Following an agreement with Ospreys Rugby, Menter Iaith Castell-nedd Port Talbot are responsible for arranging bilingual articles which appear in every match programme.
Here are some of the most recent articles:-

“Don’t give up your day job, Ref!” is the advice referees often hear from the terraces. But that’s exactly what I did last year, so that I could concentrate on refereeing rugby. It went from being a Saturday afternoon hobby to a venture that involved more and more training and travelling, along with the demands of a young family. I am very grateful to Ysgol Gyfun Bro Myrddin for agreeing to release me. The main aim of the year was to be available to referee high profile rugby matches throughout Europe, and hopefully this would lead to my being chosen as one of the Rugby World Cup officials being held in New Zealand in September and October 2011.

The Rugby World Cup is acknowledged as the third biggest sporting event worldwide (after the Olympic Games and The Football World Cup). The fact that it was being held in New Zealand this year – the country that is the spiritual home to the game (along with Wales) – contributed to the fact that I was delighted to be a part of that special event.

As officials we received care of the highest order; an excellent hotel in Auckland was our base and all journeys – long or short – to the games and other hotels were organized to the last detail. There was a legion of volunteers ready to help in any way and a police escort to the biggest games. I was lucky to see quite a bit of the country as two of my first games were in the south pole of the South Island, at Invercargill – next stop: the Antarctic!; one game in the capital city, Wellington, and two games in Auckland including one in Eden Park, the Kiwis’ rugby Mecca. I also got to travel further north – to the Bay of Islands for two days’ teambuilding activities prior to the start of the tournament. Along with the water activities and other attractions in this beautiful area, we were given the honour of being welcomed on the Maoris’ sacred territory the m”Darae. After removing our shoes and being challenged by the traditional haka, we went to a meeting house where the Maoris greeted us and we responded with Nigel Owens leading the singing. That afternoon was without a doubt one of the highlights of the tour.

The Kiwis had been looking forward to this event for almost a quarter of a century and were determined to win the Webb Ellis trophy for the second time in their history. They were keen that the whole country unite behind the All Blacks and display their country, their culture and their love for rugby to the whole world. The Waterfront area at Auckland was transformed into a fanzone with huge television screens and many stages to entertain the crowds. It was estimated that over 200,000 had gathered there to celebrate the first game – far too many as the authorities expected about 50,000! It was nice to see people from many countries enjoying each other’s company, whether they won or lost, all in a happy and safe atmosphere. The motto of the competition the world in union could be seen everywhere in Auckland throughout the whole competition.

On two occasions I was the TMO or the video referee, a position that demands a set of totally different skills. Physical fitness is not essential, but strong nerves and a clear mind are all important. If, for one second, you should delay and think about what you have to do, you’d go crazy! Hearing the hordes outside the window demanding a decision is of little comfort as you study the pictures from the fourth angle looking for definite evidence to give a try or not! I wonder how many agreed with my decision that Chris Paterson’s penalty kick in the game between Scotland and England was valid, and, by the way, that was a historic decision, as it was the first time in a World Cup game that a TMO was used to decide on the success of a kick.

After 5½ weeks away from home, I was back on an aeroplane heading for home. Was the tournament a success? For New Zealand as a country and as a team – definitely. For Wales also to a degree, and it will be exciting to see the development of the young squad, and how good it was to see supporters of rugby from all over the world praising the Welsh squad for being excellent ambassadors on, and off the field.

Personally I’m proud of the fact that I played a small but official part at one of the big events of 2011. Also, having the opportunity to visit a fantastic country which is mad about rugby, on the other side of the world, and making so many new friends was a bonus. If any young boy or girl is thinking about taking up refereeing, my sincere advice would be ‘go for it’, who knows where this can take you!

At the Showgrounds in Galway last Saturday evening I noticed, for the first time, that there was something different – the Ospreys no longer have the players’ names on their shirts. Apparently this has been so all through the season, and it made me recall a conversation I had last year with a friend, a prominent sports journalist with one of the more substantial Sundays. He had been in Wales to interview one of the Ospreys’ and Wales’ more prominent players, to ask why a team with so many stars had yet again under-achieved and failed to move on in Europe. Following the interview, he spoke informally with some people around the place and one of them said – “Maybe we’d be a better team without the names on the shirts”. A subtle suggestion maybe that one or two concentrate more on playing as individuals than as team members.
An interesting observation, and maybe the absence of the names strengthens the philosophy that the coach wishes to stress this season. NO dazzling boots – NO fake tan – NO names. Therefore all are equal; one is as important as the other is the TEAM’s ethos. The coaching crew had tired of the “Galacticos” image given out to the region, and many decisions and some statements made during the last few months have underlined this. And it appears to be bearing fruit. Following their win during a gale at Connacht a week ago, the Ospreys now proudly occupy the top of PRO12 of the Region, and what is interesting is that it is the strength of the squad that has put them there. The Wales Squad boys have hardly played at all because of the World Cup and the game played earlier today against Australia. Along with injuries and international squad duties, fourteen international players were missing last Saturday evening, and yet they succeeded on a field that is difficult at the best of times, let alone playing in the wild weather that was sweeping across western Ireland a week ago. How good it was to see boys such as Richard Fussell, Ashley Beck, Andrew Bishop, Rhys Webb, Duncan Jones, Cai Griffiths, Tom Smith and their like receiving the opportunity and praise in the absence of the more famous names. It was proved that working together as a team is all important when aiming for the top.


But tonight, without doubt, is the biggest challenge for these boys who have lost only one game from nine to date in the League – Munster – the most successful team of the Celtic countries here at the Liberty. Unlike Wales, Ireland does not have a game this weekend, and therefore the visiting team will have all the big guns here. Is there enough strength in the Ospreys’ ranks to compete and conquer? We shall see. But should they win, it will be a substantial boost to the spirit that the coaching team is eager to develop in the region.


Don’t misunderstand me – I don’t believe for one minute that the Ospreys are a better team without their international stars. Naturally they will be far, far stronger when Shane, Adam, Huw Bennett, Alun Wyn, Ryan and the rest are back in the squad – they are key to the team’s performance when competing in Europe and to sustaining their success in the League for the remainder of the season. But they will be stronger still if everyone accepts the new ethos going around, which has been seen visibly this season. No name, no colour – the end of the Galacticos image. Let’s hope that we can say, as the Ospreys win one of the main trophies at the end of the season – colourless maybe, but not formless!!

It was extremely unfortunate that Wales lost out in the Rugby World Cup this year in New Zealand. I, like everyone else, was extremely proud of the team and all the hard work they put into the biggest event in the rugby calendar.

The atmosphere for the games were very exciting, and hard to watch at times with all the tension, whether you were live at the stadium, or watching in your communities at home in Wales roaring your team on to victory. The Welsh team remained professional throughout the tournament too, in contrast to the behaviour & attitude of the English team!

Of course, everyone in Wales will remember the fate of Sam Warburton against France. Despite his sending off, I suspect that this experience will make the whole team stronger and give them a chance to learn from any mistakes. We cannot overlook the fact that the referee was very harsh on Warburton. Almost everyone acknowledges this, but it’s impossible to turn back the clock, despite all the Facebook pages that have been created criticizing Alain Rolland’s decision.

We now need to look to the future. It’s worth noting that 18 players from the Welsh squad are 26 years old or younger, and this must give us great confidence that Wales will be able to perform well in the next Six Nations tournament in 2012.

Rugby in Wales is now growing following the success of our National team, and we as a nation should fully support them, and celebrate their achievement of coming fourth in the World.

A game of rugby is so unique in the way it can unite a nation, and we should take every opportunity to congratulate the team, and ensure they have our full support to develop their game within their regional sides too.

It’s important too that today’s youth see these players as examples, especially to those who aim to become professional players themselves in the future. We need to ensure there are enough opportunities in our Primary & Secondary schools, as well as in our community teams, so that everyone has an opportunity to play – even if they don’t go on to become professional players in the end.

Unfortunately, here in Wales, there are many people who don’t take part in any physical activity or sport. It’s the responsibility of players like Sam Warburton, Adam Jones, Huw Bennett & others alike to ensure the development of the game, and that everyone feels a part of the Welsh teams’ success as a result of it.

Aliki Fakate - Montpellier

There are some unusual stats to be gleaned from the 24 clubs playing in the 17th Heineken Cup competition which was launched yesterday and begins the weekend after next.
Former Welsh hooker Mefin Davies will play in his 15th season of European club rugby and at 39-years-old that's no mean feat while his team-mate Sam Davies has just celebrated his 18th birthday. And closer to home (and my spiritual base) Leinster's double Heineken Cup final winning lock Devin Toner, is tallest at 2.10 metres with the tiny Castres Olympique scrum half Romain Teulet looking up at the rest from his 1.63 metres.
The heaviest is Aliki Fakate playing for Montpellier at 140kgs / 22st 1lb followed by Benjamin Sa from Racing Metro at 92 136kgs / 21st 6lbs, the mighty Soane Tonga'uiha of the Northampton Saints weighs in at 132kgs / 20st 11lbs and Matteo Muccignat of Benetton Treviso is a delicate 132kgs / 20st 11lbs.
THE TALLEST
Devin Toner Leinster 2.10m / 6ft 11in
Richie Gray Glasgow Warriors 2.05m / 6ft 9in
Alastair Kellock Glasgow Warriors 2.05m / 6ft 9in

THE SHORTEST
Romain Teulet Castres Olympique 1.63m / 5ft 4in
Kyle Eastmond Bath Rugby 1.67m / 5ft 5in
Brendan Williams Benetton Treviso 1.69m / 5ft 6in

THE HEAVIEST
Aliki Fakate Montpellier 140kgs / 22st 1lb
Benjamin Sa Racing Metro 92 136kgs / 21st 6lbs
Soane Tonga'uiha Northampton Saints 132kgs / 20st 11lbs
Matteo Muccignat Benetton Treviso 132kgs / 20st 11lbs

THE LIGHTEST
Benoit Paillaugue Montpellier 70kgs / 11st 0lbs
Nicolas Bezy Toulouse 70kgs / 11st 0lbs
Yann Lesgourgues Biarritz Olympique 70kgs / 11st 0lbs

THE OLDEST
Mefin Davies Ospreys 02.09.72 (39 years and 69 days at 10.11.11)
Julian White Leicester Tigers 14.05.73
John Hayes Munster 02.11.73

THE YOUNGEST
Sam Davies Ospreys 06.10.93 (18 years and 35 days at 10.11.11)
Rhodri Williams Scarlets 05.05.93
Kyle Sinckler Harlequins 30.03.93

At the time of the Saracens’ visit tonight, the Ospreys will have some idea of their position in this year’s Heineken European Cup and through the years the two back to back games during December have proved key to the whole competition. The cry from the Liberty stadium over the summer was that the squad would be adopting new values and judging from their performance to date one has to agree with this stance. In the absence of many players who were playing internationally in New Zealand, the performance of the younger players was key to the team’s success in six games all told. Despite the fact that nineteen were unavailable for the visit by Munster to Swansea less than a fortnight ago, the character and spirit of the team at that time was enough to overwhelm the present champions of the Pro Twelve and keep Scott Johnson’s team close to Leinster at the top of the table.

After reaching the final round of the competition three times consecutively everyone connected to the region acknowledges that last year’s campaign was disappointing by failing to leave the group. Yet the challenge to create an impression in Europe this year is obvious, this being the most difficult competition to win according to one ex-player and a renowned rugby journalist – who is a topic of interest himself, but is sure that the nature of the competition means that no team can underperform in one game and expect to reach the last eight – the margin between failure and success is exceedingly narrow!

However, the Irish regions have regularly left their mark on an European level. Munster and Leinster have lifted the cup twice and are annually amongst the favourites. The aim of Welsh regions is to emulate the Irish teams’ consistency and although it is important that we show pride in the performances of our national team in the world cup, the hope is that it doesn’t come at the cost of the success of the four professional teams. Naturally the national team is at the top of the structure but there is a need for four competitive and successful regions within Wales, at a time when there has been a large decline in crowds attending games.

Without doubt the crowd or lack of a crowd is bound to cause much worry to the officials of the Ospreys and the other three teams as it appears to be an endemic problem across the country and the concept by many is that the Welsh are great at supporting the national team but reluctant to venture out to the games played weekly. I’m sure that there are many reasons for this but the situation needs to be solved immediately, as the present situation is not sustainable.

To sum up, the aim of the home team will be to sustain the momentum of the Pro Twelve and although few of the ones in the know believe that Alun Wyn Jones will lift the Heineken European Cup in Twickenham next May, the feeling here is that the correct foundations have been placed and the work of re-building has already begun.

Players from all over the world obviously do their homework before signing contracts making them members of the Biarritz Olympique squad. Off the rugby field the rejuvenated town has a lot to offer young men from Bucharest, Brisbane, Belfast and even Beaufort in Blaenau Gwent as Simon Hunt, who represented Ebbw Vale a few seasons ago, is a former Biarritz hero. For the former Northampton, Blues and Dragons centre threequarter Marc Stcherbina the waves at Biarritz were more than reminiscent of those at Bondi Beach. Added to this, the year round temperate climate, the good food and wine on offer and the close prioximity of skiing on the slopes of the Pyrenees all make for a heady mix and a wonderful lifestyle.
The Basque people are famous on many counts – they are Cordon Bleu cooks, they are masters of Pelota (reputedly the fastest ball-game in the world), they are brave (witness their running with the bulls at the annual fiesta in Pamploma) and they are agile and creative as they demonstrate when they dance on glass! On match days at the compact Parc des Sports d’Aguiléra, the supporters are always in festive mood with al fresco concerts constantly in full swing. It really is a great occasion, a sea of red and white mingling happily with the visiting throng. But from time to time, especially during vital Heineken and Championnat matches, Biarritz play in their regional colours of red, white and green.
During the past decade the club has won the Championnat on three occasions – narrow victories against Agen in 2002 and Stade Français in 2005 before destroying Toulouse in a one-sided final in 2006. They’ve also become impressive Heineken Cup performers reaching two finals against Munster in 2006 and Toulouse in 2010.
When we visit the cinema to watch the latest blockbuster, it is invariably the star’s name that is emblazoned on the screen, and only at the end of the performance will we see the list of people credited with putting the whole project together. The pages of Midi Olympique and L’Equipe will regularly highlight the extraordinary talents of Yachvili, Traille, Ngwenya, Baby and Balshaw whose mazy runs and creative flair have brought spectators to the edge of their seats. But the Biarritz faithful also acknowledge the hard graft put in by the eight forwards. After all, without possession from scrum, line, ruck or maul, the most gifted centre or wing threequarter is no more threatening than a Terracotta warrior! Biarritz might be inconsistent of late but the ability and determination is still there to shock and surprise.

(Match Programme 22.10.11 - Ospreys -v- Northampton)

Scintillating. Dazzling. Entertaining. Brilliant. However you want to describe it the Welsh team have lit up the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Following a narrow defeat to South Africa in the opening game, which the deserved to win, they faced a physical Samoan outfit and really hit their stride against Namibia before a sparkling 66-0 victory over Fiji. Described as the group of death and including bogey teams like Samoa and Fiji the team have negotiated the pool well and done it in some style.
At the end of the pool stages Wales were second on the list of points scored with 180 points only home favourites New Zealand have scored more points (240 points) and were third on the try scoring list with 23 tries, only New Zealand (36) and Australia (25) have scored more tries in the pool stages.
More heartening than these performance is that this is a young team. Flanker Sam Warburton became the youngest man to captain Wales at a World Cup but has lead with maturity. George North became the youngest Welsh man to score a try at the World Cup against Namibia and has played with a maturity beyond his nineteen years. And what a debut from Scott Williams, a stunning hat trick. Above all it’s been an all-round squad performance and this squad will only grow with each game it plays and the future looks really promising for them.
The youngsters have been a true inspiration and they have been backed up by the senior players in the squad including Ospreys Alun Wyn Jones, Ryan Jones, Adam Jones and Shane Williams. With such a mix of youth and experience this team will go far and who knows what they can achieve.
The support the team has received in New Zealand has been terrific. Rugby for so long has played an integral part in our communities and that was felt no more so than in the recent charity match at the Gnoll between a Neath XV and a South Wales Miners XV to raise money for the Gleision Miners. It was a tremendous night and mirrored the reaction across the South Wales area and across Britain. The generosity has been remarkable, from pensioners to nursery school children it has touched people far and wide from within the Cilybebyll community to as far away as Vancouver, Hong Kong and New Zealand. I’d like to thank everyone for their generosity.