NICK VERDIER meets the new men charged with leading London Welsh’s revival.
The John Dawes suite at Old Deer Park is adorned with memorabilia from the bygone age when London Welsh were the finest club side in the land, if not the world.
They boasted luminaries of the game – 43 British Lions in total including JPR, Merve the Swerve, John Taylor and Dawes himself. But that all seems a long, long time ago as the club embark on their recovery mission from the depths of Herts and Middlesex 1, the ninth level of English rugby.
The club’s dalliance with Premiership Rugby finally cost them. Big time. After years of financial troubles, the sword of Damocles hanging over them came down on January 24, forcing the dissolution of the professional team.
Seven months on and 31-cap Welsh Grand Slam winner Sonny Parker and former Ospreys prop Cai Griffiths are the new men in charge, determined to lead the club back to “where it belongs”.
The club maintained their amateur side, as well as supporting a highly popular minis section on Sunday mornings, and the ambition to take the club back to the top is clear in new leaders Parker and Griffiths.
“I came very close to going back to New Zealand but Pete Lowe, the club’s treasurer who is part of the new board, called me and asked me to hang around,” said Parker, the newly appointed director of rugby and only man remaining from the professional set-up.
“A couple of month later, he told me about the board’s ambitions for the club and he asked me to take charge of the team.
“I accepted straight away. I just had to stay and help London Welsh build. We want to bring the club back to where it belongs.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August 13, 2017 من The Rugby Paper.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August 13, 2017 من The Rugby Paper.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Morris hat-trick lifts Steelmen
HOOKER Ieuan Morris came off the bench to settle matters for Ebbw Vale at Carmarthen Quins with his stunning second half hat-trick completing a 39-11 victory in Super Rygbi Cymru.
Joe keen to follow in family footsteps
JOE Ford is leading the charge to take Doncaster Knights to the promised land but says they have a long way to go before that becomes reality.
Robson keen to make it to the top with Coventry
COVENTRY ended the first five-match block of fixtures as the Championship’s only unbeaten side and full-back Charlie Robson has his sights set on promotion, and eventually playing for England.
Hancox joins the 200 club
AFTER 10 years of donning the red, black and yellow shirt for Bournemouth, skipper Grant Hancox made his 200th appearance this month after their Regional 2 South Central clash against Winchester.
Bear keen to be a big hit Down Under
FORMER Cornish Pirates back row Bear Williams has flourished in making the difficult transition from rugby union to league and has plans to play in Australia’s NRL. `
To play in two World Cups was a dream
RUGBY started quite late for me.
Call time on this pantomime ploy
THIS 60-second shot clock twaddle. If we must continue to plough down this blind alley it needs to apply from the moment the referee awards the penalty. If the authorities are going to put some stick about at least do it properly and with conviction.
Coetzee's pulling his weight again
WHETHER he starts or comes off the bench, Jaco Coetzee is just happy to be contributing fully to Bath’s revival after an injury-hit start to his career in blue, black and white.
Murray's on a wing - and a prayer ...
BLAIR Murray began the week ‘in a state of shock’ at having gone from nowhere on one side of the world to the starting grid for the autumn Tests on the other.
We need to kick on after winning at last
Paul Rees talks to Ethan Grayson who heard from two rugby legends after he helped Newcastle end their 25-match losing run
