Llandovery captain Cerith Rees is looking forward to his side’s British & Irish Cup debut against fellow Welsh outfit Pontypridd this Saturday.
“It’s unchartered territory for us really and we want to do justice to ourselves and our town. We had one of our best ever seasons last year in qualifying for the British & Irish Cup, but we lost a lot of players in the summer and it’s not going to be easy,” said Rees.
“However, we’re not going to throw anything away, starting with Saturday. It’s a massive game for us and we want to do well.
“We did quite well against Pontypridd last season, beating them in our home league match but they are a quality outfit and we will need to be on top of our game from the off.
“These are exciting times for Llandovery, I’m sure a lot of the teams won’t even know where the town is but we are looking forward to welcoming the likes of Doncaster here and to travelling to places like Ayr in Scotland.”
Pontypridd’s Ryan Harford says his side are desperate for silverware this season, starting with the British & Irish Cup, won by Cornish Pirates last season.
“We are as strong as I’ve experienced in eight years at the club, this is our best chance yet of delivering some silverware to our fantastic fans. We are unbeaten in the Principality Premiership but we have to start with a win at Llandovery on Saturday,” said Harford.
Currently out of action with a broken arm Harford insisted the British & Irish Cup is helping to raise the standard of Welsh semi-professional rugby.
“Playing sides like Doncaster Knights, Worcester and Munster who have played at a higher level helps you to set your own goals and if you can match those sides it gives you confidence in your ability.
“It would be great to reward our fans. They are really the 16th man in our side. They come everywhere with us, including a large contingent that came to Ayr last year, and they truly deserve a trophy this season.”
