at Llanrumney Leisure Centre and Roath Park, which is still used by the team as a training ground.[14][15]

Roster 2012

South Wales Warriors 2012 Roster
Quarterbacks
  • 5 Gareth Thomas 1

Running Backs

  • 2 Martin Tranter
  • 4 Richard Cochrane
  • 14 Ken Handley
  • 30 Ryan Davies
  • 33 Michael Oatridge
  • 41 James Carlson
  • 45 Shaun Vaughan
  • 46 Josh Hughes
  • 49 Ellis Brock

Receivers / Tight-Ends

  • 6 Tim Thomas
  • 10 Mustapha Khassouani
  • 15 Tom Wilson
  • 16 Jordan Jones
  • 17 Nate Webb
  • 18 Ben Pritchard-Jones
  • 23 Spencer Cutlan
  • 42 Matthew Richards
  • 43 Mugove Kehle
  • 50 James Adshead
  • 81 David Young
  • 83 Dean Jackson
  • 84 Peter Beddard
  • 86 Huw Pierce

Defensive Backs

  • 3 Gareth Thomas 3
  • 7 Benny Sherwood
  • 9 Matt Thomas
  • 20 Nick Keyse
  • 25 Tom Davies
  • 29 David Ponting
  • 35 Owen Griffiths
  • 37 Chris Bartlett-Legge
  • 38 Adam Dabbs
  • 39 Lium Jones
  • 80 Paul Warren Coombes

Linebackers

  • 8 Gareth Thomas 2
  • 13 Lawrence Kelly
  • 30 Ryan Davies
  • 31 Michael Hall
  • 48 Sean Evans
  • 55 Matthew Keyse
  • 56 Deri Cashell
  • 98 Mark Atkin

Linemen

  • 50 James Adshead
  • 51 Sam O'Neill
  • 52 Nicholas Yeubrey
  • 59 Chris Smith
  • 60 David Usher
  • 61 Ben Watkins
  • 62 Gavin Sellers
  • 63 Tom Webster
  • 64 Sam Hayes
  • 65 Anthony 'Dutch' Holland
  • 66 David Coles
  • 67 Dan Davies
  • 68 Chris Caldwell
  • 71 Matt Tyler
  • 72 David Farr
  • 76 Mark Brooks
  • 77 Shaun Allen
  • 79 Jonathan Price
  • 94 Huw Bebb
  • 95 Kyle Rodway

Coaching/Staff

  • Geraint Roberts (Head Coach)
  • David Pruett (Offensive Co-ordinator)
  • Darryl Morton (Defensive Co-ordinator)
  • Colin Jones (Sideline)
  • Daniel Barberini (Sideline)
  • Robert Dummer (Photographer)

Retired Numbers

  • 12 Tim Macy
  • 21 Geraint Roberts
  • 53 Tim Macy

[16]

References

  1. ↑ "BAFL 2001 League Standings" (XLS). Britball Now. 2005-12-20. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
  2. ↑ "BAFL 2002 League Standings" (XLS). Britball Now. 2005-12-20. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
  3. ↑ "BAFL 2003 League Standings" (XLS). Britball Now. 2005-12-20. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
  4. ↑ "BAFL 2004 League Standings" (XLS). Britball Now. 2006-01-02. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
  5. ↑ "BAFL 2005 League Standings" (XLS). Britball Now. 2006-01-02. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
  6. ↑ "BAFRA Newsflash - Issue 34/06". 2006-08-28. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
  7. ↑ "BAFL 2006 League Standings" (XLS). Britball Now. 2006-01-02. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
  8. ↑ "BAFL 2007 League Standings" (XLS). Britball Now. 2007-11-17. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
  9. ↑ "Promotion for the Warriors". South Wales Warriors. 2012-09-23. Retrieved 2012-09-29.
  10. ↑ "BAFA Community League CL Division 2 West, football tables and football standings". BAFA. 2011-08-16. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  11. ↑ "Llanharan RFC - History". Llanharan RFC. Retrieved 2009-09-07.
  12. ↑ "BAFRA Newsflash - Issue 18/09". BAFRA. 2009-05-20. Retrieved 2009-09-07.
  13. ↑ "Sully Sports Welcomes the Warriors". South Wales Warriors. 2008-04-22. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
  14. ↑ "Teams: South Wales Warriors". Britball Now. Archived from the original on 2008-06-10. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
  15. ↑ "South Wales Warriors: Find Us". Retrieved 2008-03-13.
  16. ↑ South Wales Warriors vs Sussex Thunder Game Programme 2012, p. 6.

External links