Rugby News:

The Bryan Family has served Crymych RFC for two decades, on and off the field, and there is an amazing coincidental link because dad Gareth played for the ‘Preseli Men’  for over a decade as a gritty scrum half and later as a coach.
 
Because now there is another family member at that level in older son Dafydd, who has also been occupying the No 9 shirt at the end of this campaign, despite still being a youth player - and waiting in the wings is younger son Sion, who is just 13 and is playing a key role in the club team for that age group.
 
He is following in the family tradition of playing with real grit as one of the smaller members in the team and - you’ve guessed it’s - he also occupies the No 9 on the field!
 

More family connections

 
The family connection doesn’t end there because Gareth’s wife Del has been the team manager for Daf’s team right through their junior and youth days - and daughter Cadi (16) is a more than useful centre who has just completed an extended period of training in the hope of qualifying for the West Wales Under 18s squad, despite having another season to play in that age group! But more about those two very important family members a little later!
 
Gareth started out at a very early algae alongside other talented young players in Stephen John, Gary Phillips and Jason Ballman, and after a few games at full back or in the wing he seemed to graduate to the scrum half berth as one of the smallest players in the squad.
 
Perhaps it was life on the farm that gave him a natural grittiness that belied his lack of inches that saw him not afraid to tackle even the biggest of opponents as he progressed through the age groups.
 

Three youth finals, losing with Narberth and Crymych – and third time lucky as he led them to victory

 
When he was 16, Crymych couldn’t manage to raise a youth team and he was invited to join Narberth, where he was part of their team that reached the u18 Final in Neyland but they lost to Haverfordwest.
 
The next season saw Crymych able to field a youth team again and he returned to action at Parc Lloyd Thomas, where the team was coached by the late, great Glyndwr Richards and Kevin Rees as they made it to the Youth Cup Final but missed out as Tenby beat them.
 
In his final season of youth rugby Gareth was chosen as captain, with Elgin Vittle as his half-back partner, and for Gareth it was a case of ‘third time lucky’ as he lifted the trophy aloft as they beat Narberth in Haverfordwest.
 
Into senior rugby with Crymych First XV before farm commitments halted playing days
 
Then it was on to the first team, where he played for the best part of ten years and in that time there were a couple of promotions through the WRU Divisions and an appearance in the Senior Cup  (which Gareth thinks was reffed by Nigel Owens) on a rock-hard Whitland pitch where Pembroke Dock were just a bit too strong up front.
 

But coaching followed when Daf started playing

 
Since then, he has been heavily committed to life on the farm but when Daf started playing at junior level Gareth was roped in to help coaching and has been there ever since - with Del doing a wonderful job on the administrative side to take a lot of that work off his shoulders.
 
He took them to three junior cup finals and a win in the Mike Fry under 17 Cup at Tenby as well as remaining with them (alongside helping John Davies with an older age group for one year) until now, when the youth team finally played its last game, and Daf took over from club captain Dafydd Phillips in the firsts towards the end of the season.
 
So now it will be onto the senior game next campaign and he is ready for the chance to play wherever he is needed for his club.





 

Sion becomes the family’s third No 9

 
Sion will also be playing for Crymych Juniors and will be hoping to add to the two finals he has already reached on County Junior Finals Day.
 
Like the others he started out throwing a ball about in the garden - and again he has that gritty Bryan nature, allied to a strong mind that means he can play with a maturity beyond his age.
 
Gareth will hope the two will turn out to the best of their ability.
 
Gareth is never one to over-play his family’s rugby ability but  hopes the three will push on and enjoy their rugby and play to the best level. 
 

Del has been just as busy – on the touchline and beyond

 
Gareth’s wife Del also runs a family crèche and has been involved with rugby with Crymych Juniors for almost a decade as junior fixture secretary for the club’s under 7s to under 16s.
 
Not content with that little lot, she has also been team manager and first-aider for Gareth’s team right through until he recently finished coaching Dafydd and Co.
 
In her younger days she played hockey for Ysgol Preseli, for Pembrokeshire County and West Wales as a winger - and must have been very useful because she was selected for a Welsh trial at Criccieth.
 
 She played senior hockey for Clwb Hockey Crymych, often on the old Redgravel pitch at Pembroke School.
 
It certainly wasn’t the best surface to develop skills on but Del enjoyed playing until she was 26 and then the children started to come along.
 
And now she’ll be starting a new phase when she can go along to watch her kids play without any preparations or involvement- but it is nice to know that all of them say she is a fantastic organiser.
 

Daughter Cadi maintains the family’s link with rugby

Daughter Cadi also features in the oval-ball game, like the other members of the Bryan family, having set out with Club Rygbi Crymych from a young age and playing in the centre throughout the age groups, when girls had to compulsorily stop playing alongside boys at 12 years old.
 
She then moved to play for the Whitland Tigers’ - and for two years running has played in the No 13 jersey for the Pembrokeshire Schools’ team.
 
Her performances have recently earned her selection for trials with the West Wales under 18s team, no mean feat since she will be one of the youngest seeking selection for the squad.
 
As one Crymych RFC official told Pembrokeshire sport.co.uk
Gareth and Del have been fantastic workers at the club and the Bryan family name is going to continue for many years with the children being so heavily involved.”
 
We could pay The Bryans no bigger compliment and we wish all of them continued success at Parc Lloyd Thomas!