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- Whitland RFC . . . The Green Machine Ploughing Its Way Through A Pandemic
Gareth Bennett, coach of Division 1 West Whitland RFC, remains optimistic the community game will return stronger in 2021, despite the club potentially not having played a competitive game for 18 months if their next rugby is the start of the 2021/22 season. He tells Jon Twigg why he remains upbeat about the club’s future.
“From playing in early March and consolidating our return to Division 1 West, to having no contact with players or game time which curtailed the league, it was tough to take,” admits Gareth Bennett when asked to sum up the impact of the pandemic on a grass roots Welsh rugby club.
“It would have been an interesting end to the season as we had just found some form which had lifted us to fourth place in the league and we had more home games, against sides around us, than trips away; our home form had been a strength.”
Bennett had taken charge of the Whitland side – alongside Dan Mason – when he was still playing, initially until the end of the season after chairman Jason Bowen made an approach.
“We suffered relegation, regrouped and came back stronger, winning the Division 2 title, establishing a mantra of playing entertaining rugby which put bums on seats!”
The rugby club was a key component of life in the West Wales town and its hinterland, with a refurbished clubhouse, where the traditional rugby camaraderie sang loudly as a welcoming hub for rugby teams to quench their thirst before the journey home.
Since March, the club have had to find other ways of nourishing that community spirit – which had previously involved overseeing the ‘Junior Borderers’ and the women’s side, the ‘Borderettes’. They all made up the ‘Green Machine’.
That name, given to the club on social media, underlines their hard work and sense of shared purpose. The pitch has recently been re-laid with improved drainage and a training paddock behind the main GD Harries stand is nearing completion.
“Jason (Bowen) and the committee have plans and I have no doubt the facilities we have will be enhanced further to benefit the junior and youth ranks, when we look to recruit our next generation of players” says Bennett.
“After the season was quashed and plans outlined for the return of rugby, the club principles of player safety stood tall.
“In Suzanne Davies we have a Covid Officer whose meticulous implementation of safety standards allowed the training sessions to work seamlessly.
“We had good numbers, although it was strange, indeed, to limit close contact off the pitch. But we didn’t lose the banter around the session, nor on the Zoom calls we undertook.”
The Green Machine has seen squad changes this season as players returned to their home clubs, but it allowed new shoots to grow amongst the evergreens of Marc Jones, Dai Ebsworth and Nico Setaro.
Bennett says: “We have players who have worn the green shirt from under six, like Gino Setaro, Ben Kirk and Jack Mason, now joined by Iwan Millward (Carmarthen Quins), Matthew Tait (Laugharne) and Callum Tree from Division 1 rivals Newcastle Emlyn, the new blood bringing ideas and soft skills which can help us move to the next level.”
Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New year from Whitland RFC 🎄🎅🏼✨ pic.twitter.com/R8lCubxTG2
— Whitland RFC (@whitlandrfc) December 22, 2020
Bennett is ambitious in his commitment to the club and believes the future for grass roots clubs has to include room for local rivalries.
“I relish the local derbies and to be the best, we have to beat the best. The community league structure is right and I’m not one who wants to see a return to a Pembrokeshire league.
“The balance between some clubs has shifted and you find your level. I’m not sure how the short term impact on the game will change things, but long term we have possibly lost a generation of youngsters as they find other sports or forms of entertainment to fill the void.”
Bennett, a youth worker for Carmarthen Council constantly emphasises the benefits the game brings although he is also aware of the challenges to all clubs posed by the new awareness over head injuries and the impact of concussion on players.
Come and try it out . Everyone welcome https://t.co/nZA9nE5my6
— WHITLAND LADIES RFC (@WhitlandLadies) November 13, 2020
“Richard Thomas, our club physiotherapist, is instrumental and he is particularly intense on head injury protocols, alongside injury prevention and rehabilitation.”
“If he isn’t happy, the player isn’t considered; it’s important the game is seen to be safe at all levels and its consistent, where perhaps my earlier point could see some toying with rules around the contact area and set piece which can be managed for the betterment of all.”
The Whitland coach, who also coaches a junior side for Carmarthen Athletic, where his son Jac plays, has his glass half full.
“We have stopped, reacted and can now reflect, and, hopefully, look forward to a fruitful new year.
“We now have to give back, to get back.”
