South Wales Warriors

The South Wales Warriors are a British American Football team based in Llanharan, Mid Glamorgan, Wales. They play in SFC 2 West for the 2019 season. The team was formed in 2001 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; the staff used equipment, resources and shirts from the folded Tiger Bay Warriors for economical purposes.

South Wales Warriors
Established2001 (2001)
Based inLlanharan, Wales
Home stadiumThe Dairy Field
Head coachDean Jackson
General managerGeraint Roberts
LeagueBAFA National Leagues
DivisionBAFANL SFC 1 Central
League titlesTwo (2011, 2019)
Division titlesFour (2007, 2008, 2018, 2019)
Current uniform
Home kit
Away kit

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.

After being promoted to the BAFANL Premier South during the 2012/2013 league restructure, they played various teams from the southern half of the UK and primarily the 3 major London teams, London Warriors, London Blitz and London Olympians. After the end of the 2013 season, the club suffered heavily from the loss of key players to their Permier South rivals Bristol Aztecs across the border in England. This included Britball MVP Quarterback Gareth Thomas and wide receiver Benny Sherwood. The Warriors played through the following 3 seasons in the Premier South, culminating in their best Premier South record of 3 wins, 1 tie and 5 losses in 2016.

For the 2017 season, BAFA and the Warriors had taken the mutual decision to be demoted to the SFC 1 Central division after retirements and injuries to several veteran Warriors. For this they are unable to progress to the Post Season finals of SFC 1 Central for the 2017 and 2018 Season, and therefore be promoted to the Premier South 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, clinching their spot on the last match day 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 it 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 - 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 — —
2015 BAFANL Premiership South 0 8 0 41 331 5 / 5 — —
2016 BAFANL Premiership South 3 6 1 150 347 5 / 6 — Demoted to BAFANL SFC 1 Central under mutual agreement during the 2017 league restructure.[11]
2017 BAFANL SFC 1 Central 0 10 0 56 196 5 / 5 — Demoted to BAFANL SFC 2 West.
2018 BAFANL SFC 2 West 8 0 0 310 12 1 / 6 Beat Worcestershire Black Knights 1-0 in Quarter Finals. Black Knights forfeit game due to player levels.[12]
Lost 37-12 to Portsmouth Dreadnoughts in Semi Finals.		 BAFANL SFC 2 West Conference Champions
2019 BAFANL SFC 2 West 8 0 0 298 54 1 / 6 Beat Bristol Apache 28-3 in Quarter Final.
Beat London Blitz B 16-6 in Semi Finals.
Beat Bournemouth Bobcats 0-13 in Final.		 Britbowl XXXIII BAFANL SFC 2 Champions
SFC 2 West Conference Champions
Promoted to Division 1
2020 BAFANL SFC 1 Central - - - - - - / - — League Season Cancelled Due To Covid-19 Outbreak.

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 —

2015 Results
Date Fixture Result Notes
26/04/15 WARRIORS @ Bristol Aztecs 7~35 —
10/05/15 WARRIORS @ London Olympians 10~27 —
24/05/15 London Warriors @ WARRIORS 49~0 —
07/06/15 London Olympians @ WARRIORS 22~18 —
14/06/15 Bristol Aztecs @ WARRIORS 49~0 —
28/06/15 London Blitz @ WARRIORS 59~6 —
18/07/15 WARRIORS @ London Blitz 0~49 —
26/07/15 WARRIORS @ London Warriors 0~41 —

2016 Results
Date Fixture Result Notes
17/04/16 WARRIORS @ London Warriors 0~71 —
01/05/16 WARRIORS @ London Olympians 35~18 —
08/05/16 WARRIORS @ London Blitz 6~27 —
22/05/16 WARRIORS @ Bristol Aztecs 27~27 —
05/06/16 Farnham Knights @ WARRIORS 28~30 —
12/06/16 London Olympians @ WARRIORS 13~20 —
26/06/16 London Warriors @ WARRIORS 35~0 —
10/07/16 London Blitz @ WARRIORS 48~0 —
17/07/16 WARRIORS @ Farnham Knights 14~32 —
31/07/16 Bristol Aztecs @ WARRIORS 48~18 —

2017 Results
Date Fixture Result Notes
09/04/17 Ouse Valley Eagles @ WARRIORS 14~12 —
23/04/17 Oxford Saints @ WARRIORS 13~6 —
30/04/17 Sussex Thunder @ WARRIORS 14~8 —
07/05/17 WARRIORS @ Solent Thrashers 0~20 —
13/05/17 WARRIORS @ Sussex Thunder 6~17 —
11/06/17 WARRIORS @ Ouse Valley Eagles 0~3 —
18/06/17 WARRIORS @ Solent Thrashers 8~15 —
25/06/17 WARRIORS @ Oxford Saints 0~42 —
08/07/17 Sussex Thunder @ WARRIORS 17~0 —
30/07/17 Solent Thrashers @ WARRIORS 41~16 —

2018 Results
Date Fixture Result Notes
05/04/18 WARRIORS @ Somerset Wyverns 8~6 —
06/05/18 Jurassic Coast Raptors @ WARRIORS 0~50 —
13/05/18 Cornish Sharks @ WARRIORS -~- Postponed due to Cornish Sharks player levels. Rearranged for 24 June 2018.
17/06/18 WARRIORS @ Worcestershire Black Knights 48~0 —
24/06/18 Cornish Sharks @ WARRIORS 0~64 —
01/07/18 Worcestershire Black Knights @ WARRIORS 0~48 —
08/07/18 WARRIORS @ Torbay Trojans 14~6 —
22/07/18 Torbay Trojans @ WARRIORS 0~42 Warriors crowned SFC2 West Champions.
05/08/18 WARRIORS @ Cornish Sharks 36~0 —
11/08/18 Worcestershire Black Knights @ WARRIORS 0~1 Playoff Quarter Finals - Worcestershire Black Knights Forfeit —
18/08/18 Portsmouth Dreadnoughts @ WARRIORS 37~12 Playoff Semi Finals —

2019 Results
Date Fixture Result Notes
28/04/19 WARRIORS @ Cornish Sharks 33~0 —
12/05/19 Worcestershire Black Knights @ WARRIORS 0~55 —
19/05/19 WARRIORS @ Bristol Apache 46~21 —
02/06/19 Somerset Wyverns @ WARRIORS 6~29 —
09/06/19 WARRIORS @ Somerset Wyverns 26~7 —
23/06/19 WARRIORS @ Torbay Trojans 49~14 —
07/07/19 Torbay Trojans @ WARRIORS 6~10 —
04/08/19 Cornish Sharks @ WARRIORS 0~51 —
11/08/19 Bristol Apache @ WARRIORS 3~28 Quarter Finals
18/08/19 London Blitz B @ WARRIORS 6~16 Semi Finals
31/08/19 Bournemouth Bobcats @ WARRIORS 0-13 Britbowl Playoff final at New River Stadium, London

Game Venue and Training

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.[13] It is one of only three American football venues in the United Kingdom to use a referee's microphone.[14] 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.[15] 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 Recreational Ground. While Llanharan RFC play on the Dairyfield toward the end of the UK Rugby season, the Warriors train on 3G Astroturf at Y Pant Comprehensive School, Pontyclun during winter months and the Llanharan Welfare Ground during the Spring Months.[16][17]

Roster 2016
South Wales Warriors 2016 Roster
Quarterbacks
  • 5 Dean Jackson
  • 43 David Pruett

Running Backs

  • 1 Shaun Vaughan
  • 2 Victor Mantikas
  • 4 Sam Dron
  • 24 Kevin Green
  • 25 Adam Hilton
  • 26 Adam Balson
  • 27 Scott Richards
  • 30 Patrick John Burchell
  • 32 Joshua Hughes
  • 39 Peter Alot
  • 48 Stewart Bicker

Receivers

  • 3 Sam Huxtable
  • 6 David Ponting
  • 7 Matthew Tynan
  • 10 Lawrence Tuckett
  • 15 Robert Jones
  • 19 Mick Duncan
  • 48 Stewart Bicker
  • 81 Joshua Hurford
  • 82 Chris Morgan
  • 83 Craig Warren
  • 84 Stephen Chappell
  • 85 Nate Webb
  • 89 Kearn Foster

Tight-Ends

  • 13 Ryan Davies

Defensive Backs

  • 20 Christopher Bartlett-Legge
  • 22 Daniel Dacey
  • 28 Tom Slater
  • 29 Thomas Jenkins
  • 35 Simon Braule
  • 43 David Sami
  • 47 Greg Davis
  • 49 Richard Evans
  • 50 Dan Davis
  • 55 James Henderson

Linebackers

  • 8 Gareth Thomas
  • 31 Rhys Bain
  • 34 John Bateman
  • 45 Akeem Hallisey
  • 54 Lewis Jones
  • 55 Nicholas Yeubrey

Linemen

  • 57 Andrew Price
  • 59 Ian Oakley
  • 60 David Usher
  • 61 Ross Tweddle
  • 62 Gavin Lee Fawcett Sellers
  • 65 Anthony 'Dutch' Holland
  • 66 David Coles
  • 68 Spencer McKinney III
  • 69 Daniel Emberson
  • 71 Matt Tyler
  • 72 David Farr
  • 75 Daniel Ezuma
  • 76 Nic Johnson
  • 79 Jonathan Price
  • 89 Dean Evans
  • 90 Sam Stokes
  • 91 Joel Thompson
  • 92 Will Nunn
  • 93 Ricardo Byrne
  • 95 Chris Powell
  • 99 Graeme Chribbes

Coaching/Staff

  • Geraint Roberts (Head Coach & Defensive Co-ordinator)
  • Frankie Pankhurst (Offensive Co-ordinator)
  • Andrew Hardy (Strength and Conditioning)
  • Robert Dummer (Photographer)

Retired Numbers

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

[18]

References
  1. "BAFL 2001 League Standings" (XLS). Britball Now. 20 December 2005. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
  2. "BAFL 2002 League Standings". Britball Now. 20 December 2005. Archived from the original (XLS) on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
  3. "BAFL 2003 League Standings". Britball Now. 20 December 2005. Archived from the original (XLS) on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
  4. "BAFL 2004 League Standings". Britball Now. 2 January 2006. Archived from the original (XLS) on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
  5. "BAFL 2005 League Standings". Britball Now. 2 January 2006. Archived from the original (XLS) on 10 February 2006. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
  6. "BAFRA Newsflash - Issue 34/06". 28 August 2006. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
  7. "BAFL 2006 League Standings". Britball Now. 2 January 2006. Archived from the original (XLS) on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
  8. "BAFL 2007 League Standings". Britball Now. 17 November 2007. Archived from the original (XLS) on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
  9. "Promotion for the Warriors". South Wales Warriors. 23 September 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  10. "BAFA Community League CL Division 2 West, football tables and football standings". BAFA. 16 August 2011. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
  11. "BAFA Announces New 2017 League Alignments!". Double Coverage. 16 January 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  12. "Black Knights Forfeit Playoffs Against Warriors!". Double Coverage. 9 August 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  13. "Llanharan RFC - History". Llanharan RFC. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  14. "BAFRA Newsflash - Issue 18/09". BAFRA. 20 May 2009. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  15. "Sully Sports Welcomes the Warriors". South Wales Warriors. 22 April 2008. Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2008.
  16. "Teams: South Wales Warriors". Britball Now. Archived from the original on 10 June 2008. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
  17. "Find Us - South Wales Warriors". Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  18. "Roster - South Wales Warriors". Retrieved 8 February 2017.
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