The Roberts’ family hails from Herbrandston and are certainly involved in local sport, not least with regard to sons Ieuan (16) and Iestyn (13), who both play rugby for Neyland at their respective age group levels, whilst mum Lisa not only acts as an ace taxi driver for the boys’ sporting interests but also loves running and last year ran in the London Marathon for the first time.
 
Then finally there’s dad Gareth, who like his wife gives total support to their sons and does wonderful work as a member of the local lifeboat crew but also played football for Herbie as well as rugby for Milford Haven Youth and at county schools’ level.
 
But he had to finish playing because he dislocated his shoulder SEVEN TIMES and, in the end, decided enough was enough because he was in the middle of an apprenticeship and couldn’t afford to have any more time off through injury!
 

Ieuan loves his sport . . .

 
Older son Ieuan played some football with Hakin United juniors until he decided he wanted to focus on his rugby, a game he started out as a six-year-old and has played at Milford Haven, Llangwm and now Neyland, where he plays at prop and is coached by Mark James and Steve Hamer, whom he says do a great job with the under 16s‘ squad that reached the plate final for their age group at the end of the season.
He started at U8’s playing for Milford RFC., where the coaches David Sweeney, Ian Rusinek, Paul Smith, Wayne Goss and Antony Maguire.

He really enjoys the rugby training sessions at the Athletic Ground, alongside joining dad twice a week in the gym, and has also enjoyed taking part in tough games against the likes of Amman United, where former Welsh star Shane Williams was their coach.

Ieuan Gives rugby his all and never gives up! He loves everything about the game.

Outside of his sport, Ieuan is also involved as a volunteer with ‘Milford Youth Matters’, the young version of the town’s Round Table, where Gareth is very actively involved, and plays football for them with a group of his friends.
 

. . . And so does Iestyn!

 
Then there’s Iestyn, who played his football for Hakin United Juniors as a hard-tackling defender who helped the Young Vikings in his age group to the league title and cup final – and also loves his Golf and a game of cricket with Neyland as a bit of an all-rounder.

But it is rugby at The Athletic Ground where Iestyn excels after setting out as a flanker/outside centre but now plays at number 8 in the under 13s’ team so well coached by Jack Kinnersley and Rhys Holmes, He tackles like a battering ram and actually featured in a short clip on Sky Sports after scoring two tries against Pencoed, near Bridgend.

Iestyn started at Milford Haven RFC U7’s, where he was coached by Matthew Barrett and was a natural since he had been training since he was four years old.  He joined Neyland in 2022 under Jack Kinnersley, Shane Abbott, Rhys Holmes.

They won the Pembrokeshire Cup in 2023, alongside the Pencoed Festival, were Plate Runners up in 2024/25 and he won ‘Parents Player’ award for Neyland Rugby and ‘Manager’s Player’ for Hakin Football.





 

Gareth was a talented sportsman in his youth

 
Gareth was a very keen sportsman in his younger days and played his rugby at Milford Haven Comprehensive School in a useful side that included Daniel Prettyman, Steve White, Jamie Hayward, Jonathon Coe and Michael Roberts.
 
“We used to get invited to tournaments in the Llanelli area and along the M4 corridor and I started off at prop (including for the Pembrokeshire Schools’ teams,) but then switched to No 8. I played there for Milford Haven Youth, where John Rusinek and Paul Griffiths were good coaches, but then had SEVEN different shoulder dislocations and major surgery, and with the pressure of taking on the challenges of an apprenticeship with an Electricity Distribution Company I decided I couldn’t risk any more spells off work.

“As a teenager I competed for Milford Haven School and Cleddau Athletics in Shot Putt, Hammer, Discus, Javelin and 100m sprint, which I suppose was an unusual combination.

“I did play football for a short while with Herbrandston where I was an out and out stopper who lacked a lot of skill but always gave 100% - but it wasn’t like the rugby and I soon got a bit fed up with it.
 

Other fulfilling interests

“I also play golf occasionally but only on a social basis where I get a lot of exercise through walking to collect wayward balls in the long grass on both sides of the fairway - but my main interests are being a keen member of Milford Haven Round Table, where I am currently Chairman for this year 2025
“I also joined as a crew member of the Milford Haven RNLI crew after I saw they were short of volunteers and I’ve really enjoyed my involvement there as part of Angle ALB Lifeboat, Tamar class.

“I’ve always loved the sea and the training for The Lifeboat is exceptionally good as it demands high skill levels, awareness of conditions and great team-work. Both are great ways to gain a great deal of satisfaction and I have met some amazing people who have become life-long friends as a result.”
 

Well done Lisa – London Marathon runner!

 
Gareth’s wife Lisa is a very keen runner who has just successfully completed the London Marathon.
Her passion for running has seen her completing the Swansea Half Marathon, two Cardiff Half Marathons, and the most recent was the London Marathon which the whole family was so proud of her for completing because she had worked so hard.

“I had applied before,” Lisa said, “ but I managed to get a space in the recent run on the basis of running in half marathons like Cardiff in a good time, So it was a very special day for me and I will never forget it. “You hear about the wonderful support from the crowd but you have to take part to fully appreciate how amazing it is.”

“Other runs were special but none of them could hold a candle to this special day and I was so glad I had trained hard so that I could do it justice.”

Lisa also played hockey and swam for Powys in her younger years and really enjoyed that too.
 

 And finally . . .

 
The family was all in attendance and Gareth was full of praise for his better half’s effort - and also for the way that she is the organiser of the boys’ sport - and they describe her as the world’s best taxi driver!
 
The family clearly has great enthusiasm for its sport, which he and Lisa have passed onto Ieuan and Iestyn, and they represent all that is good in sport and reflect the family values which were passed on by his grandfather Gordon Roberts, who did so much work for Milford United when they were in the Welsh League Football set-up.
 
They really are a lovely family and long may the Roberts quartet be involved in all they do because they are a credit to our county!