SportingWales Issue 23

ISSUE twenty three

daylight robbery

Nathan Stephens denied his chance of glory

chris coleman Changing times for Wales

non stanford

All I want for Christmas is a world title

Covering all of Welsh sport including Paralympics, football, rugby union, rugby league, athletics, rowing, sailing, triathlon, sports injuries, hockey, snooker, squash and book reviews.

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04

Editor’s notes

06

Nathan Stephens

cover story

Paralympic heartbreak

10

Josie Pearson

Golden girl

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Aled Davies

New challenges

16

Nathan Stephens

View from the Top

First Minister Carwyn Jones

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Chris Coleman

One of the untold stories in the middle of all the Welsh Paralympics success.

Welsh Football's main man

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BIGGER PICTURE

24

RISING STAR AWARDS

28

Lynn Howells

18

Non Stanford

Taking on the world

32

Spire - Sports injury CLinic

34

Michaela Breeze

36

Tackling homophobia

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Tom Harvey

Josie Pearson

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The amazing impact of the Paralympics.

Book Reviews

44

News

50

Competitions

Lynn Howells From Valleys rugby to Romania

28

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Our Partners

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Contents

Go-karting hope

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staff and contributors

welcome to sportingwales Editor: Hamish Stuart hamish@sportingwales.com

We have all been reminiscing at the end of a fantastic year of sport, almost certainly the best this country has ever had.

They would have gone down in Welsh sporting history as the only side ever to have qualified for a major finals, they too would still be even greater heroes than they are anyway.

But it is worth remembering even in this avalanche of success there is another side, the Nathan Stephens side – the Paralympics poster boy who was denied his moment of glory.

Send us your thoughts on the greatest ever sporting robbery, either directly by e-mail or through our Facebook page, details below.

There was so much success that another gold medal would have had but a small part of the overwhelming coverage, but with so many other areas to concentrate on it is probably understandable that one of the few people not achieving the expected was just glossed over.

We are delighted to bring the full story to you in this edition of SportingWales, to show all sport is human in a year when everyone seemed superhuman.

It is interesting to compare the greatest sporting robbery ever, a perfect subject for debate in the pub, at a Christmas party or during a quiet period of a match.

Photography: Steve Pope steve@sportingwales.com

I was lucky enough to tell Nathan's story to one of the Wales rugby players who lost to New Zealand in 1978 thanks to the lineout cheating from the All Blacks.

He remembered that the team talk that day from coach John Dawes had been about how the players could go down in history by beating the All Blacks, they could make themselves heroes for many years to come.

Design: Paul P Bailey

His words were prophetic, they would have been true, they would have become heroes and still would be today – even more so than the reverence held anyway for that successful group.

Editor's Message

paul@sportingwales.com

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Head of Advertising: Cory Richards cory@sportingwales.com Contributors: Gary Baker Roger Hughes Peter Hughes Sarah Mogford Paul Batcup Contributing Photographers: David Davies PA Peter Lawson Roger Bool Emyr Young Publisher: SportingWales Managing Director: Steve Pope Accounts Manager: John Pope

So does it still hurt now, 34 years on with the chance to look back with the perspective of hindsight and realisation it was only sport, only a game?

You bet it does. Absolutely!

The footballers of 1977 who suffered a similar fate at the Wales v Scotland winner-takes-all match for a place in the 1978 World Cup, the infamous Joe Jordan handball that brought the first of two goals for the Scots.

The other fascinating part of the Nathan Stephens story is hearing from him and others just how much the Paralympics has changed things.

I will hold my hand up at this point and say that before the event was held I thought it would be a great success, but a junior partner to the Olympics and the memory would fade more quickly. It lacked the global superstars, it was on Channel 4, papers would devote less space, there were logical reasons for thinking that.

I was completely wrong, it was a bigger success than I think almost anyone imagined. There were 80,000 watching the morning heats of the athletics every day, who had paid good prices for their tickets.

Every venue was packed with people who wanted to show their support.

The millions who watched events live and the many more millions who watched on telly were captivated by the power of the stories and the achievements.

The Welsh Paralympians in this edition back up the view that their lives have changed more than they dared hope.

This has been a great, great year of British sport, but in some ways that just might be the greatest lasting achievement.

As ever, we are able to bring you this quality product covering all of Welsh sport free of charge thanks to our quality partners, sponsors and advertisers.

Please support them as they support us.

If you cannot rely on getting a paper copy then subscibe online through www.sportingwales.net. There is also an iPad/ tablet version of the magazine available through our website. Please continue to get in touch with us to pass on your story ideas and feedback, through e-mail, through our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/sportingwalesmagazine) or via twitter (@sportingwales)

- Hamish Stuart

©SportingWales 2013. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted or recorded in any form or by any means without prior written permission from the publisher. While the publishers believe that all information contained in this publication was correct at the time of printing, they can accept no liability for any inaccuracies that may appear.

Contact us through the website www.sportingwales.net

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Nathan Stephens

paralympics

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words

Hamish Stuart

pictures

Steve Pope

“I was robbed, my heart was ripped out, my dreams were shattered.”

It is one of the untold tales from the glorious summer of British Sport, the flip side to the torrent of triumph, the story that got sidelined with so much success to celebrate.

They are the words of Nathan Stephens, one of the poster boys building up to London 2012 along with Jessica Ennis, Tom Daley, David Weir and the others, talking about a travesty of sporting justice that is hard to beat, someone being wrongly denied their unique opportunity of a life-changing moment.

It is on a par with the Wales rugby team of 1978 who were denied victory over the All Blacks by cheating in the lineout and a gullible referee, the Wales football team who were denied qualifying for a major championships by the hand of Joe Jordan and a gullible referee - both once in a generation opportunities taken away by officials getting it wrong.

Winning gold, or even a medal, in front of British fans in London 2012 would be the pinnacle of anyone's career - a once-ina-liftime moment for all the athletes and a result that was expected from javelin thrower Stephens.

The advertisers expected it, the Welsh public expected it, those in the know expected it, Stephens himself was beginning to believe in it by the time his event came to start - one of the last events in London 2012 when British success had become normal.

The javelin in the London Paralympics saw two categories of disability, F57 and F58,

combined, Stephens with one leg after a train accident up against competitors with two legs - with the rules supposedly tailored to provide a fair competition.

However in the end it was the judges who were left without a leg to stand on, but we will let Nathan tell the story from the start of that exciting summer when giant pictures of the world champion started hitting billboards all round the country.

“I had not had a fantastic year after shoulder surgery, but we were building up to going to the biggest competition of my life at London 2012.

“Things were starting to fall back into place, especially in warm weather training in Portugal just before the Paralympics, and there was time to get it all right.

“To start being recognised in the street and people coming up asking for your autograph was a tremendous experience, to be a part of it will stay with you for a lifetime.

“You felt a massive buzz. We said to each other 'We are here now, this is our time.'

“I tore my adductor going into Portugal so we decided to pull out of the discus to concentrate on the javelin, so I had to wait until the last day before my event.

“Everybody else was doing so well, so that was hard waiting. I was in the stadium in tears watching when Aled Davies, my training partner, brought home two medals.

“We felt everyone wanted to get behind it, in a stadium where everybody had bought their tickets and wanted to be there for the sport and to be part of this nationwide London 2012 Games. That was really touching and Paralympics is now on the map.

“Before my event it was the best experience ever and something amazing to be part of. Eventually it came to me and my event.

“My throw clicked on the morning of the event on the warm-up track, everything was coming together to throw big distances.

“I pushed into the stadium and received the reception of the crowds, which was breathtaking. One person starts screaming and then it echoes around, a mexican wave of sound that just hits you.

“Everything before my event was fantastic and I shed a tear of joy going into the stadium, it was absolutely phenomenal.

“Then the event started and everything just went wrong. sportingwales

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“I do not put effort into the warm-up throws, just trying to get a rhythm, but it felt good. Then first throw has a little bit more effort in it, but is never my furthest throw.

Nathan Stephens realises his golden dreams are threatened by the judges.

“The red flag went up and I thought 'Hang on now.' They said my foot has got to stay on the floor at all times, I replied that it doesn't and that I have thrown like this for umpteen years and have never been called for it.

“We had built my throw around the rule book, so it was a case of getting on and throwing the next one. I threw that with a bit more effort and then they red flagged me again.

“At that point it is a question of 'What can I do?' I argued my point, asked if they had the rule book on them. The official who had red flagged me went to the head official, she came up and said to me my foot has to stay on the floor.

“That ruined my throw, everything I had built my throw around was suddenly deemed as a no-throw and I could not win. My head went, my Games was over at that point and my last throw with my foot on the floor was game over - I knew I could not reach the final like that.

“I know that sounds defeatist and I could have handled it better looking back now, but at the time when you have worked seven years for one person to say 'nothrow' was hard to handle.

“After my third throw I was protesting to a rules official, asking if they had a rulebook so I could show them. They didn't, which was not very good.

“At this point my coach Anthony Hughes was on the side of the track ringing people. Peter Eriksson (performance director of the UK paralympic athletics team) was in the officials room arguing my

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case.

“The official who had red-flagged me took my footage, went into the back room and I did not see her after that.

“I did not have a clue what was going on until Chris Cohen from the IPC (International Paralympics Committee chairperson of the athletics executive committee) came out and knelt down next to me and said he was sorry, the officials got it wrong, they mis-interpreted the rules, they were classing me as a T57 whereas I am a T58.

“The 57 class would have two legs, for instance the winner did a lap of honour round the track. Because I do not have a left leg, a second leg to keep on the floor, I have to stay in contact with the seat or I fall over.

“It is a difficult thing to explain, but my rule says that I have to remain seated at all times but the leg can do what it likes.

If my buttock comes off the seat then my leg has to be on the floor, it was difficult to get across to them and, yeah, it was heartbreaking.

“When he told me, my head was in a towel - there are photos of it. The event was still going on, they said they would reinstate my furthest throw but I knew that would not be far enough.

“When someone is telling you that you are doing it wrong when I knew I was doing it right, it is hard to take.

“I do not know why I could not throw again, those discussions were held in the team room, but I know that my head had already gone. Going in there pumped up with all that adrenaline, after the first two throws it had all gone. My passion had leaked out of me and it would have been extremely hard to pick it back up.

“I would have given it a go, but it would have been difficult, so at that point I felt London 2012 was over and done with.

Everyone else had a fantastic Games, it just so happened it was not my turn.

was not explained to the public what had happened. Channel 4 said to the public I had been disqualified, but they did not know what was going on because no-one knew what was going on - not even the judges.

“At this point Peter Eriksson was in the officials room screaming and shouting saying he had told them in 2011 that the rule was not right and the officials did not know it.

“In my eyes there is no equivalent, but I am still young enough to overcome it. I am still trying to get over it in my head somewhere.

“UK Athletics had offered to pay in 2011 for all the officials to be trained to know the rules, they were worried about it even then, but the IPC said no because they said they all knew already.

“My biggest rival over the years knew what had happened, he came up to me and told me to go for it in four years time.

It was nice from someone who knows you have put into it.

“All we would like is a letter of apology.

We have written several e-mails to IPC and they do not want to admit they were wrong.

“To know my fiance, my family, her family, my coaches, UKA are still behind me even though I did not perform helps - and there is still another four years.

“Overall London 2012 Paralympics were a phenomenal event, the best Paralympics out there, they made one little mistake - but it was to me so we are obviously going to fight my cause.

“I have taken it in my stride that sometimes things are not always going to go as you want them to in athletics, even though your heart and your head have dreamt of this moment since you started.

“It does not take away from the fact I was robbed, my heart was ripped out, my dreams were shattered.

“It is still sore, I still have a tear now and then, but when we are back in the gym together then London is over and done with.

“I couldn't face going to the closing ceremony or the parades because it was stolen away from me, I would not have enjoyed it, everyone would have been watching what they said, so I did not want to be a downer on everyone's fantastic performances.

“I would love closure, not only for me but for friends and family. However I can defend my world title next year and Rio is in four years time, so if I get stronger and fitter then hopefully I can do it then.

“It is another four year cycle, I still haven't got that Paralympic medal which I want and I will not stop til I get it. It would have been lovely to say that you got it in London, but it is not bad saying you got it in Rio! And I was part of London 2012, I was there.

“Next year I have the world championships, then getting married and living my life - so there is more to life than athletics. It is time to look forward and I certainly have a point to prove.”

“In sport people get the limelight when they are winning, I understand that. In my case I was not allowed to perform, but it

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“How can I become a Paralympian?”

The child's question to gold medallist Josie Pearson shows the impact the London Paralympics have had in the cutest possible way.

No longer something to be sneered at or ignored, but something to aim for even for an able-bodied child. Inspire a generation, indeed.

Beijing, spent some time doing wheelchair racing in between Paralympics before settling on the throwing events in London to such good effect.

“I have that cliché of the fire in the belly, I want to be successful and want to win.

That drive and determination gets you to the top.

“I have been doing lots of schools and colleges and it is really nice to know you are inspiring,” admitted Abergavenny's Pearson, who won gold in the discus.

“When you are a kid you try lots of things to see what you are best at, but with paralympic sport there are a lot of people who acquire injuries late in life,” she explained.

“When I first started discus and picked it up so quickly I knew at the back of my mind that was going to be my best medal prospect. I was still racing and thought I could qualify for four events, but you have to priorituse.

“I went to a primary school and some of the kids were so endearing, asking how they could become paralympic athletes.

I thought how lovely is that that an ablebodied child looks up to us as athletes whereas twenty years ago that would not have happened.

“Kids are great, they are like little sponges, so it is fantastic to know you are inspiring the next generation. People’s preconceptions have changed.”

That was certainly the hope, but it is still fascinating to hear the anecdotes that prove the slogans have come true.

Pearson herself is a good example of the benefits the Paralympics can bring. A talented showjumper, her life changed at the age of 17 when she broke her neck in a car crash that killed her boyfriend.

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“I tried different paralympic events because I had never been in a wheelchair before, I did not know what I would be good at, what my assets would be, so I see it that I was testing the water to see where my skills were.

“I was seventeen, eighteen, years-old when this started, in some ways that is quite late to get into sprinting because a lot of people start quite young, but paralympic sport does not follow the normal patterns.

“I knew that I had always been very competitive, always wanted to win, so I knew sport was where I wanted to go, just didn’t know where in sport to go.

“I knew I would not reach elite level in horseriding any more, so I had to focus on something completely different.

“I picked up an injury so I had to give up racing, which was almost a blessing in disguise as I could concentrate on the throwing events.

“At the back of my mind I wondered if I should go for all four, but it’s London and would I overstretch myself and not do well in any of them. It was a bit scary.”

All of which reached a culmination in the summer and the momentum from that day has not stopped since.

“It has been a whirlwind of a few months, the best most amazing experience of my life without a doubt,” said the 26-year-old.

Hamish Stuart

pictures

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Josie Pearson

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“People ask if it has been a comedown since coming back from the games and it is almost the opposite. Although I did not want the Games to end and for that experience to be over, it has been so busy and there have been so many great requests and so many opportunities to do great events.

“My feet have not touched the ground really with trying to fit in training as well. It is keeping that momentum going.”

“I knew I could do it, but performing on that stage is different from doing it in training.

“I don’t think I will be trying anything new before Rio, definitely, this is where my skills lie. I have got a gold medal, so hopefully it will be two in Rio.

While London was a unique experience, it also brought pressure on the British performers to live up to the crowds and the enthusiasm.

“My event is not in the Commonwealths, so I will concentrate on the world championships next year in France, some competitions in Europe, then the world champships again, then Rio. Every year there will be a major competition so it is a case of improving every year.

“There is always that pressure. I had the club throw first which is not my strongest event, so I had that experience of the stadium,” she said.

“I am a very grounded person, it is really humbling when people want to congratulate you and recognise you in the most random places.

“My discus was the second event and so many people had done so well by then that I really felt I had to pull it out of the bag.

“I went on holiday to Ibiza and a couple of people out there were ‘Are you Josie Pearson.’ You go to Ibiza to get away

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from it, my wind down, so what are the chances of that happening.

“I really appreciate all the events that have come my way, awards, accolades. It is something that you do not try to get, but I guess you have to get used to it.

“There is still that buzz, people want to see you, hear the story, see the medals and hear about paralympic sport. The momentum is still going and we have got to keep this legacy going.

“London has put a platform now for what every Paralympics has to better really.

Governing bodies and local authorites can invest the time and the money to get new coaching and club set-ups to get people into all different sports.”

London has changed things - both for the sport and the individuals. Just ask that primary school child.

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paralympics

Aled Davies is an example of the

Aled Davies

Paralympians moving

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into the mainstream in two interesting new ways - both competing alongside able-bodied athletes and against them in the next few months.

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Hamish Stuart

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Roger Bool

Gold discus sets up new challenges for Aled The former SportingWales Rising Star won gold and bronze in the throwing events at the London Paralympics, which has been a springboard into many more opportunities to show things really have changed in disability sport.

“Now there is a hunger for Paralympic sport which has led to them putting my event alongside able-bodied events at the Aviva Grand Prix,” said Davies.

“It will be shown live on TV so it will be huge, little things like that show it is progressing. It will be the 22nd of January up in Glasgow, it will be a phenomenal event with the London 2012 line-up.

“Because a lot of Paralympic athletes are very young as well people are interested in what we are doing. We all have massive followings on social media networks, having all these messages asking where we are training, when we are competing.

“People are still a bit down now London has finished, but we are wondering where we can take it over the next few years.

“I am not a world champion yet so I want to achieve that and they have also put my event into the Commonwealth Games in 2014, so being a patriotic Welshman I cannot wait to pull on the vest for that.

“With the Games being integrated as well I know that will be incredible.

“I am in one of the most able-bodied categories, we stand up, so I have competed

in able-bodied events this year and will do it again next year - not a lot of categories can do that.

Anthony Hughes and he was crying. I was just so happy I was able to perform on the big stage.

“I am competing for Cardiff in club-based matches. I would be happy to get my ranking in club able-bodied up, to get my Welsh ranking into the top five and UK ranking into the top 10.”

“Paralympic sport has not been that big and London has really blown it out of the water now.

Davies competes in the F42 throwing category, having been born with a similar issue with the bones in his leg as South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius.

He won bronze in the shot before claiming gold in the discus. He was assured first place before his final throw, where he set a new European record in sealing gold.

“It is hard to put into words, it is still like a massive dream - being a kid watching Athens, turning round to your parents and saying that will be me one day,” he said.

“Now here I am, I have got my gold medal, I have lived my dream.

“I am just so happy that I managed to get on that massive stage and deliver to the crowd when I needed to because I was so young. I took it in both hands and now nothing but a gold will be accceptable and I want to be the one pushing the barriers.

“Now I have had a taste of one Games, I cannot wait for four years time.

“It was going from a nobody to somebody that really struck me. When I knew I had won I cried, I looked over to my coach

“Everyone seems to know who I am and what I do and that feeling we are progressing the sport is a wonderful feeling.

“Shopping is hard because you will end up having to pose and smile with your arm round someone once or twice, but that is nice to be recognised for six years hard work.

“Part of the aim is to inspire a generation and I am just loving going round telling my story and hoping the stars of tomorrow will come out of the shadows.

“Coming off the back of the junior world championships, I broke two world records by a ridiculous amount, but coming home nobody knew I had been away with no media coverage apart from the UK Athletics website.

“We all knew that we had to show the world something special at London because that was our opportunity.”

SportingWales recognied Davies on the back of those Junior World Championships with the Rising Star award, but it seems the Paralympics have opened up some more opportunities in the future as well.

By day I’m under a mountain of work.

But when I get off the 16.04 to London I’m on top of the world.

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View From the Top First Minister - Carwyn Jones What were the highlights for you in 2012?

We saw some incredible Welsh success in the Olympics and Paralympics, but it all started with the Grand Slam which we are almost getting a bit blasĂŠ about these days.

The Swans are doing incredibly well, challenging for the European places, while hopefully Cardiff will be joining them in the Premiership next year.

The Olympics and Paraylmpics have given us an example so the next stage is to make sure we build on that success. For instance it is great to see a Welsh cycling team based in the velodrome at Newport that will compete next year.

We have seen success in other sports, such as Jade Jones in Taekwondo. A lot of people had never seen it until we saw someone from Wales winning gold.

Carwyn Jones

In the Paralympics we did not just see the talent of the athletes, but Wales has a system in place that allows us to punch above our weight.

My personal highlights of the year include the Wales v France Grand Slam game and watching the Swans beat Liverpool in the last game of last season which was a great way to round off a really good season.

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One of the next big events are the Commonwealth Games in 2014, could Wales ever host these Games?

It is special to see a Wales team winning medals in the Commonwealth Games.

We will keep an eye on it but a Commonwealth Games is expensive to run.

Our Sports Minister Huw Lewis has been in Glasgow to have a look and it would be nice to host one in Cardiff one day.

We have got a lot of the facilities, so we do not need to build from new.

Glasgow will have the athletics track in Hampden Park, so could we do something like that here rather than building a new stadium - those are the sort of things that we want to learn from Scotland.

You played and refereed in rugby, tell us about your own sporting background?

I played rugby from the age of eight. Then I qualified as a referee in the Swansea District.

My first game was Bonymaen Youth against Morriston Youth, which was certainly a baptism of fire.

In those days there was no training for referees and if you played the game then you were used to running into different positions. For instance my first reaction was to avoid being offside rather than getting into the proper position for a referee, I learned the hard way.

What would you like to see improved in rugby?

The international team will always be there, but the question is how to make the regions more successful. However it is not up to the First Minister to run the Welsh Rugby Union or the regions – that is serious politics!!!

What are your hopes for 2013?

Another Grand Slam would be nice!

It would also be great to see the Wales football team get their confidence back. They have a good manager in Chris Coleman so it would be nice to see some good wins.

I am looking forward to the Rugby League World Cup, while it would be special to see the Swans in Europe and Cardiff in the Premiership.

To have two Welsh teams in the top division would really be something and maybe we could top that off with Newport and Wrexham getting back into the Football League as well.

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Trying to make triumph from tragedy sportingwales

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Roger Hughes pictures

Steve Pope

Two life changing events, a car crash and the death of a close friend, have been pieces in a jigsaw which has seen Chris Coleman become the Wales football manager.

Speed had been successful in turning the water into wine following the departure of John Toshack. By the time of his death in November of 2011 Wales had managed five wins out of six matches; their only defeat in that run being a one nil reverse against England.

If anything, Coleman told Sportingwales, that made his job even more difficult. “I have never taken over a team which is doing well. The emotion of why I was there was still attached to it unfortunately, but the expectations were still there.

“No-one looked at the players and asked how it was affecting them. They assumed they were just machines who played football. You had been winning, why aren`t you winning anymore?

So who do they look at? The new manager, but that is fine by me, that is what I am paid for.”

An international manager is also an ambassador for the team and the nation. That involves meeting the public, which the enthusiastic Coleman does not mind in the least. “What I have not liked the most is when I am at a dinner it keeps coming up all the time.

football

“People want to pay their respects to Gary and I can understand that, but it keeps opening the wound if you like and I have been desperately trying to move on.”

Coleman knew there would be difficult times recovering from their loss, but what he didn`t expect was the six-one thrashing his team received in Serbia. “That was the catalyst then to say, that is it and it was down to me to make changes and move on. I did that, I had to make one or two big decisions, I changed the captain.

“When we came together for the Scotland game the atmosphere was better. They saw more of me as I really am rather than tiptoeing.”

The other part of Coleman's jigsaw was almost as tragic. Back on 2nd January 2001 the defender was a fixture in the Fulham side sitting comfortably in the Premier League. That evening his car left the road and hit a tree.

“I was trapped in the car for about an hour and three quarters and I heard the doctor say to the firemen you have ten minutes to get him out or I will have to take his leg off,” he remembered.

“They got me out in about ten seconds and after several operations and rehabilitation I was back playing in about fifteen months, but I was never the same and I decided to retire.

Chris Coleman

In the twelve months since the death of Gary Speed, Coleman has said many times that he is in a job which he had always wanted but thought long and hard about accepting when the Football Association of Wales came calling.

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“I went into coaching, and I enjoyed it, but I never got anything like the buzz I did from playing. “Then I got lucky, I got the caretaker job at Fulham, as soon as I started I got the buzz back and I loved it.

Now when I have a bad time as a manager - and I have had plenty - I just think back to those times and think if I can get through that, I can get through anything.”

very next day everyone has disappeared.

It is frustrating.

a series of switch-off matches for Wales.

Coleman has targets.

“Before I took the job I knew the dynamics of what went on, but when you are left and there are things you need to talk about and things you need to work on and you can`t because you have borrowed the players in effect, so that is frustrating.

The 42 year old has since managed Real Sociedad in Spain, Coventry City in England, and Larissa in Greece before returning to his homeland. He has discovered many differences between managing a club and managing a country “The thing I have found the most difficult is the time between games.

“When you are a club manager you can go out and buy players to fit the system you want to play, but when you are an international manager you have only got the players available to you. You have got what you have got; that and the lack of quality time you have with the players is the big difference and the big frustration.”

“We are a nation of three and a half million people so we have no divine right to qualify for anything,” he said. “Compare us with Belgium who have been working at their system for eight to ten years.

What they did was put a programme in place. First of all to produce good young players we have to produce good coaches to get players into the Welsh way. We have to get into the young players. The centre in Newport is nearly ready, and we must make the most of that.”

“With a club I am used to, a day of two after a game, meeting together and discussing it, chewing the fat and seeing where we need to improve. As a domestic manager the games come thick and fast, but with Wales you play the game and the

Having decided to make changes before the game against Scotland which provided Wales with their first win under Chris Coleman, it may be too late for qualification for the World Cup in Mexico, but the next eighteen months will not be

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Chris Coleman is known throughout the world of football as “Cookie”. It comes from his time at school when bigger than most of his age and he had a big appetite, as did Cookie Monster in the cartoon Sesame Street. Now Coleman has an appetite to put Wales on the international football map. It may take a while.

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Steve Pope

The Bigger Picture SW

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Rising Star Awards - Ellie Meopham

Ellie on crest of a wave

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Hamish Stuart

pictures

Steve Pope

SportingWales Rising Star Ellie Meopham had a very inauspicious start to her sailing career – she did not like it, she was scared and had to be encouraged by her Dad to have another go.

It was lucky for the future of Welsh and British sailing that he was so persuasive, for now she is following in the wake of the likes of silver medallist Hannah Mills and has been picked out to work with the Olympic stars of the future.

The Fishguard 17-year-old is also one of the SportingWales Rising Star monthly winners, in contention to follow Jade Jones and Rhys Pugh in the annual awards next summer, sponsored by Sport Wales, Cardiff Metropolitan University and the Village Hotel group.

She received her monthly award after finishing top four in the world and earning a place to train for future Olympics.

It has been a remarkable 12 months for someone who was scared of the water when she first took up sailing, only to go on to conquer both those concerns and most of her rivals around the UK and the world.

She will spend this winter training alongside the Olympic Development Squad as one of the young sailors earmarked for a bright future at the highest level, with the highlight coming in the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships, missing out on a medal by a whisker.

The Welsh sailor’s fourth place finish is Britain’s best result since 2005 when Alison Young, London 2012 Team GB Laser Radial sailor, finished third in Busan, Korea.

She was also emulating the success of Olympic gold medal prospect Hannah Mills by qualifying to represent Great Britain in the event, while pushing strongly for one of the top places.

Receiving this award, in competition with

young Welsh stars from any sport, was particularly important to Meopham.

“It is a bit of an eye-opener really, you spend so much time focussing on your own performance and what you are doing that you do not really get much perspective,” said 17-year-old Meopham.

“It is nice to take a step back and see what other people your age are doing and it is inspiring as well as rewarding.

“The ISAF world championships were amazing, it was such an experience I will never forget it. I was in with the other girls in the British team, they were much more experienced than me which was a help and also we were in a team that was performing so well.”

Meopham may not have enjoyed sailing at first, but now she is approaching decisiontime on a future in the sport which could take her to the very highest levels.

“Me and three other girls will be going training alongside the Olympic Development Squad and following their programme this winter. Hopefully I will be able to evaluate what is for me to see what I need to do to get where they are.

“There are some massive decisions to be made, especially as I am coming to the end of my youth career. This will be my last year and then I will have to take steps to either commit to sailing full-time or try to do a university course alongside, so there are some decisions to make about that.

“I have lots of brilliant staff around me at the RYA and WYA to help me make those decisions.

“I am looking at the Olympics. It takes a very unique person to get there, that determination and drive to get a gold medal. I need to do some more learning about myself but I am looking at it, either Rio or more probably 2020.”

“To begin with I did not particularly enjoy sailing,” she admitted. “I found it quite scary and was worried about the idea of drowning in a boat. It was quite a slow start, but Dad saw there was an enthusiasm there behind a bit of fear.

“The more I spent time in the boat the more I realised how much I enjoyed being in charge of my own little craft. I could go off whenever I wanted and I really enjoyed that.

“As I enjoyed the sport more and more there were new elements. Now there is the tactical side, you learn so much and you get to travel.

“It has to be said that when it is blowing 25 knots and you are going downwind with the spray in your face there is nothing better.

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Peter Lawson sportingwales

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Josh can buck the trend Welsh rowers have had some spectacular medal success at the Olympics, but funnily enough Welsh Rowing has not – though that may be about to change.

Rising Star Awards - Josh Bugajski

For the likes of double gold medallist Tom James may be a rower who originates from Wales, but his route to the top did not involve going through Welsh rowing programmes. The same applies to the other medal successes of recent years, but curiously an Englishman may be about to change all that.

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For Josh Bugajski may hail initially from Hereford, he is now at Cardiff University and owes his remarkable recent rise to the GB Under 23 levels and hopefully beyond to Welsh Rowing.

He first tried the sport on the indoor rowing machines and his performances immediately rang alarm bells that here was someone with prodigious physical talents for the sport.

While rowing for Cardiff University and Wales he has built on that early promise, performing well for the GB Under 23 scullers and getting ready for the step up to Olympic level. It is those performances that marked him out for one of the monthly SportingWales Rising Stars Awards “I am very glad to receive the award from Sporting Wales,” he said at the awards lunch in Cardiff's Villahe Hotel.

“Looking at the names that have gone before me, I did not realise how big this award was when I first heard about it – it is a great honour, a high award to achieve.

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“It has been a very exciting year in Welsh rowing. When I started there were a few things said about Welsh rowing, but there are a lot more guys coming up and juniors coming through to the Under 23 ranks.

“Welsh rowing did not have that for a very long time so it is exciting, after the Olympics it has improved if anything with more applicants and people interested in the sport.

“There are a lot of people who did not realise they could do the sport who are coming forward, tall guys, big guys who are ideal and who are now realising it.

“The rowing club tried to recruit me in my first year at University – I maybe should have listened to them a bit more but I decided to go into kickboxing and football in my first year.

“Then after a few more people mentioned it to me I had this idea to trial for the sport and it went very well, I am very pleased I tried it that day.

“It is a large jump going from the Under 23 squad to the senior squad but there are a few vacancies after the Olympics as there usually are.

“Some of the bigger names have retired so for the next two years it will be very important in terms of setting a name for yourself. Obviously the Olympic coaches help out with the Under 23's so my name is already out there.

“Hopefully I can establish myself as a senior member in the next two to three years and then Rio is the next step. I would love to go to Rio and get a medal.”

And if he does it will be an even bigger boost for the Welsh rowing system than previous medallists.

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Lynn's leap into the unknown Sport can sometimes be about as friendly as your next door neighbour’s dog.

One day those doleful eyes are just begging you for a pat, the next it bites your hand off.

Lynn Howells' sporting life could be traced along a similar track, but now he is looking forward to another experience which will sit nicely in the 'proud to have done it' file.

which was something we had never achieved before. Most of our players are based in Romania so we do not have to worry about clubs in other countries releasing our players.

Howells experienced the rugby World Cup held in Wales in 1999 as assistant coach to Graham Henry. Now he has the chance of another tilt at the Webb Ellis trophy, this time with Romania.

“Having said that, I recommended a prop, Tamba, to Phil Davies at The Blues, and another front row man Usakui is playing in France. Their experiences will only help the other players develop."

Lynn Howells

Back in the 1980`s `The Oaks` were very close to becoming the sixth European nation. Then came the fall of Nicolae Ceausescu`s communist regime and rugby suffered a decline almost into oblivion. Now, thanks to Lynn Howells and his coaching team, they are on the rise again.

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The 62 year old from Maerdy at the top of the Rhondda valley, has been with the Romanian national team for just over twelve months, in an advisory capacity at first, more recently as director of rugby; but why? "lt is a new challenge. It is about having the enthusiasm and commitment to keep going and rugby has given me that at international level,” said Howells.

"They are open minded and they crave success, but are realistic about their limitations.

“We have seen progression. Recently against Calvisano in the Amlin Challenge Cup we scored forty points,

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Howell's reputation as a coach was founded at Pontypridd where he helped to take the club from unfashionable to a team the best in Europe feared to take on.

After the World Cup of '99, this modest guy, who had never played rugby at a high level, took the Wales side on their tour to Japan."I was so proud. It meant coaching my country," he admitted.

The title of Howells' recently published autobiography "Despite The Knockbacks" could not be more appropriate. After the Celtic Warriors, and Edinburgh he landed on his feet again at English championship club Doncaster.

It was whilst coaching the Barbarians, another role he considers as a great honor, that the opportunity to take up the position in Romania came about. “Richie Dixon, who I knew

very well from my days in Edinburgh, is the International Rugby Board representative for the second tier nations, which includes Romania.

“He asked me if I fancied having a go. I appreciated the chance, especially as it was an IRB appointment, and not to be sniffed at.

“It meant a lot of travelling, but actually less commitment than when I was in Italy.”

In Italy Howells was full time director of rugby which involved being out there for most of the season, but in Romania he goes out for a few weeks then comes home. So there is plenty of time to be spent in his beloved Maerdy.

“The weather is a little different though,” he jokingly added. “The first time I went out there I had never been so cold - and that includes winters in the Rhondda. I had so many layers on I looked like the Michelin Man. “The weather doesn`t bother the players though, there can be inches of snow on the pitch, the temperature can be sub zero but they just get on with it. They train in conditions the players over here wouldn`t leave the dressing room for.

“When I got there I found a bunch of forwards who thought they could

words

Roger Hughes

pictures

Emyr Young

muscle their way through matches and liked to dominate games. When they had finished trying to smash their way to through the opposition, they gave the ball to the backs who would either kick it away or drop it ten or more yards behind where we had won it. Now I think we have a more balanced style of play and we are better at decision making."

Now more rewards could be on the horizon and another chance for the Pontypridd legend to take his new found charges to the biggest rugby tournament.

"It would be another great achievement.

They only just missed out last time and to get to the 2014 competition would be an improvement and a great effort."

To give Lynn Howells another chance at international fulfillment Romania has to beat Russia, Georgia, Spain, Belgium and Portugal to give Lynn Howells another chance at international fulfillment .

"Before you ask, yes we can," chipped in Howells. `Despite The Knockbacks` is published by YLolfa at ÂŁ9.99 rugby sportingwales

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Gary Baker

pictures

Steve Pope

Winning a world championship could be described as a Christmas and birthday present rolled in to one - but for Non Stanford this year, that was literally the case.

For her parents funded the trip to New Zealand to compete in the Under 23 World Triathlon Championships as her Christmas and birthday presents combined - and she unwrapped the biggest win of her career as the Swansea athlete finally started to fulfil the predictions, but not in the way expected of her!

In fact Wales can make justifiable claims to be the global centre of women's triathlon, with two 2012 world champions in a landmark year.

Injury and lack of preparation may have scuppered 2011 world champion Helen Jenkins' chances of adding Olympic gold to that list, but world Under 23 winner Stanford has shown the succession plan is in place for Welsh triathlon.

Non Stanford

“I swim six days a week, cycle and every day. Then we are in the gym three times a week. It's a full-time in a way,” said Stanford.

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run job

“We National Lottery funding which is massive help but, other than that, not get any financial support so I spot of coaching and other work keep me going.

have a I do do a to

“This year my parents paid for my to the World Championships New Zealand as my Christmas birthday presents combined.

flights in and

"It is not as glamourous as people think. are on the road flying from here to there, in a hotel, racing then flying out again."

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You staying

triathlon

World title is best Christmas present Amazingly she is one of two Swansea athletes to have picked up the gauntlet and taken the endurance world by storm, along with Leanda Cave who won both the Ironman world championships (2.4 mile swim, 112 miles cycling and full marathon running) and the Half-Ironman championships (a mere 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride and 13.1 mile half marathon).

Stanford was hailed as one of the Britain''s top track and field stars of the future when she was a teenager.

She was a 1500 metre West Wales champion when just 13, came first in her age group Welsh

Championships in the Under-15 category in 2002, and was picked out to be a protege of double Olympic gold medallist Kelly Holmes - with London 2012 track events as the target.

However injury hampered her progress and while studying in Birmingham for a degree, she used swimming for rehabilitation - and found triathlon. Since then her rise up the triathlon ladder has taken her across the world.

She had top ten finishes in the ITU Triathlon World Cup in Japan, the ITU European Cup in Antalya, Turkey, plus the Sprint Pan American Cup during 2011 but her greatest triumph was in Auckland, New Zealand, this year where she won the World Under-23 Championships and established herself firmly on the global triathlon circuit.

She is now based in Leeds and travels the globe to places such as America's West Coast, South Africa, the Far East and New Zealand for competitiions, which has paid off handsomely.

"I cannot have asked for much better this year,” she admitted. “I am pretty happy with this season. I came into the sport thinking I would like to do well in it. I have always been involved in performance sport and had ambitions to be successful.

However, I didn't expect it to happen so quickly in triathlon.

"I didn't have a great start in the swim but I had a decent second lap of the course and I was back into it getting onto the bike. It took me a while from there to get myself up to the top group but I was able to lead up and put the pressure on the group and we managed to turn the screw

on the chasing pack.”

She called on all her experience as an athlete to go toe-to-toe with Holland's Sarissa De Vries before pulling away in the final few hundred metres to win in two hours 13 minutes and eight seconds.

Stanford was stunned, and said, "It is bizarre and a good learning curve, good to know what it feels like to be in the position where you win a title as big as this."

In two years time in Glasgow, though, Wales' women - Non and Helen - should be able to stand on the start line with every chance of claiming Commonwealth Games medals, with gold a distinct possiblity. If Stanford was to stand on the podium, it would be a magnificent renaissance for an athlete who may have feared the worst during the height of her teenage injury worries.

“The qualification for the Commonwealth Games starts next season and we will just try and look at getting the selection criteria as soon as possible. It's about getting it out early although it is really exciting,” she said.

"It will be my first Commonwealth Games if I qualify and you don't get to compete for your country, for Wales, that often.

Hopefully I'm going to be there and wouldn't it be fantastic for Wales to have a medallist or two there - I hope one of them is me." sportingwales

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Sports Injury Clinic

Spire Sports Injury Clinic

Ankle Sprains

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What is an ankle sprain?

Ligaments are the tough fibrous bands that hold bones together, in the ankle they keep you stable by limiting side-to-side movement. An ankle sprain occurs when these ligaments are stretched to the point of tearing some of or all of these fibres, this can result from a fall, twist or a tackle that forces the body one way whilst the ankle stays planted on the ground.

How to treat an ankle sprain 1st 48 Hours The initial treatment remains the traditional RICE strategy:

What are the symptoms?

A true sprain is more than just a twist that you can run off. Typically the ankle will be swollen and bruised this can be immediate in severe cases or over-night in less severe ones. The ankle will be painful to walk on and it will not be possible to play on. If you hear a pop or are unable to take any weight then this can be a very serious sprain or you may have had a break in one of the bones, so if this occurs you should see a doctor. You should also see someone straight away if there is pain on the top of the foot or front of ankle and especially if there is bruising underneath the foot. X-rays may be required in these cases.

I -ICE - don’t apply this directly onto your skin, use a cloth and only for 15-20 minutes

Types of Ankle sprain Ligaments are made up of a number of fibrous bands, the more of these that are torn the more severe the sprain, the longer the recovery and the greater the chance of long term problems.

After 48 hours Once the ankle starts to feel easier it is important to get the ankle moving in order to stop it from stiffening up, getting weak and losing muscle bulk.

Grade I • This is just severe stretching or tearing of just a few fibres. The ankle will be sore but will feel stable and you will be able to walk on it.

M- Movement - gentle movements of your ankle with the foot off the ground- up and down and drawing circles in the air

Grade II • This occurs when up to 50% of the fibres are torn. The ankle can feel weak and will be swollen, bruised and tender. There will be stiffness and it will be sore to walk on.

Grade III • If all the fibres are torn the ligament will not be able to hold the ankle bones together. The ankle will be very sore, swollen and bruised. It will be very difficult to walk on it for some days and it will feel unstable.

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R- REST -stay off your ankle as much as possible for the first couple of days

C - Compression - a support bandage will help to protect the ankle when walking by reducing the pain and swelling E- Elevation - when you don’t need to be up and about keep your ankle elevated as much as possibleideally as high as possible initially until it starts to feel easier.

I -ICE - don’t apply this directly onto your skin, use a cloth and only for 15-20 minutes C - Compression - a support bandage will help to protect the ankle when walking by reducing the pain and swelling E- Elevation - when you don’t need to be up and about keep your ankle elevated as much as possibleideally as high as possible initially until it starts to feel easier.

How to find us For more detailed directions to the hospital, please visit www.spirehealthcare.com/cardiff Telephone 029 2073 5515 Fax 029 2073 5821 Email cservice-cd@spirehealthcare.com

Mr Anthony Perera

Rehabilitation Unlike the ropes that support a tent, ligaments don’t just hold you together they can also tell when the ankle is being stretched and therefore when you are likely to fall over. This sets off an instantaneous reflex that fires off muscles that pull you back to a stable position. All of this occurs without you even thinking about it and this is why we can walk about in the dark! So it is key that this sense is recovered.

The physios will initially work on regaining your strength and then your balance. Start by balancing on one leg and gradually build up to doing this with your arms spread or even with your eyes closed to increase the challenge. Finally, they will work on plyometrics and build up to sport specific training.

What if I don’t get better?

If your recovery is slow and MRI scan is required to assess the ankle. Occasionally the ankle joint can be scuffed and loose fragments may cause pain, swelling, locking or giving way.

These may need to be removed with key hole surgery. If the ligaments are scarred they may require an injection an occasionally key hole surgery to shave this area done - particularly if you develop a ‘footballers ankle’ which is a spur of bone at the front of the ankle.

Prevention of Ankle Sprains Certain sports such as soccer are prone to sprains but running on uneven ground or even just wearing heels (especially if your balance has been clouded on a night out!). If you have had previous sprains then you can be prone to repeated goingover especially if you haven’t been properly rehabilitated. It is important to maintain your balance work and continue with bracing.

If the ligaments don’t heal they can be treated with keyhole surgery or with an operation to repair and tighten them.

Do I need a brace?

Bracing (or even a boot) can be very helpful early on to reduce pain. They can also help in the rehabilitation and return to sport phase, your physio or doctor will guide you on this.

How long will it take for me to get better?

Expect Grade 1 sprains to settle in 1-2 weeks, grade 2 sprains in 4-6 weeks and grade 3 sprains to take 8-12 weeks.

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Former weightlifting champion Michaela Breeze may well have taken on her greatest ever challenge as the career PE teacher has swapped one classroom for another.

Despite the tough financial times she has given up a job at a Devon secondary school and moved back to Wales to open a new gym and fitness centre.

Sport Wales Feature - Michaela Breeze

Breeze has never done things by half! An 18-year career on the International weightlifting stage included representing Team GB at two Olympic Games and medalling at three Commonwealth Games for Wales, including golds in Manchester 2002 and Melbourne 2006.

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Her last competitive performance saw her take silver as captain of Team Wales in Delhi in 2010.

“I have had this idea to open a fitness centre for some time,” said the 33 year-old. “It always seemed natural to come back to my roots in Wales and there’s been a lot of work put into the market research to identify a suitable location.

“Originally we were looking close to Cardiff but we couldn’t find the right spot. Then we looked at the valleys with such a population potential nearby. I’m really pleased with the result and the location we’ve found.

“There’s been so much work already - not least in getting the finance and grants to be able to go ahead.”

The location - a refurbishment of the St David’s Church in Aberdare town centre - is surely one of the more charismatic buildings of its kind in Wales.

“It’s a fantastic building and it’s even words

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Paul Batcup pictures Steve Pope

got the stained glass windows,” says Breeze. “We’re lucky that it’s not a listed building or it would have been a non-starter. Still, we’ve had to build floors, install a lift and tackle all the difficulties of producing a modern and welcoming facility that people will want to use, but in an historic building.

We’re aiming to get around 500 members signed up.”

But while the fitness centre, which includes a female only section and all the cardio fitness equipment staples, needs to get public members through the doors to pay the bills. Michaela is hoping that she can find and nurture the next generation of elite weightlifting talent as well.

With the help of £50,000 grant from Sport Wales, Breeze’s Gym will be home to the biggest free weights gym in Wales and will be a designated Welsh Weightlifting governing body performance centre. There will be eight dedicated weightlifting platforms on the ground floor of the building, which will welcome training camps and performance competitions.

Michaela will also be employed by Welsh Weightlifting as a performance coach - one of three in Wales.

But Michaela won’t be going it alone.

Her partner Sinead Kelly - herself an accomplished hockey and netball player - is a psychology graduate who has worked with a number of elite athletes in the past.

And while the extensive internal build of the new Breeze’s Gym has been painstakingly put together over the

last few months, Michaela hasn’t been twiddling her thumbs.

With 11 years of teaching experience behind her, she has now become a familiar face in the schools around Aberdare and Rhondda Cynon Taff.

“An important part of what we’re doing is giving local youngsters the chance to give the sport a try,” added Breeze. “I was lucky that I had a PE teacher who inspired me and gave me the opportunity. I hope that they might see me as a good role model and realise what can be achieved in sport.

“I’ve been to quite a few schools already and the response has been great. I’ve already identified some potential talent who I’ve invited to the centre to learn a bit more about the sport and the techniques. I’ll be doing some mentoring as well for some of the talent lifters.

“I really believe that I can help produce some quality athletes and the early signs have been really encouraging.

Giving a young person a first taste of weightlifting, which perhaps they wouldn’t have had otherwise, and seeing them go on to compete in major competitions would be a dream for us.

“Sinead and I have put everything into this venture, we have to make it work.”

For more visit www. breezesgym.co.uk or Twitter: @BreezesGym Facebook: / BreezesGymLtd

From hymns to gyms, as Breeze brings sport to church

Brought to you in association with

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Sport Wales are working with yet another team, this time in the hope of calling time on homophobia in Welsh sport.

Sport Wales Feature - Tackling Homophobia

The aim is to unite the sector in making the sporting environment in Wales one that is safe and welcoming to all, as they launch the results of new research into lesbian, gay and bisexual sports participation in Wales.

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Conducted in partnership with Stonewall Cymru, and in a bid to better understand the sporting experiences of Wales’ Lesbian Gay and Bisexual (LGB) communities, new research encouragingly reveals that 94% of the respondents have taken part in sport in the last 12 months; however it has also highlighted certain barriers to sport that Sport Wales are committing to addressing.

Professor Laura McAllister, Chair of Sport Wales, explains; “Let’s be clear; homophobia in sport is completely unacceptable. At Sport Wales, we’ve made genuine commitments to making sport something that all people in our nation can enjoy; and when we say ‘all’, we mean ‘all’, regardless of age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion or disability.

“Whilst we are encouraged by the high number of respondents that are participating in sport and think that it is both fun, and important to take part in, it was also highlighted that some individuals are being turned off sport, believing it can be an unwelcoming and unsafe environment for gay people.”

The research reveals that gay men in particular were more likely than other respondents to say that sport is not a safe environment for LGB individuals, identifying an issue of double exclusion from mainstream sports clubs because of sexual orientation and perceived ability.

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“From schools through to community and professional sport, participants, coaches and spectators, the sector needs to take stock and look at what more can be done to ensure there is a warm welcome for all.”

“72% of those asked said they would be more likely to participate in a club if it was marketed as LGB friendly and organised its activities on this basis. That sends a strong message to the sector, there is a captive audience wanting to engage with sport and we need to do all we can to visibly demonstrate a commitment to encouraging them to join us in our ambitions for Welsh sport.

“We’re under no illusions that the sport sector alone cannot change the opinions and beliefs of every person in Wales – but as a modern, forward thinking sector, we can make a commitment to make sport inclusive and welcoming. We can think about our own behaviour, and when appropriate, challenge the behaviour of others where it falls short.”

Andrew White from Stonewall Cymru added, “This research shows that for many of Wales’ 184,000 lesbian, gay and bisexual people, their experience of sport is not always a positive one. Whilst many are interested in sport, they have also been put off by negative experiences or perceptions.”

“If these issues are not addressed, we risk excluding and not inspiring a generation of people from the many benefits offered by taking part in sports. The message is clear: those involved in the running of sport must

do more to show their commitment to tackling homophobia and encouraging gay people to take part in sport.”

Jonathan Ford, Football Association of Wales Chief Executive, added: “There should be no barriers in sport whatsoever. Football should be all embracing; everyone should be able to, and encouraged to participate at whatever level. The environment for playing the game should be welcoming and comfortable. As an association part of our role is to break down the barriers wherever they exist; that is why we have actively supported the work being done by Sport Wales and Stonewall Cymru.”

In a bid to address the issues highlighted in the research, Sport Wales, Stonewall Cymru and the FAW have instigated the formation of an LGBT Network, tasked with driving participation, support and equality, championing LGBT issues within sport and eliminating discrimination through the delivery of education and training.

Whilst being set-up by the aforementioned organisations, they are now calling for those with an interest in positively influencing the sporting landscape for LGBT communities to come forward and help develop an action plan to make sport in Wales accessible to, organised and accessed by a higher number of LGBT individuals.

To read the full ‘Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual People in Sport: Understanding LGB sports participation in Wales’ report, please visit www.sportwales.org.uk/lgbreport

words

Sarah Mogford

pictures

Steve Pope

Drive To Tackle Homophobia In Sport

Gareth Thomas became the first openly gay Wales rugby player. He captained Wales, was the record try scorer and the first player to earn 100 caps, which supports the idea gay men should not be discriminated against on the grounds of ability.

Brought to you in association with

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A young Welsh racer has taken the first steps on the same road that carried Lewis Hamilton, Ayrton Senna and so many others all the way to the top.

For if you look at the CV of any current Formula One driver and you will almost certainly see success in karting as the first step in their career path to the top.

Through the week, 14-year-old Tom Harvey is a student at Cowbridge Comprehensive School but at weekends he takes on - and frequently beats - elite young racers from around the UK in the country’s premier karting series.

Tom’s love of speed began with him riding a quad bike around the garden at his family home in the Vale of Glamorgan. When, at the age of 8, he decided that was no longer fast enough for him his father, Julian, took him to Llandow Kart Circuit where they each bought a kart and within twelve months Tom found himself on the starting grid for his first race.

Looking back, Julian jokes, “I probably should have bought him a pair of football boots or another tennis racquet. It would have been easier.”

It wasn’t an auspicious debut as Tom recalls. “I crashed the first time I went out on a go kart. Thinking back on it, it was a really small crash but at the time it was ‘... Ohhh’ but I just kept on going.”

Tom Harvey

Success was not long coming, two years later he was both Welsh and Midlands champion and began looking further afield as he set about contesting the UK series.

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2010 saw Tom competing in the Comer Cadet Championship for drivers between 8 and 14 years of age. At just 12 years of age he quickly made his mark on the national scene as he explains, “Before I knew it I ended up winning 8 British Championship races in a row.” and that was enough to give him his first UK title ahead of a number of older, more experienced racers.

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When you ask Tom what motivates him to race, he quickly explains, “I like going fast and overtaking people and … I like the sound of the engine. I like being number one and being the best at what I do.

“The secret of being good at karting is having time in the kart and you have to feel it like you and the kart are one. It’s like you are connected.You don’t think about turning into a corner, you just do it.”

Fitness is also key to success he says, and that’s another area into which he puts a lot of work. “I train most nights, cardio, skipping, I do light weight repetitions. I also go running and doing the general stuff like sit ups, press ups, push ups and planking.”

Julian explains, “He’s a very driven individual – he’s unbelievably focussed and that transfers to the race track. I always laugh, I say are you sure you’re not German?”

Indeed, Tom’s approach to his sport is reflected in his choice of racing heroes, “I quite like Michael Schumacher and I like Sebastian Vettel. They’re my two that I look up to. I like Michael Schumacher because he’s got determination and he’s clever. I like Sebastian Vettel because he doesn’t make any mistakes. He’s just pinpoint perfect.”

The 2012 season saw Tom move up into the Rotax Junior Max Championship up to the age of 18 and a whole new set of challenges for the 14-year-old. He finished 12th but gained valuable experience.

November found him in Lincolnshire and the county’s PF

International kart circuit for the Continental Cup, a one off event that brings together 50 of the leading Junior Rotax kart racers. Despite rain leading to a treacherously slippery circuit, Tom secured pole position for the final going on to take victory in the prestigious event.

Despite the success and a career that has already seen him racing in both the USA and Kenya, where he also tutored some of the East African nation’s up and coming young kart racers, neither Tom or Julian are getting carried away about the future.

“This is his first year in this class and we’ve got three years in the class,” said Julian. Before we leave this class I’m almost certain that we will be British champion, European champion and hopefully world champion.”

But beyond that Tom is reluctant to draw comparisons with, for example, Lewis Hamilton when asked about a future in Formula One, Julian comments, “In the perfect world it would be great.

It’s a long way away we’re on the first rung of the ladder but everybody’s got a dream.”

Putting the kart before the horsepower

words

Peter Hughes

pictures

Steve Pope sportingwales

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FROM TYLORSTOWN

Neville Southall The

TO OSAKA

Binman Chronicles

Biography of coach Lynn Howells

time decided to

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For more than si for Everton and

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£18.99

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“Despite the Knock-backs” [written with the assistance of Roger Hughes] is published by Lolfa with ISBN no 978 184771 483 1

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Howells’ coaching career took him to Cardiff, to Edinburgh, to Doncaster and then to Italy and Rumania. The book gives insights into the players’ dispute before the ‘plane took off for a tour to Zimbabwe and he is terse in his dismissal of Gavin Henson as “not a team player”.

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Conscious of an academic shortfall, he enrolled for – and completed – a Masters degree at UWIC, now Cardiff Met. This indicates the depth of thought put into this book by a man who has overcome a cancer scare on more than one occasion.

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His admiration for the man management skills of Graham Henry is without reservation, though this patently does not apply to his successor in the Wales coaching post, Steve Hansen.

H

Jacket design: Allen Mohr Cover photographs: Robert J Wilson

country’s greates most decorated

unorthodox and career followed an

football-mad bin keeper in the worl

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Book Reviews

figures over a c two decades, N

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of

“the wrong people putting the structure into place”. Criticism is also levelled at Bridgend/Warriors backer Leighton Samuel. What could have been a great region in his opinion lasted just one year.

Howells puts forward his own ideas on how the system might have been better handled.

NEVILLE SOU T H A L L

Considered among the greatest goalkeepers of all time and one of English football's defining figures over a career that spanned more than two decades, Neville Southall has for the first time decided to tell his extraordinary life story and it’s worth the wait. If you’re searching for an honest, no frills, warts and all straight talking review of his life, this is it. What is really enjoyable is this autobiography paints a picture of football before the formation of the Premier League and how a talented youngster from Llandudno rose through the ranks of amateur and non-league football along with facing other barriers and obstacles placed before him to reach the top.

A reflective man with trenchant views on the direction of the modern game, Southall’s amazing story is the ultimate antidote to the dull stereotype of the modern footballer.

RRP £18.99 www.decoubertin.co.uk CORY RICHARDS

BARRI HURFORD

Considered am all time and on

E

sportingwales

Howells pulls no punches when describing the actions of those who decided to reduce to four the number of Welsh regions. He uses strong words to describe the actions of then WRU chief executive David Moffett, for whom he has little respect, as one

Southall on this book, is a sports correspondent and award-winning author who has reported from 20 countries across five continents for outlets including the BBC, the Observer, the Guardia n, the Sunday Times and FourFourTwo. His Everton Encyclo pedia is also published by deCoubertin Books.

The many faces of a

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But there is absolutely no doubt when the nadir of his life occurred. It was the cruel axing of Celtic Warriors, the regional franchise to which he was fully committed - a decision which, in his mind, tore the heart out of Valleys rugby football. Revelations describe a situation which became inevitable, but it was one which resulted in grown men dissolving into tears with realisation that they were “on the heap”.

James Corbett, who collaborated with Neville

AN. PATR IOT. LEGE Binman.

Toffeeman.

ND. TEACHER. football great – reveal ed for the first time.

Patriot. Legend.

Teacher. Neville Southall, the many faces of football revealed for the first time. These are the words outlined on the back cover of the book and provided the first synopsis of what T H E B I N M A N I was about to C H R O N I C L E S dive in to. I was not disappointed. This autobiography takes the reader through a journey on Southall’s incredible trajectory: from football-mad binman, to the greatest goalkeeper in the world in the space of a few years.

BINMAN. TOFFEEM

T

Born in Maerdy, with the Rhondda Fach running through his veins, Howells’ progress from player to coach makes interesting reading, as do his opinions on contemporary players and officials. His coaching career reached its peak when he took charge of Wales for their 2001 tour of Japan [“from Tylorstown to Osaka”] and there are some sparkling revelations in the relevant chapters.

Neville Southall MBE

was born in Llandudno in 1958.

He left school at 16 and worked as a hod carrier, binman and waiter, while rising through the ranks of amateu r and non-league football . His breakthrough in 1980 came with Bury, and a year later he joined Howard Kendall ’s Everton. Over a 16year Goodison career Southall would go on to become the club’s most decorated player, twice winning the League Championship and FA Cup, as well as the 1985 Europe an Cup Winners Cup. He was awarded Footballer Writers’ Player of the Year in 1985, an MBE in 1995 for services to football and is Wales’s most capped player.

NEVILLE SO UTHALL

Currently on a high after two Grand Slams in quick succession, Welsh rugby has also experienced long periods of low expectation and belowpar performance. Lynn Howells is a man who has been in the cauldron during these seasons and his new biography “Despite the Knock-backs” recounts in detail one man’s reactions to the evolving scene.

Review

Now he lifts the lid

win virtually every window not just on

the rapidly changi football, but also the working with diseng

story of a time befor

money; when a you game and ceaseless co could see him rise t world football.

A reflective man wit the direction of the m

amazing story is the ul dull stereotype of the m

£18.99

mong the greatest goalkee pers of ne of English football ’s defining career that spanned more than Neville Southall has for the first o tell his extraordinary life story.

ixteen years Southal l kept goal Wales, becoming his club and st servant, as well as Everton’s d player. Uncom promising, d often unkempt, Southall’s n incredible trajecto ry: from nman, to the greatest goalld in the space of a few years.

d on a career that saw him y major honour, offering a n Everton’s glory years and ing landscape of British

e latest chapter of his life – gaged youths. It is also a re the game was all about ung player’s love of the ommitment to excellen ce to the very summit of

th trenchant views on modern game, Southal l’s ltimate antidote to the modern footballer.

Sam Warburton Refuse to be denied I’ve been looking forward to get into this book ever since it arrived on my desk. The great cover shot of Sam lifting the Six Nations trophy always seemed to be in the corner of my eye teasing me to open the front cover and commence my read. I was intrigued to find out what it’s like to be Sam Warburton, his rise to Captain of rugby-mad Wales, how he finds the responsibility and pressure of being the leader and how he handled the famous World Cup red card.

Warburton says this is not some premature autobiography, rather an honest and insightful look into a year in an international rugby player’s life. Sam’s also

feel I can move on from it now. Even last year every time we played a French side it was on my mind. It’s a clean slate now.”

‘Refuse to be Denied’ is a great personal account of a remarkable period in Sam’s young rugby life that ended with him receiving the Six Nations trophy after Wales had completed a stunning Grand Slam in March 2012. This is his moment.

This is his Grand Slam year. outlines that developing this book proved to be a therapeutic experience for the player. He states “It’s the only time I’ve spoken in depth about the red card to anyone apart from my close family. I remember dreading the session where we dealt with it, but I really

A must for rugby fans.

RRP £18.99 http://www.simonandschuster.co.uk CORY RICHARDS

£9.95

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issue23twothousand&thirteen

The Dai Morris Story – Shadow.

who beat the all blacks

“Shadow” was the nickname bestowed on Dai Morris by Gareth Edwards because of the support his flanker could always provide and that is the title of a new book compiled by writer and broadcaster Martyn Williams.

1972………..9 - 3 Timely tribute to a memorable win

Morris is one of the great unsung heroes of Welsh rugby and this biography of him is long overdue, as those who gathered in Rhigos rugby club for the book launch – including WRU president Dennis Gethin and entertainer Max Boyce - all agreed.

The last of his type, putting in a shift underground before turning up for international matches, Dai Morris was described by former Wales captain Clive Rowlands as “the perfect rôle model”.

In the book, he comes across not just as the ideal rugby player but also as a one-man animal rescue unit as well as one-time racehorse owner. He is revered in the village of his birth as the doyen of Rhigos rugby football club, the club for whose reemergence after the war years he was mainly responsible.

So engrossed with his home was Dai Morris that on tours outside the UK his watch was always set to Rhigos time so that he would know exactly what was going on in the village. This self-confessed weakness, a dislike of being away from home, may have been a contributory reason why he was not chosen to join the winning Lions’ 1971 tour of New Zealand.

Reference is made to the near-telepathic understanding between Baz, Shadow and Swerve - John Taylor and Morris, with Merv Davies at no 8 - which of its era was the most potent back row combination in rugby. The job of the flankers was to make the opposition turn inside where Merv would invariably be waiting.

So uncomplicated was the man that, called up for his first cap to replace the injured Alun Pask in Paris, he had to report that he had no passport. With no wish to fly, he eventually made his way by boat to link up with the team.

Nevertheless, he has some trenchant views on modern rugby: “now more about retention than exploitation”.

Forty years on is the ideal time to produce an account of a match that figures in Welsh rugby folklore and author Alun Gibbard has carried out just that number of interviews with all surviving members of the Llanelli team that defeated New Zealand at Stradey Park on 31st October, 1972, in order to produce “Who Beat the All Blacks?” – published by Lolfa.

It was historic as well as heroic, a small town in West Wales producing a team to bring down the mighty tourists.

The author describes it as “a diversion from the gloom of industrial decline” and worthy of his almost forensic examination.

Taken to Stradey by his father and grandfather as a boy of 12 that day, Gibbard delights in what each survivor has to say, devoting an entirely separate chapter to the youngest player on the field, the late Ray Gravell.

One can even see the game through the eyes of the young scoreboard operators, those recording the legendary Llanelli 9 Seland Newydd 3.

The match had an inexorable build-up in the club’s centenary year.

Players speak highly of the SAS-type physical preparation, including running at trees and pounding the Merthyr Mawr sand dunes, that they were put through by PE lecturer Tom Hudson. Then came the fine tuning from Carwyn James: “the man with an intellectual approach to rugby football”.

Carwyn was a man ahead of his time. Debunking the old Welsh team selection system - “You don’t need five men to pick a team” - he selected the side with advice only from his captain Delme Thomas and vicecaptain Norman Gale. It was the first time a team had been selected solely by their coach and the Groggs factory in Pontypridd went into overdrive as a result.

With the close proximity of The Klondike [steelworks] and Stradey Park, the working class nature of the squad is soon identified. The teachers in the squad lost pay by being on the field.

Delme’s final “Agincourt” speech before kick-off, relying on history and hiraeth, is well documented as is Carwyn’s meticulous preparation.

Winner of 34 Wales caps and similarly proud of his 414 games for Neath, Dai Morris was every inch the working class hero. Tributes from contemporaries including Gareth Edwards, Gerald Davies, John Dawes, Barry John and Phil Bennett are included in this highly entertaining biography.

Following the final whistle, euphoria reigned unlimited all over the town, with reports of policemen being seen playing rugby in the street with a helmet, entertainment from Ryan and Ronnie provided for players who had not melted away and a police escort home provided for hooker Shanto Thomas. It is no wonder that Max Boyce’s classic “9-3” celebrates the day the pubs ran dry.

BARRI HURFORD ISBN: 9781847714862

BARRI HURFORD ISBN 978-1-84771-469-5

sportingwales

issue23twothousand&thirteen

Combining the passion of a fan and the insight of an award-winning journalist, Wales Play in Red tells the story of Welsh rugby through its peaks and troughs, successes and scandals, charismatic characters and memorable matches.

16.99

£

An ideal Christmas gift!

ASHLEY WILLIAMS – MY PREMIER LEAGUE DIARY Footballers often get criticised for being superficial, this book

by Ashley Williams shows the Swansea nad Wales defender is anything but.

The 'Diary' in the title is obviously fully accurate, he must have kept this up every day with Alastair Campbell-like dedication, the depth of detail is remarkable.

Available from all good bookshops & online retailers or directly from the publisher, Gomer Press www.gomer.co.uk Tel: 01559 363092 www.gwales.com

RED DRAGONS – THE STORY OF WELSH FOOTBALL It is amazing to discover this has not been done before, a pull together of the history of Welsh football.

There is a similar treatment of Welsh rugby, but Phil Stead has given Welsh football the equivalent for the first time chronicling 135 years of struggling to bring success to Wales.

It needed to be written by someone with an incredibly deep knowledge and passion for Welsh football and Stead is that man.

Swansea fans will love this, it is a unique book for them to be able to read and own. It also has an interest for the wider football fan as rarely do we get a glimpse at the inside world of the Premiership.

The early battles with rugby through to the tragic death of Gary Speed – this is a book for Welsh football fans to own, read fully once and then refer back to constantly as a point of reference.

HAMISH STUART ISBN 978-1-84771-517-3

HAMISH STUART ISBN 978-1-84771-468-8

sportingwales

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rugby

10 Things I couldn't be without - Matthew Stevens

By Matthew Stevens, former UK and Masters snooker champion from Carmarthen.

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My cue. I got it for my 12th birthday and I have never changed it, I have never even tried another one. I’ve had some success with it so I don’t see the point in changing.

My snooker outfit. You have to wear smart shoes, trousers, shirt, waistcoat and bow tie.

My laptop. It’s the first thing that goes in the suitcase when I’m flying to a tournament overseas. There’s nothing worse than being stuck for hours abroad watching TV that you don’t even understand! So I bring my laptop along and watch films on DVD. Talksport radio. I only ever listen to music or the radio in my car. I do love listening to Talksport on the radio to find out what’s happening in the world of sport.

Indian food. I love a curry. I like Chinese as well but the food you get in China is different.

Strongbow cider and vodka. We are so busy on the snooker tour these days that there’s not much time to relax, but when I get a chance I enjoy a drink with some friends.

Ricky Gervais. When it comes to TV, I love anything with Ricky Gervais in it, he is a comedy genius. The Office is my favourite.

My car. When I was younger I loved fast cards, and I bought a yellow Ferrari when I got to the final of the World Championship in 2000. These days I’ve got two kids so I need something a bit more practical!

Holidays. I often go with my family to Majorca.

My family. My dad was such an important influence on me in the early part of my career. My mum and my sister have also dedicated so much time to helping me. And of course my wife Clare and my two boys are so important to me. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my family.

Matthew will be playing in the Welsh Open snooker tournament at the Newport centre, which runs from February 11 to 17. For tickets call 01633 656 757 or visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

Testimonial success for Jones If ever Wales and the Ospreys needed a reminder about the importance of Adam Jones then his injury over the November internationals reminded people how badly he can ben missed on the field.

However if he had one consolation it would have been throwing more time and effort into his Testimonial, which included a star-studded dinner on the eve of the Wales v New Zealand match.

Instead of preparing to face McCaw and Co, Jones was able to spend a bit longer at the biggest single event of his Testimonial year along with a host of big names from the rugby world and beyond.

Having played for Neath and the Ospreys for 10 years, Jones has resisted bigger money offers from France and remains the cornestone of both the Ospreys and Wales packs.

Hopefully he will be a key part of the Six Nations and Lions tour, while the name of his website and Twitter account is based on having won three Grand Slams - so Welsh fans will be hoping he needs to change them shortly!

For details of his Testimonial year go to www.adamjones3.com

John Inverdale, Alun Wyn Jones, Anwen Rees, Nicole Richards- Jones and Adam Jones, enjoy his Testimonial dinner on the eve of the All Blacks match.

CARMARTHEN HOCKEY CLUB CHOSES SPORT OVER ALCOHOL Carmarthen Hockey Club is the latest Welsh sports club to pledge its support to Alcohol Concern Cymru’s ‘Don’t Let Booze Ruin The Result’ campaign.

The campaign is designed to spread awareness amongst sports clubs across Wales about how having one too many drinks can impact on health and overall team performance.

Alcohol Concern Cymru is aiming to reach as many Welsh athletes and clubs as possible to encourage them to make a pledge to not let booze ‘ruin the result’ for themselves or their teammates.

Every team that signs up will receive a pack containing extra information, posters and branded water bottles, and will also be entered into a prize draw for the chance to win a coaching session for their team with a top Welsh elite coach.

and sport are a good mix and educate players that over-drinking could potentially jeopardise a win.”

“Enjoying a few drinks the night before a match or celebrating a win with your teammates can feel like an ideal way to relax and unwind but we want to make people aware that drinking alcohol can have negative effects on the body, which can mean you won’t be performing to your best ability.

Kate Williams from Carmarthen Hockey Club said: “We’re getting behind this campaign as we think it’s really important to promote sensible drinking across the club. We believe that setting a good example about alcohol in sport is important and we want to make sure we’re promoting a healthy relationship with drinking to all players. We do like to socialise over a few drinks every now and again , particularly in the run up to Christmas, but we realise that having one too many can mean letting the team down on the pitch.”

“We don’t want to say to people that they shouldn’t drink at all, but taking it too far on a night out means you’re more likely to pull or tear a muscle on the pitch the next day which can mean you miss future games and training.

Playing sport on a hangover can also seriously affect balance, stamina and concentration.

“We’re encouraged that Carmarthen Hockey Club has signed up to support our campaign which we hope will change the perception that alcohol

If you would like to pledge to not let booze ruin the result, email sport@ drinkwisewales.org.uk, visit the website www.drinkwisewales.org.uk , follow us on twitter @drinkwisewales or like us on facebook www.facebook. com/drinkwisewales

News

Andrew Misell at Alcohol Concern Cymru said: “The thinking behind our campaign is to challenge the idea that sport and alcohol go together.

For many of us, playing sport at a local level is associated with drinking

with our teammates to socialise after a game or on a night out with teammates.

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rugby league

Aussie legend ready for Wales Darren Lockyer is one of the biggest names of his generation in rugby league – now he says he is ready for a return to Wales and has tipped the Dragons to spring some surprises.

The full-back won 59 caps for Australia during a distinguished career that saw him lift the World Cup back in 2000 when the Kangaroos beat Wales in an epic semi-final despite the home side giving their illustrious opponents the fright of their lives.

Now, after a long absence from Wales, there is less than a year to go until the 2013 Rugby League World Cup and two huge matches on the very first day at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

Brisbane-born Lockyer, 35, believes Wales could spring a few surprises and make a real impact on the tournament after their 2000 exploits and after reaching the prestigious Four Nations Championships against England, Australia and reigning world champions New Zealand in October 2011.

That first day at the Millennium Stadium will see an Ashes Test kick-off the tournament as Lockyer, who retired from rugby league in 2011, watches the current Australia side face England before Wales taste the Stadium atmosphere as they begin their World Cup journey in the day's doubleheader against Italy.

Wales have a fighting chance of reaching the knock-out stages in a pool containing those Italians plus the Cook Islands and the USA. Once there, as Lockyer knows, anything can happen!

"I can only go on the last time game Wales played that I saw which was in the UK in the Four Nations last year. I didn't play in that game against us, but I sat in the stand and Wales were very good,� he said.

"Iestyn Harris has got a plan in place and I guess the emotion of playing in front of a home crowd in Cardiff at the Millennium Stadium will be a big motivator.

"Every time I have played against Wales, particularly in Wales, they have been very tough opponents. In 2000 in the World Cup semi-finals, Wales had us on the ropes, so I think this is an exciting tournament for the code and exciting for Cardiff with the opening of the World Cup being here. And as for the double header, it doesn't get much bigger."

Now available in House of Fraser Cardiff

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issue23twothousand&thirteen

TOP WELSH JUNIOR JOEL TARGETS EUROPEAN SQUASH TITLES Joel Makin has rounded off a successful year by becoming top junior squash player in Wales. The talented 18 year-old, from Aberdare, now has his sights on European titles in 2013.

His elevation follows success in the Welsh National Squash Championships at under 19 and under 23, his second major national title win this year. In August he became the first-ever Welsh national men’s racketball champion.

Already 12th in the top European rankings in his age group, he is now on target for Welsh team selection at the European junior championships in Switzerland in March and the world juniors in Poland next July. He is also in the senior squad hoping to represent Wales in the European senior championship in Amsterdam in May. Part of Joel’s dramatic progress is

training at Elite Fitness in Fairwater, Cardiff. The gym is run by Simon Harling, who works with the governing bodies of Welsh sport to improve the performance of professional athletes.

“Joel’s improvement in fitness and mobility are a testament to the success of the programme, which is being rolled out to all players within the structure.”

Nic Birt, who trains Joel at Cardiff Mike Workman, Director of Coaching Squash Rackets Club, said, “He is now and Development with Wales Squash & at the fitness standard he needs to attack Racketball, said, “We have teamed up European titles.” with Elite Fitness to deliver our Back to Basics strategy, which is aligned to the Sport Wales vision to unite a proud sporting nation where every child is hooked on sport for life and Wales is a nation of champions. Simon has been engaged as a strength and conditioning coach with a remit to develop a physical performance plan, with clear targets to improve the physical base of our elite squash athletes. squash

Nos Galan Sporting Wales one-to-one Ad 2012_Layout 1 30/08/2012 10:10 Page 1 attributed to specialist

sportingwales

issue23twothousand&thirteen

PARAMEDICS ALARMED AT RUGBY INJURIES Paramedics have expressed alarm at the rising number of injuries on the rugby field, which can blight the careers of promising young players.

The medical team which was pitch-side for the autumn internationals at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium says the quest for more muscle bulk to stay competitive makes players more vulnerable to injuries. These range from concussion to potentially life-threatening physical problems.

Paul Lubas, managing director of Cardiff-based Lubas Medical, was one of the first trained paramedics in Wales, and has more than 10 years’ experience of treating rugby and soccer players for injuries on the pitch.

“More injuries are happening, even in training now. Paramedical teams have to be prepared to deal with a host of physical problems, some leading to permanent disablement. They need to be able to respond quickly and positively,” Mr Lubas said.

“Gone are the days when non-specialists would be on hand during a game, when sports injury was not seen as a specific area of medicine.

“Now we are into an era of designer players, created by teams of sports scientists, nutritionists and specialist personal trainers. Players have to be all-round athletes, fitter but carrying more muscle and bulk to be competitive. But this means more contact, and we are seeing more injuries from hard tackling as a result.”

Mr Lubas said his team was finding it had to deal with more concussions, spinal and shoulder injuries, not just at international level but in semi-professional and amateur rugby as well, where the careers of promising young players could be blighted without quick-response paramedical treatment.

“Professional bodies are now demanding the proper management of sports injuries, but some clubs do not even have first-aiders on call. For many players, their careers and incomes could be at stake.” sportingwales

issue23twothousand&thirteen

Gary Speed:

Arwr Cymru - a Welsh hero It is just over a year since Welsh football was stunned by the death of Gary Speed, a top international footballer and on his way to becoming a top international manager.

Now former international colleague John Hartson has gone on an emotional journey for an hour long S4C documentary to be shown over Christmas, speaking to some of those who knew Gary best – his family, his friends, and footballing colleagues.

Gary's incredible footballing journey took him to a host of top Premiership teams - Leeds United, Everton, Newcastle and Bolton. But wherever he played, he gaining respect and loyalty, and Gary's own loyalty to Wales never faltered.Having represented his country at both youth and Under-21 level, Gary progressed to become one of Wales’ finest full internationals. To this day he remains Wales’ most capped outfield player. He returned to serve his nation again as manager – building a winning Welsh team which was seen as being on the verge of success at the time of Gary’s tragic death.

From life with Gary, to life without him; and that fateful day when the world heard the news that Wales’ Football Manager had died. This special programme sheds light on the life and legacy of Gary Speed - the great man who was much loved and universally admired inside and outside of football.

Wales gets sported The London 2012 legacy charity sported. has opened in Wales promising to support grassroots and community sports organisations and ensure that Wales is part of the lasting legacy of the Olympic Games.

Jamie Baulch, the former Olympic sprinter kicked off the official launch at the Sport Wales offices in Sophia Gardens, outlining why he had chosen to support the sported Foundation.

“I was fortunate enough to have been given the opportunity to engage in sport from an early age and because I had strong role models who encouraged me and good coaches, I was lucky enough to reach the top in my sport,” he said.

“What I have since discovered is that not all young people in Wales are this fortunate, not all of them get access to sport like I did and not all of them get the chance to be inspired by sport like I was, sported. is working to change this which is why I'm delighted to be one of their ambassadors.”

change in their communities.

Welcoming the launch of sported., the chair of Sport Wales, Professor Laura McAllister said, “The London 2012 Games have sparked a real interest in the younger generation here in Wales and we've been very vocal about the need for the sector to capture on that interest and turn it into participation in sport.

“That is why I am delighted to welcome sported. to Wales, the organisation shares Sport Wales' ambition to provide all young people with the opportunity to participate in sport and to get them hooked for life. I look forward to working with sported. as we continue to develop sporting opportunities in Wales.”

sported. provides Members with access to funding as well as a unique business Mentoring programme delivered by a network of highly skilled volunteers.

Since opening for membership in March sported. has taken on over 70 Members in Wales and has given out close to £30,000 in funding. sported. Wales Manager, Richard Thomas added, “Every day I see first hand just how powerful sport can be as a tool of engaging young people and I would urge any group or individual who feels that they might be able to benefit from our services, to please get in touch. We are also keen to hear from any indviduals who feel that their skills and knowledge might benefit our Members.”

sported. is a key part of the London 2012 legacy, it was established in 2009 by Sir Keith Mills, the Deputy Chairman of LOCOG, who was determined to ensure that the 'Inspire a Generation' promise was delivered across the UK. sported. provides funding and business support to the Sport for Development sector.

Research suggests that there could be as many of 10,000 organisations within this area of sport, all of them delivering sporting programmes as a means of bringing about social

Jo Stocks, Sported Director, Richard Thomas, Wales Manager, Sported, Jamie Baulch, Wales and GB Athlete and Professor, Laura McAllister, Chair, Sport Wales, welcome the arrival of Sported in Wales. Photo: Phil Mingo/Pinnacle/Sported

sportingwales

issue23twothousand&thirteen

ESPN win £1000 competition It’s that time of year again when we could all do with a little extra cash. So ESPN is offering you the chance to win £1000.

Grab a Grand today – pay off those Christmas presents, book your holiday, pay off your season ticket and more than cover your ESPN annual subscription!

It’s ESPN's gift to you this Christmas. Enter now.

To be in with a chance of winning all you have to do is to go to www.espn.co.uk/win and follow the instructions.

rugby league world cup competition Set to be the sporting event of the year, the Rugby League World Cup 2013 will bring the world’s greatest spectator sport to your own back yard. 28 matches will be seen live by half a million people and you could be there with 55% of tickets costing £20.00 or less plus the great range of discounted family and scrum packages available.

The tournament opens with a double-header at Cardiff’s magnificent Millennium Stadium, featuring Wales, England, Australia and Italy. Wembley Stadium will host the semi-finals, while the final itself will be played at Old Trafford.

We have 5 pairs of tickets to give away for the Opening Ceremony. For you chance to win all you have to do is answer this question How many players are there in a rugby league team?

raging bull competition

vip welsh open snooker competition

The world’s top snooker players will be in Newport in February for the Welsh Open, and here’s your chance to see the world ranking event in style.

To celebrate their launch at House of Fraser, Cardiff, Raging Bull is offering the chance for one reader to win £250 worth of their choice of clothing from the collection.

Competitions

Raging Bull is seeped in rugby heritage as a menswear label founded by British & Irish Lions legend Phil Vickery. The brand has grown rapidly since 2007 and its hoodies, t shirts, rugby tops and shirts have already attracted a loyal following from the rugby community.

The cut is generous and sizes go all the way up to fit everyone from second row to front row.

SW

50 sportingwales

The tournament runs from February 11 to 17 at the Newport Centre and is set to feature many of the sport’s leading stars. Ding Junhui, John Higgins, Mark Selby and Ronnie O’Sullivan have all lifted the trophy in recent years.

We've teamed up with World Snooker for this amazing competition. The winner will receive a pair of tickets on the day of their choice with prime view seating, plus a backstage tour giving an insight into what happens behind the scenes, including access to the players’ lounge!

To enter simply answer the following question:

Five runners-up will also win a pair of tickets. And if you’re not lucky enough to win, you can still book tickets by calling 01633 656 757 or visiting www. worldsnooker.com/tickets

What year was Raging Bull founded?

For a chance to win, just answer this simple question: How many points is the green ball worth in snooker?

Send your answer along with your name and address to competitions@sportingwales.com.

Don't forget to include the competition name in the subject.

Terms and conditions: Closing date for entry is 12.00pm Friday 1st February 2013, ESPN competition ends 31st Jauary 2013. No purchase is necessary to enter these competitions. The prize is non transferable and there is no cash alternative. The winner/s of each competition will be automatically chosen from the correct entries received by the specified closing date. The winner/s will be contacted directly by Sporting Wales. The winner/s will be notified within 14 days of the competition closing. Competition entrants will be added to the SportingWales database and will receive a free digital copy of the new issue of our magazine to their inbox every two months. If you don’t wish to be added to this list please add a note at the bottom of your email entry.

issue23twothousand&thirteen

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