photo by Ian Lovell

The 2007 Co-operative Welsh Conference Premier rugby league season starts this Saturday with four interesting clashes, the highlight being new side NPT Steelers’ visit to last season’s runners-up Cardiff Demons at St Peters RFC (kick-off 2.30pm).

NPT Steelers are a re-incarnation of the old Aberavon Fighting Irish side and has been formed to represent the whole of Neath Port Talbot region. The club are still based at Darwin Road in Port Talbot, the home of Aberavon Green Stars RFC, but they are hoping to play a few games on the road so that they can expand as a region.

Club secretary James Davies said: “Aberavon Fighting Irish was seen as an Aberavon Green Stars RFC club. With forming the new NPT Steelers we would like to embrace rugby league as part of the region and not as a single rugby union club. Our main aim is to encouragement and development of young rugby players throughout the locality who perhaps wouldn’t have played rugby league before

Speaking about the Demons match on Saturday, Davies adds: “This match will be the perfect stage for the Steelers to put down their marker on what their intentions are for the season. Starting away to a team as strong as Cardiff will show what characters we have in our squad. To come away with silverware these are the games we simply have to win.”

But the big question once again is can anyone stop Bridgend Blue Bulls from winning a fifth successive Welsh Conference title.

They start their campaign with a trip to Torfaen Tigers’ Pontypool United ground (kick-off 2.30pm) which is always a tough game for away sides due to the hard pitch coupled with the passionate home support. The Tigers were in fact the first Welsh side to ever beat Bridgend Blue Bulls in July 2005. Their victory at the Pontypool ground ended the Bulls’ 35-game winning streak against Welsh opposition.

Bridgend will be boosted with the signing of former Swansea Valley Miners’ Wales A international and last season’s Man of Steel Christian Roets.

Andrew Jenkins also joins the club from the now defunct Miners. Neil Dixon, Lenny Woodard and Karl Hocking are both expected to play on Saturday after being released by Celtic Crusaders last year while Greg Drane has joined from Porthcawl RFC and Matthew Morgan from Tondu RFC.

Blue Bulls’ chairman Simon Green said: “We’ve had our best season ever as far as player recruitment and sponsorship is concerned. The only time we’ve had this many players training is when we got to the UK final two years ago and the TV cameras turned up. I can’t wait for the season to start.”

Blackwood Bulldogs launch their second season by hosting Newport Titans in an all Gwent clash at Blackwood RFC (kick-off 2.30pm). The Bulldogs were a minute away from the Grand Final last year but were denied by a last minute Aaron Warner try at Bridgend to deny them glory in their first season.

With honours even between Newport and Blackwood last season with one win apiece, this clash could go either way.

Finally last season’s bottom two clubs, West Wales Sharks and Valley Cougars, face off at Llanelli Wanderers RFC (kick-off 2.30pm). Both sides will be keen to get off to a positive start to their 2007 campaign.