Gogledd Cymru will be the fifth region in time says Clive
Dec 8 2009 by Rob Griffiths, Daily Post
CLIVE GRIFFITHS was yesterday unveiled as the new head coach of Gogledd Cymru and immediately proposed an agenda to help North Wales become the fifth Welsh region.
A former Grand Slam-winning coach in 2005 under Mike Ruddock, Griffiths brings a wealth of experience to the role as Gogledd Cymru chief and is excited about the challenges that lie ahead.
But he will not have much time to prepare his side, with Gogledd Cymru’s first fixture under the regime scheduled for Friday, January 15 at Eirias Park.
Yesterday also saw Rugby Canada officially sign up to the agreement that will see 10 of their international players join Gogledd Cymru in a bid to boost the standards and profile of the North Wales team.
The Canadians arrive on January 7, and will make up the bulk of the Gogledd Cymru team for the match against a Leicester Tigers Development XV on January 7. They will be supplemented by the best North Wales players.
Eventually, the number of Canadians will drop as more players from North Wales come in to form the basis of the team moving forward.
And in another huge coup for Gogledd Cymru, it was also announced that former Gloucester coach Rudi Meir has been appointed as skills and conditioning coach, while current head coach John Aby will stay on as one of Griffiths’ assistants.
But while Griffiths acknowledged the amount of work that was still needed make Gogledd Cymru a competitive side, he made no apologies for raising expectations with his long-term goals for the region.
“The long-term aim has got to be a fifth region, it has to be,” said Griffiths. “It’s a long term process but it is an attainable one.
“Who said that years ago we’d have four regions in the whole of South Wales, with all the politics involved in Welsh rugby and the clubs at that time. So it is achievable, it is going to take a lot of hard work and a lot of soul-searching along the way, but it is an attainable goal.”
Still recognised as one of the biggest names in Welsh rugby, Griffiths is looking forward to the challenge that has been put in front of him
“I was very excited before I came here,” he added. “Now I’m even more excited having seen the level of enthusiasm and the spirit here for this sort of venture and the will to make it work, I’m really enthused about it, it’s going to be a massive challenge no doubt about that.
“But what I’ve said in the interviews, it is a case of walking first and running a little later. But we have to the hit the road running, particularly when we have the first game against Leicester in a matter of weeks. But I’ll come back to my original point, I’m very enthused about it and looking forward to the challenge.”
And Griffiths did not take much convincing to accept the role with North Wales, although admitting to knowing little about local players at the onset of his role.
But he should soon be up to speed and is convinced there is the necessary pool of talent in North Wales to make a successful team.
He said: “I sat down with Joe (Lydon) to outline the long-term plans for North Wales and you could really see it was going somewhere.
“I’m delighted to be part of that and head it and I’m pleased to be working with some very talented coaches, players and administrators and everyone else.
“I know very little (about the players), so again that’s another challenge, and of course we’re going to be under-cooked going into that game against Leicester. But it’s not just about that game, it’s about getting this off the ground, finishing that first block of fixtures then standing back to have a look and planning for the future, learning from the mistakes and having an input into the future of this venture.
“’I’ve come across here and coached many times over the years and it is an untapped source for Welsh rugby.
“This (venture) emphasises that to a degree with the academy and a pathway for the youngsters to go forward and then into the regional set-up at a higher level of rugby again.”At present there is also talk of Crusaders Rugby League being based in Wrexham permanently, but as a former St Helens legend in the 13-man code, Griffiths is unworried about the impact another professional team could have on the future of a Union side in the north, based at Colwyn Bay’s Eirias Park.
“There’s only a certain amount of overlap in the two seasons anyway,” he added. “They won’t conflict because Rugby League is supposed to be a summer sport, although I know it is starting off in February and March, so there is a little bit of an overlap in the seasons, but then when one season finishes the other one starts.
“I don’t see it as a problem, Rugby League has lived side by side in the North of England for years, and there’s no greater example than in Auckland with the New Zealand Warriors and Auckland (Blues) themselves, so I don’t see it as a problem, it’s another sport and supporters can choose whatever they want to watch and maybe even both.”
Griffiths added: “It’s awesome here (Eirias Park), it really is awesome, a lot of clubs would die for these facilities, and the plans with the council and the indoor area in 12-months time it is only going to get better and better.”
This move is also seen as a major boost to the game in Canada and CEO Graham Brown believes the move for the 10 Canadian players to play in North Wales is a significant step forward in providing elite level competition as well as elite player development.
“Proving elite competition and training environments for our best players has always been a goal for Rugby Canada,” he said. “Providing opportunities for players to become professionals, while continuing to provide high level domestic training environments for those not playing professionally overseas, through out partnership with PISE (Pacific Institute of Sport Excellence) achieves our goal.
“The North Wales project is one part of our development programme and a significant partnership for Rugby Canada.”
