Glantaf – London final this Friday – preview and interview opportunity

Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf are going into this Friday’s national Champion Schools Year 9 Final full of confidence as they take on Mirfield Free Grammar School at Richmond RUFC (kick-off 3.40pm).

The day is part of a festival of national Rugby League finals with all competitors attending the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium the next day.

Mirfield is the former school of Hollywood star Patrick Stewart whilst his colleagues Ioan Gruffudd and Matthew Rhys once attending the Welsh language school, but it’s unknown whether they will be lending their support on Friday.

One former pupil who will be though is Jamie Roberts. Now playing rugby union for Harlequins, the Glantaf side will be attending a session with him in London on the day before the game.

Wembley winners two years ago in the Year 7 Final after beating Widnes’ Wade Deacon, they lost by one conversion to the same school in the 2016 year 8 final. That remains the only game of Rugby League that the players have lost and they’ve still never been outscored on tries in a game.

Glantaf skipper Gwilym Evans has sent a bilingual message ahead of the day and it appears he is very much looking forward to the event.

“It’s the third time in a row that we’ll be travelling to London to play in the Champion Schools Final,” he said. “Unfortunately we lost in the last year’s final against Wade Deacon so I’m determined to win this year.

“We qualified for the nationals by winning last year’s WRL competition. Our national tour then began at Maidenhead against Hinchley Wood of Claygate, London. The final score was 38-0. The squad were all really pleased with the result and Mr Garner, our teacher and coach, was impressed with the 0 on the scoreboard.

“We have improved our defence this year and I would like to thank Idris Evans for holding exercise sessions around the ruck area. After playing a home game against Outwood Grange, I was a little disappointed with the performance but we still won 36-12 in front of around 500 pupils.

“It was important that we had the chance to improve our performance in the semi-final against Brooksbank. The boys were vigilant because Wade Deacon had lost to this team in the previous round. Thanks to the outstanding performance from Louis Rhochfort-Shugar and wearing out the Brooksbank defence, we won the game. It was nice to see Harri Griffiths win the player of the match after a great performance in defence and attack.

“We go into the final having never faced Mirfield Free Grammar School and we are determined that we will not repeat the disappointment of last year.

“We resumed training this week and on Thursday we will travel to Richmond and visit Twickenham Stoop to see former Glantaf pupil, Jamie Roberts train at Harlequins.

“I expect a hard but exciting game and I hope that we can make sure we get the right result but more importantly the right performance.”

“Dyma’r  trydydd tro byddwn ni fel carfan rygbi’r gynghrair yn teithio i Lundain er mwyn chwarae yn ffeinal cystadleuaeth Champion Schools. Yn anffodus  colli wnaethom yn y ffeinal blwyddyn diwethaf yn erbyn Wade Deacon. Felly rydyn yn benderfynol o ennill y flwyddyn yma.

“Gan ein fod wedi ennill cystadleuaeth rygbi’r gynghrair Cymru blwyddyn diwethaf roedd ganddom lle yn y gystadleuaeth yn barod. Dechreuodd y daith  yn Maidenhead yn erbyn Hinchley Wood o Claygate, Llundain. Y sgor terfynnol oedd  38-0. Y  peth roedd yn plesio y carfan a Mr Garner oedd y 0 ar y sgorbwrdd. Rydym wedi gwella ein amddiffyn y blwyddyn yma  a hoffwn ddiolch i  Idris Evans am gynnal  sesiynau ymarfer o gwmpas yr ardal tacl. Yn dilyn chwaraeom gem gartref yn erbyn Outwood Grange ac yr oeddwn  wedi siomi braidd gyda’r perfformiad ond dal wedi  ennill 36-12 o flaen tua 500 o ddisgyblion. Ond yr oedd yn  bwysig bod  ganddom y siawns i wella ein perfformiad yn y rownd gynderfynol yn erbyn Brooksbank. Roedd y bechgyn yn wyliadwrus oherwydd roedd  Wade Deacon wedi colli  i’r tim yma. Rhaid diolch i gais bendigedig Louis Rhochfort-Shugar ac ar ol amddifyn ar ein llinell am amser hir roedd amddiffyn Brooksbank wedi ei drechi. Braf oedd gweld  Harri Griffiths yn ennill chwaraewr y gem ar ol perfformiad gwych yn amddiffyn ac yn ymosod.

“Yn y ffeinal  rydym yn mynd  i’r gem heb erioed   chwarae  yn erbyn ysgol Murfield Free Grammar School.  Rydym yn benderfynol na fyddwn yn ail- adrodd siom  blwyddyn diwethaf. Byddwn yn dechrau ymarfer wythnos yma. Ar y dydd Iau byddwn  yn teithio i Richmond ac yn ymweld ar Twickenham Stoop i weld cyn ddisgybl Glantaf, Jamie Roberts yn ymarfer i ‘Harlequins.

“Rydw i’n disgwyl gem caled ond cyffrous a gobeithaf gallwn wneud yn siwr y cawn  y  canlyniad cywir ond yn fwy pwysig y perfformiad cywir.”