Talented Sporting Youngsters Feature - Rio Phillips

Talented Sporting Youngsters Feature:

 
 

Rio loves his rugby with ‘The Blues’ and the County

 
  
Rio Phillips on a typical runRio Phillips loves playing rugby for Haverfordwest and at county level but it is great to see that today’s young rugby players are also ready to give some time back to help coach others. 
  
And at 17, Rio is doing just that as a member of Aled Waters’ coaching staff that has helped take the Pembrokeshire Schools’ team to some memorable moments in this year’s Dewar Shield national competition. 
  
Rio is currently studying at Pembrokeshire College on a level-three course in Sports Coaching as well as playing at outside half for Pembrokeshire College and Haverfordwest Youth team that is currently running away with the Pembrokeshire Youth League that boasts a 100% record so far at the half way stage of their season. 
  

College connection saw him take up coaching 

  
It was his connection to the college that set him off on his coaching career because a few seasons ago he played regularly for the under 15s team that was coached by Aled Waters and Tom Meredith, who are also his current coaches on his Sports Coaching course alongside Matt Jess, whom he was involved with whilst playing for the Scarlets for the previous two years. 
  
“Aled and Tom asked me if I wanted to work with the current squad so that I could let them know what it was like at this level, using my previous experience in the competition - and I jumped at the chance. 
  
“I’ve been involved ever since this season and only missed one match, and that was because on the evening of the game against Swansea (West) I was elsewhere, playing in a floodlit Friday evening match with my own team at Haverfordwest.” 
  

Family matters . . . 

  
That Rio should play rugby was almost a ‘gimme’ because both his parents have played over the years. 
“My dad, Shane, used to play in the centre for Neyland, and says he hopes to go back sometime so that we can have a season together, but we’ll have to wait and see about that. 
  
“My mother Maria is a member of the well-known Dockerty family in Haverfordwest that includes dad Shaun, who was a goalkeeper in his younger days and is known to all as ‘Docko’, and her brother Steven, who still plays for Goodwick United. And on his dad’s side Shane’s brother Lee Phillips also used to play rugby for Neyland. 
  
“My mum has played in the front row for Haverfordwest Ladies for a long time and still gets called out of retirement if they are short. I’ve watched her play and she is a tough cookie - which she has again showed this season when she was told she would only be needed for 15 minutes at the end but after an early injury to a team-mate she actually stayed on the field for 70 minutes - and hasn’t stopped grumbling about it ever since!” 



Rio diving over for a try
  

Started out as a nine-year-old 

  
Rio started his own playing days as a scrum half when he joined the Haverfordwest under nine squad coached by Matthew and Peter Williams - and he’s been there ever since. 
  
“I really enjoyed it from the start because I loved being able to play with my mates, especially the attacking side of it, and never missed a training session from then on.” 
  
“At the start of the under 14s Peter was joined by other former players in my dad Shane, Michael Osborne and Paul Mason - and we played in the district county under 15 and 16 finals against Pembroke  (at Pembroke Dock) and Pembroke (at Crymych). 
  

Did really well at youth rugby 

  
“Then it was on into the youth team run by Steve Parry and Andrew Thicker, we played really well together, especially when we took on a very strong Crymych team in the under 17s cup on the artificial surface at Haverfordwest High School in the semi-final of the Mike Fry under 17s cup. 
  
“We played out of our skin in front of a huge crowd and in the end the score was 32-all - and we were shattered to miss out on the final because under the rules the away team goes through. It was the most disappointing moment of my playing rugby! 
  
“We also missed out in the semi-final last season as a very strong Aberystwyth Youth team beat us 19-11 at Haverfordwest - so we are hoping it will be third time lucky this season!” 
  

County recognition soon followed 

  
“I also started to be picked for Pembrokeshire at under15 level and I played a year in the Dewar Shield but it was the year after Covid and so we didn’t have as long preparing together as the boys have had now, even though coaches Aled, Tom, Mike Jones and Rhys Fawcett worked hard with us throughout the short period we managed to play a few games against the likes of Llanelli school and Swansea schools. 
  
“I was playing scrum half in county with Bowyn Clarke (Pembroke) at No 10 as we had lots of other Haverfordwest players in Logun Young, Devin Williams, Iori Curtis, Kieran Harries and Max Fenn - and eventually I was switched to outside half, where I really love playing because I can get involved in all aspects of the game This earned me selection to play for the Scarlets under 16s and under 17s.”  

Rio on the burst

  

Points galore from his place-kicking 

  
Rio particularly enjoys the responsibility of taking the place kicks, which started at under 15 level when the Young Blues were playing against Fishguard and he had a nudge at a conversion - and it sailed between the posts! 
  
Dad Shane then took him out to practice and he’s been doing it ever since, and he has piled up the points - although he has the little idiosyncrasy that he likes Shane to carry the tee out to him. 
  
And it is certainly working because last season he scored 198 points (and missed a late conversion in the last game which would have taken him to his double century!) 
  
This year has seen Rio maintain his kicking form because he has already amassed 154 points so far this season so if he can maintain his form he is set to break that record, especially since his talented team-mates are giving him lots of opportunities by running in the tries! 



  

Great start with the Blues’ Youth this campaign 

  
They have won all eight league games so far under the coaching of Steve Parry and Andrew Thicker, plus Tom Stirling, who has joined them this campaign - and the highlight was a 31-22 win over Crymych in a good contest at Haverfordwest. 
  
“It was a nice surprise when we were awarded the special cup from the WRU just before Christmas as reward for being top of the table at this stage of the season.” 
  

And finally . . . 

  
Rio also plays rugby for the college team which competes in the College B League against some very good teams. 
 
“Playing in the college league has helped me with my skills’ ability as we play against some top college teams within Wales.
 
“Also, I have had a massive benefit from being coached by Aled, Tom and Matt over the last couple of years.”
  
That sums up Rio’s attitude because he always gives 100%, either in playing or training sessions, and that is why he was asked by Tom and Aled to be involved with the current Dewar Shield squad. 
  
They both sing his praises and we at PembrokeshireSport.co.uk are sure that we are going to hear a lot more in rugby terms from Rio Phillips because he is always ready to learn and has that down to earth attitude that will serve him well in the future! 
 


Rio and his Haverfordwest team mates