photo by Ian Lovell

Valley Cougars face the prospect of four matches in fifteen days as they aim to finish their regular season in time for the Welsh Rugby League Conference Premier play-offs that start on August 5th.

The Cougars have had three matches postponed this season due to weather, a shortage of match officials and international duty and must now replay these matches by the August 2nd deadline.

They start this Wednesday with an away match against Torfaen Tigers at Pontypool United RFC (kick-off 7pm) which should have been their first game of the season but was called off due to torrential rain. However, there’s little chance of this being repeated with fine weather being forecast for the rest of the week.

Both teams need to win this match to save their season. Torfaen suffered their third defeat in a row on Saturday after a last minute drop goal cost the game against Blackwood Bulldogs. They now face the prospect of three home matches in eight days and must win them all to have any chance of getting into the main play-offs.

A play-off place may now be out the Cougars’ reach but they are still aiming to lift themselves off the bottom of the Eastern table and qualify for the Shield, a competition open for the sides who finish third and fourth in each region.

The Cougars reached the Welsh Shield Final last year, losing to Newport Titans at Celtic Crusaders’ Brewery Field and Mark Rowley is hoping that his Cougar side can go one better and win this year’s final.

Rowley said: “I think we can finish the season on a good run now. We’ll have more players to pick from playing mid-week and we’ll be stronger for it. I hope we can get into the Shield Final again this year and go one better by winning it.”

Remaining fixtures in the 2006 Picton Jones and Costley and Partners Premier Welsh Conference East

19 July 7.00pm (rescheduled Round 1)
Torfaen Tigers v Valley Cougars

22 July 2.30pm (Round 9)
Torfaen Tigers v Cardiff Demons
Valley Cougars v Blackwood Bulldogs

26 July 7:00pm (rescheduled Round 6)
Valley Cougars v Torfaen Tigers

29 July 2.30pm (Round 10)
Cardiff Demons v Blackwood Bulldogs Newport Titans v Torfaen Tigers

2 August 7:00pm (rescheduled Round 8)
Valley Cougars v Newport Titans

Details of rescheduled Western Conference games will follow shortly.

article by Ian Golden
17 July 2006