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The North Wales U14 squad travelled to Llanidloes with a much depleted squad, with only 10 girls available to play. Ceri Noble and Catrin Evans from Nant Conwy took part in their first game representing North Wales and soon justified their selection with some impressive play.

The forwards were organised by Captain Amelia Stubbs (Colwyn Bay) and the spectators were rewarded with some good ball.

The backs, organised by Alaw Hughes (Caernarfon) worked particularly hard to defend and Cain Jones (Pwllheli), Iona and Elin Evans (Nant Conwy) in attack broke through a fairly solid East Wales defence. Kaya Harding (Colwyn Bay) returning to her role of scrum half had a good game despite East Wales mounting an effective blitz defence.

Considering the North Wales girls have had their training seriously disrupted and had very little preparation they all showed the true North Wales spirit and never gave up until the final whistle.

The weather was as usual wet and chilly at Llanidloes when the North Wales girls met with East Wales yet again.

The North Wales girls struggled to find a full team. This was due to a number of reasons including injury and exam timetables. They struggled to find good form today. This was because they also had very little practice as the pitches were flooded out in the North. Unfortunately there are no satisfactory indoor facilities in the North. This showed in their performance against the East Wales girls who in contrast showed they had made great improvements since the two teams met last year.

The depleted numbers meant that the North Wales girls were missing some of their stalwarts and also meant that the remaining girls were playing out of position. The East Wales coach and girls were generous in lending some of their girls to make up the numbers.

The North Wales girls began with difficulty in finding any fluency and made a series of unforced mistakes with their handling errors. The makeshift forwards struggled against the well coordinated pack of the East Wales girls. However, though they lost ground in the initial scrums they got their confidence back and managed to hold their own in the scrums towards the latter periods of play and even managed to disrupt the East Wales scrums a few times, even winning against the head. In particular Captain Sian Williams (Caernarfon) played her customary good game at 8 leading the forwards and having an excellent game in cover defence. Glain Gruffydd (Caernarfon) at 2 and the second row of Sarah Johnston (Colwyn Bay) and Kumari Tilakawardane (Colwyn Bay) strived and overcame the weight and skill advantage of the East Wales girls in the second half of the game. Abi Beards (Colwyn Bay) showed her adaptability on the rugby field and filled in the absent 6 berth well. She also played part of the game at her favoured scrum half position showing the utility player she has become to North Wales’ rugby. Joely Benton (Colwyn Bay) had a very good game at 6 with some crunching tackles that stopped a few East Wales moves.

However the valiant effort was lost as the backs did not capitalise on these. This was partly due to the handling errors and lack of confidence presumably due to the lack of experience of playing as a team for a while but much of the difficulties were due to the fact that the East Wales girls were playing a very confident and slick game from the outset. Emma Beaumont (Colwyn Bay) had a good game, showing her fierceness in tackling and talent at anticipation in defence stemming the flow of moves from the East. Yasmin Leung (Caernarfon) had a quiet but effective game dropping down from the usual stand off position to full back to fill in the vacancy due to absenteeism. Elin Royle (Nant Conwy) again worked hard and effectively both in attack and defence while Hayley Webber (Caernarfon) made some useful forays into the opposition half with her gift of speed. Anna Parkin (Colwyn Bay) played effectively filling in at scrum half, inside centre and at 7, again becoming another utility player for the team.

The North Wales girls had a few new faces to fill the spaces left by absenteeism. Jane Owen and Joely Benton from Colwyn Bay and Sian Williams from Nant made their debut appearances for the North Wales girls. Joely Benton had a particular good start to her North Wales career and Jane Owen and Sian Williams overcame their initial nerves to settle down and play some good rugby.

The zeal and commitment of the North Wales Girls is exemplified by the manner in which all of them unflinchingly took to the field despite the lack of preparation and practice, some out of their comfort zones and familiar positions and others stepping in at short notice to fill the voids to keep their fixture commitments. Bravo!

Issy Jones, one of Colwyn Bay RFC Mermaids Ladies team has been capped for Wales, coming on as a replacement for the Women's Under 20's team that suffered defeat at the hands of England at Taffs Well last Sunday.

Following the National Trial at Llandovery RFC Mermaid Rebecca Gray has been selected to join Wales Women Under 20 squad. Congratulations from all the coaching staff.

The North Wales Girls’ Squads travelled down to Aberystwyth to play against a more experienced West Wales side. Although narrowly beaten 3 tries to 1, North had to lend 3 players to the West.

After a long and windy journey on the coach, all the girls were raring to go; Colwyn Bay was represented strongly by Kumari Tilakawardane, Ellie Evans, Amy Bird, Gwen Harries, Sophia Hathaway, Kaya Harding and Ellie Roberts in the U14s and Abi Beards, Emma Beaumont, Rebecca Gray and Issy Jones played for the U17 side.

The U14 side played first, this was all the ‘Mermaids’ players’ first game at regional level, apart from Kumari Tilakawardane, who played last season. The game got off to a fairly good start, with both teams competing strongly; West Wales scoring the first try (unconverted) 10 minutes in. Then, after a sustained period of pressure from North, winger Ellie Evans touched down following a superb blindside run. The next North Wales try came from scrum-half Sian Williams, of Nant Conwy.

Both teams fought very hard and competitively for the ball, with West scoring the equalising try. North Wales made several team changes at half time, but still continued to both attack and defend well; unfortunately in the last 10 minutes letting a very strong West Walian runner through to score what would turn out to be the winning try. But the North Wales girls, never ones to know when they’re beaten, continued playing with the same aggression and passion, and when Sian Williams made a break up the edge of the pitch, it seemed it would be a draw, at least. However, the referee, in a somewhat controversial decision, stopped the try, as Sian ran in under the posts, and gave a penalty to West Wales for crossing, presumably deciding the supporting running of Gwen Harries was illegal.

'U17's Mermaid' Pippa Broadway, pictured with coach Steve Clarke, entered the Welsh Under 20 Open judo competition in Cardiff last weekend and won a bronze medal in the under 63kgs category.

Steve was impressed with one particular rugby style throw in her second contest. Pippa is also a rugby player and a member of Colwyn Bay rugby club. Steve believes many rugby and judo skills are transferable and so does the All Blacks coach who said in the Western Mail that the All Blacks’ current success is due to the fact that they have studied judo!

Colwyn Bay Judo Club holds sessions

Colwyn Bay Leisure Centre

Saturdays 10am - 11;30am JUNIORS

11;30am - 1pm SENIORS

Well done to Kaya, Sophia, Kumari, Both Ellie's, Amy and Gwen for being picked to play for North Wales on Sunday against The West at Aberystwyth. GOOD LUCK

West v North	Sunday 28/01/07	Aberystwth	TBC
Training	Wednesday 31/01/07	TBC	6:30pm - 8pm
Fixture	TBC	Llanidloes	TBC
Training	Monday 12/02/07	TBC	6:30pm - 8pm
Training	Monday 26/02/07	TBC	6:30pm - 8pm
North v West	Sunday 4/03/07	Dolgellau	TBC
Training	Wednesday 7/03/07	TBC	6:30pm - 8pm
East v North	Sunday11/03/07	Llanidloes	TBC
Presentation Evening	TBC	Cardiff	TBC

Congratulations to Issy Jones of the U17 Mermaids on her selection to the Welsh Students squad and to wish her good luck against British Colleges on Sunday.

The North Wales development day took place on a freezing cold, windy and somewhat wet day. The Bay were represented by Eleanor Evans, Gwen Harries, Amy Bird, Ellie Roberts, Kaya Harding, Sophia Hathaway and Kumari Tilakawardane at U14 level and Abi Beards, Emma Beaumont, Issy Jones, Calais Smith, Eleanor Rawicki and Rebecca Gray for U17s.

The girls all worked hard, with handling drills and contact and game skills being put to the test by the regional coaches. All the Mermaids’ players impressed - special mention going to Gwen, Kaya, Ellie Evans and Kumari in the U14s for a complicated drill using speed, skills and switches that really surprised the coaches!

After the day, in the clubhouse yet more good news (for the Bay girls at least) as North Wales rugby personality Nia Ritchie announced happily that the North Wales training will be held at Colwyn Bay for now, after a fairly decisive vote. All the girls who attended the day were invited to be a part of the North Wales squads for this season.