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Fraser is the new Saints’ skipper
Fraser Watson has been elected as the new captain of St Davids RFC and is anticipating a new campaign where the Saints maintain their enjoyment of every game and their post match fun but is looking to his squad to improve a little on last season’s results.
He is a more than useful sporting all-rounder since he plays football for Solva on free Saturdays and has a Wiltshire Cup medal with the club, turns out for Llanrhian in cricket, competed in the Welsh Championships as a 1,500 metre steeplechaser and is a useful golfer who has won a few trophies. His sporting involvement is continued further because he works as a journalist with the Milford Mercury and Western Telegraph and helps to cover local sport there, too.
Little & Large duo at the helm
Fraser played most of his games on the wing but finished the season at scrum half and could well feature there in 2009/10 because he can be really involved in the tactical side of things. He was chosen at a recent players’ meeting and readily admits to being a little apprehensive since he has only really been back in action at the club for a relatively short while but says that he will show real enthusiasm and commitment for the job – and he will have his own ‘minder’ since big Jack Dudley will be taking on the role of coach. It is something of a Little and Large combination because Fraser stands 5 foot 9 inches and weighs 11 stone soaking wet whilst Jack stands 6 feet 2 inches on a good day and weighs twice what his young captain does!
They started unofficial training with some light running and when the serious stuff began Fraser was pleased with the numbers turning out, something that is important because St Davids is very much a club which in general takes its players from the local farming community and has a small squad that needs to keep fit. He is delighted that ex-youth players of the calibre of Craig Challonder (a pacy winger), Gethin Jones (second row), Ben Evans (front row) and Eirian Harries (back row) will be available to boost the numbers as well as supply extra quality.
Looking back, looking forward
Fraser says of last season,
“It was tough for us because we lost players of the calibre of Barry John and Phil Lamb for long periods and they were hard to replace. We had done so well the previous season, with nine wins, and some close results went against us last year where we might have won before.
“We are sad to have lost Ianto Davies because he was so experienced up front but we are optimistic that the likes of Noel Lyons will lead the pack by example from his place as hooker and younger players like the Pratt brothers will continue to gain experience.
“Geraint Morris will probably play at No 10 and Andrew lamb will be back after a long time out injured – whilst his namesake Phil will help me behind the scrum We also hope to run a second team and youth side under the guidance of Andy Dixon and Les James so that will help build our squad strength over a period of time.”
College days – and a year in Oz
Fraser was actually born in Kuwait but moved to St Davids as a nipper, moving up to play rugby for St Davids School and the local youth team before he went to Cardiff University and in his first year there played rugby for Llanelli Under 21s, including three games in the Welsh under 21 Premier League, which they won. It was a great experience before he represented the university for the other two years, including a final game against Swansea University on the Brewery Field, Bridgend, which they won in front of over 3,000 people.
Fraser then took a year out in Australia and played football (or ‘soccer’ as they call it Down Under) for a team named Coogee United in Sydney but then returned home and rejoined The Saints.
On the football front
On the football front, Fraser started out at Goodwick United for two years alongside the likes of Ben Jones, Andrew Richards and Paul De Groot but then moved to Solva where he came under the care of Ronnie Beynon.
“Ronnie was a great asset to the club, as he is now at Haverfordwest County with the youth teams,” says Fraser, “and in 2002 we beat our old rivals Herbrandston 2-0 in the Wiltshire Cup Final on the Bridge Meadow, where we had quality players like Tim Sterling, Chris Cousens, Chris Davies, Charlie Simes and Richard Garrett. I later played with characters like Richard Bland, Shane Morrissey and Peter Cole, who is manager now,
Fraser and I still help them out whenever we don’t have a rugby match on a Saturday.”
Other sports
It is a similar story at Llanrhian Cricket Club because Fraser has already enjoyed playing for all three of the club’s teams this season.
“In the third team I’m an all-rounder, with a top score of 75 and a few wickets, in the seconds I’m picked as a batsman and in the first team I’m a good fielder,” says Fraser, with a chuckle! “I captained the thirds one season and enjoyed seeing youngsters like Richard Read develop, whilst Alun Ush (Davies) and Morgan the Moon sum up the great spirit there.”
Fraser also enjoys playing golf at St Davids and some of his pals accuse him of being a ‘bandit’ as he plays off a handicap of 25 and won one tournament with a massive 42 Stableford points. He plays every week, if possible, subject to work and other sporting commitments, of course.
His rugby pals at St Davids might not be aware of Fraser’s athletics prowess because he won the Pembrokeshire and Dyfed Schools Championships in the steeplechase after previously competing at 800 metres and 1500 metres, and doing well in both. He was a member of Pembrokeshire Harriers under the expert guidance of the late Gerald Codd and says he would love to take up athletics again if he had the time.
Rugby challenge
It is rugby which is going to dominate his sporting time for the next eight months, however, and is looking forward to the challenge.
“I love playing there because there are so many great characters on the pitch and former players who turn out on Saturday to give us support. We are renowned for our singing wherever we go and Jack Dudley does a fines meeting after matches which has everyone in fits,” he says, “but I also want us to be successful on the pitch as well as popular off it. At the end of last season the Aberaeron coach told me that his team felt we were no longer a push-over side and we have to build on that mentality. Then I’ll be a happy captain.”
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