The road to the Millennium Stadium begins this weekend for 169 clubs participating in Round One of the SWALEC Bowl.
Last season saw the introduction of the SWALEC Plate and Bowl for clubs knocked out in the early rounds of the prestigious SWALEC Cup competition.
This season, following a review of the competition format, the knock-out competitions will run separately with clubs in SWALEC League Divisions 4, 5, 6, Division 2 North and University clubs competing for the Bowl title, clubs in Divisions 2, 3 and Division 1 North fighting it out for glory in the Plate competition while the SWALEC Cup will be the exclusive domain of Principality Premiership and Division One clubs.
The finals of all three tournaments will take place at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday 8 May.
The Bowl clubs kick off SWALEC knock-out rugby this weekend and a new name will be inscribed onto the trophy with last year’s winners Morriston participating in the Plate competition.
This change of format will ensure that all clubs are offered a run of League fixtures in the first half of the season, alleviating difficulties faced by clubs in the final weeks of the season when there may be a build-up of fixtures. It will also provide a more even playing contest with clubs playing against sides from a similar level of the National League, rather than incurring great cost to complete a fixture where a positive result is sometimes almost certainly out of reach.
Already, this weekend’s Round One fixtures have thrown up a string of tasty local derbies including Welshpool v Newtown, Penybanc v Amman United, Hendy v Trimsaran, Cefn Cribbwr v Bryncethin, Caerau Ely v St Albans and Old Penarthians v Cardiff Saracens.
WRU Head of Rugby, Performance and Development Joe Lydon said: “We’ve got a fabulous sponsor in SWALEC who are great supporters of the game and ensure we can provide this opportunity for clubs of all levels to have their day in the sun at the Millennium Stadium, the jewel in the crown of Welsh rugby.
“While last year’s inaugural three-tier competition was a great success for those involved, we are always looking to improve standards and some clubs found it difficult to compete because of excessive travel costs and a build-up of matches.
“Holding the three finals at the Millennium Stadium was a great showpiece event for the game and for the national cup competition. We feel that by creating a system whereby clubs will be categorised according to their League Division it will create an even more meaningful competition where every club in Wales will have a real crack of the whip at their respective title by playing against their peers in the League.”
Alan Williams, Director of Energy Sales, SWALEC, commented: “We’re looking forward to the new cup season, the second in our three-year sponsorship of the Cup, Plate and Bowl competitions. Working in partnership with the WRU, we’re continually looking at ways to improve and develop the events we sponsor and we hope the revisions in the competition structure will help to enhance the Cup competition further. Last season, we introduced the Plate and Bowl competitions with the finals being played at the Millennium Stadium and we look forward to another great season of cup rugby, and another great day of top-class entertainment at the Stadium in 2010.
“As a leading energy supply in Wales, we feel it’s fitting our sponsorship association with the WRU should encompass community rugby at all levels including the recently-announced expanded SWALEC League competition, the SWALEC Cup, Plate and Bowl, the women’s international team and the international age-grade teams at U18 and U20 level.”
The draw for Round Two of the SWALEC Bowl (matches to take place on weekend of October 31) will take place at the Millennium Stadium next Tuesday 13 October.
The Plate competition kicks off on October 31, with the Round One of the Cup taking place on December 12.
Full fixtures available at the WRU website.
