At 24 years of age Tom Powell has taken on the challenge of captaining Crymych RFC for the second season, knowing how tough it is leading the Preseli Men in the National League Division One (West) - but ever-ready to lead by example from his role as a ball-winning back row man.

He’s done really well because the Preseli Men have more than held their own in such a tough section and ended the first half of the season with a home win over old rivals Whitland to finish in fifth place and with seven wins from 11 starts.

Great finish to a tough season

The last campaign also saw Crymych finish in a highly respectable fifth place and Tom also picked up the Pembrokeshire Knockout Cup when his team easily beat Tenby United at Haverfordwest.

"Every league match was like a cup final last season," Tom told us, "since there wasn't a single game where we knew we would win easily because there are some very strong teams that included Whitland and Tenby, who found it hard going and got relegated.

"So when the KO Cup Final came around we were used to such potentially tough tussles, started like bombs and had the game won by half time as we led by 30 points.

"Tenby deserve every credit for not throwing the towel in but we were delighted by our second win in such a short space of time - and we still had to put up with our coach Robin Davies giving us a roasting for taking our feet off the gas a little in a more equal second half!"

Taking over the reins . . .

Tom took over the captaincy from a very experienced campaigner in Elgan Vittle and readily admits that although he was hugely honoured to follow some great players who had been captain before him he was understandably nervous at such a young age.

"The thing that worried me most was giving the pre-match team talk in the changing room but it went OK and hooker Aled Harries, like all No 2s, wasn't afraid to speak up there and in training sessions if things weren't going well - and Robin Davies has always been a highly motivational coach as an added bonus!"

. . . And holding on to them!

It must have gone well because Tom was invited to take on the role again for the 2016/17 season, although it got off to a terrible start as Tom & Co bowed out of the KO Cup at the very first hurdle against underdogs Fishguard & Goodwick.
“I was gutted,” admitted Tom, “but if nothing else it made us realise we couldn’t sit back and wait for success to come.

Family matters – and a Bierspool beginning

That Tom should turn out to be such a good player should come as no surprise because his father Rowland was an outstanding back row man who played for Cardigan and Pembroke Dock Harlequins, whilst his brother Joe also featured well for Crymych before moving up the ladder by joining Llandovery in the Welsh Premiership, whilst another younger brother in Scott is making a name for himself as a second row in a useful Pembroke team at Crickmarren.

Tom played for Pembroke Dock Harlequins at Bierspool up to under 16s level where he was well coached by Stuart Lewis and Neil Roberts before he moved to Haverfordwest and joined the likes of Rob Evans, Sam Parry and James Cromwell for a season because the Quins didn't have a side.

Schools’ success

"I went to school at Ysgol y Preseli where I was well coached by Mr Gethin Vobe and Mr Marc Lloyd in a very good team that included Rhodri Davies, Ianto Griffiths, Dyfan Dafydd, Owain John and Tom Coleman and which reached the Welsh Schools' Final at Aberavon before losing to a very strong Brynteg Comprehensive outfit that was coached by Welsh international Matthew Morgan."

"We also lost twice at national level in the Urdd Youth Sevens after comfortably winning locally, with Rhodri, Dyfan, Ianto and I being joined by players of the calibre of Nick Bevans and Tomi Jones."

Then it was back to the Quins' youth for two years before he set off for UWIC to take a degree in Sport and PE - where he took a few months break from the oval ball game to recharge his batteries.

Starting out at Parc Lloyd Thomas

"It was at this time that Rhodri Davies contacted me to ask if I wanted to sign for Crymych and saying yes was a decision I haven't regretted for a single moment because it is a close-knit community-based club where we are almost like family to each other.

"I played alongside Simon James, who was then captain, and Richard Sharp-Williams in the back row, with former Welsh international prop John Davies as an inspirational member of the forwards."

More success – but battles aplenty

"We played in division three then out of five divisions and we won every game during the season to gain promotion - and capped a terrific season by beating Aberystwyth in the KO Cup Final in Aberaeron with Elgan Vittle, John Davies and Gareth Davies leading the rest of us.

"Then we moved into the second division and to be honest it was hard going but we stuck at it to stay there until the end of a long season - when the leagues were restructured and we found ourselves in division one.

"Now that was a huge step up and for some time we were in the bottom two places but then we rallied well, won nine games on the trot and amazingly finished in fourth place!"

Football and sevens

Outside of his rugby, Tom also played football at right back for Tenby but readily admits it certainly wasn't his best sport as he played alongside another rugby player in Luke Hamilton, who started out this season at Leicester.

Tom has also enjoyed being involved in sevens rugby since his Urdd days and last season was a regular member of the Crymych Crusaders and Carmarthen Warriors' teams alongside Tomi Jones, brother Joe and Rhodri Davies.

"We did well to come runners-up in the Cwmtawe Sevens and won the plate event when we went down to Bournemouth to play."
 

And finally . . .

But back with the 15-a side game the second half of the season is sure to be a busy time but he relishes the challenge of keeping the Preseli Men doing well in this tough division - and if his wholehearted efforts are anything to go by then things will continue to flourish at Parc Lloyd Thomas because Tom Powell never gives less than 100% in Crymych's cause!