Dear Liz Jones....

I'd intended to return home from work this evening, stretch my fingers, power up the Macbook and start weaving a response to Liz Jones' ill thought out and ill informed article that appeared in Tuesday's Daily Mail.

Instead I got home late; Ironically my job in sports means the public note I'm now writing to Liz will be much shorter. 

I'll sound boastful, conceited and arrogant as I say this but, at age 23 years and 8 months old, I'm a relative success. I have a full time job, not just any job, but the career I've dreamt about for years and I have the smallest amount of 'student debt'.

I owe these two facts to just two things; supportive parents and sport. 

I left school with mediocre A level results, I went on to do a much ridiculed degree course and left with a very average grade. 

Now many of my school colleagues are working in jobs they dislike, unable to get into the industries or careers that they want to and often are still living at home with mum and dad. I feel for them, the job market is currently a very hostile place for the new graduate and I know first hand how bewildering it can be to leave university wondering where you'll go next. 

But the truth is, I've always landed on my feet, buoyed by a passion for sport I have achieved my dream of working in rugby. 

"If you're not first your last"

Ok, so this old adage probably doesn't paint the most positive picture, but a will to win and the thirst to achieve the best you can are things you learn from sport that can and should be carried into everyday life. 

I am surrounded both professionally and personally by young women striving to accomplish their goals and the majority of these young women will point to competitive sport as the place where they learned to push for these things. 

Liz Jones' article suggests that sport is almost dangerous for young women, if I can pick out my personal highlight from the piece;

"Sport in school is the worst thing you can possibly inflict on children, particularly girls who are going through puberty and are necessarily self-conscious, often in pain and often vulnerable."

I'll just apologise before I say this as I know that many of those who read this blog and follow me on Twitter are men...

'Often in pain'? Let's get this straight Liz, it's a period, they're not bleeding to death and it's a known fact that a little bit of exercise makes you feel better. 

It's also a known fact that childhood obesity is on the increase, the suggestion that removing sport from young girls' school curriculum is frankly absurd. 

Young girls feel self-conscious most of the time, this is true, but school PE lessons are the ONLY exercise that many of them will get, being overweight is certainly not going to help their confidence.

But, let's delve deeper, why else do young girls feel self-conscious? Could it be because of what they see in magazines and what they read in newspapers? 

"You can’t tell me top athletes eat healthily or even look that attractive."

Not everyone can be good at sport, I'll give you that, but equally, not everyone can be a beauty queen.

Saying that these athletes don't look attractive means nothing, those women who are pushing themselves towards their goals of podium places in the pool and in track and field next summer at the London Olympics really aren't bothered about how they look. The most aesthetically pleasing thing for them will be a gold medal hanging around their neck. 

You lambast Fatima Whitbread for her masculine looks, asking if her time would be better spent, 'reading a book' or 'helping people', I'd personally encourage you to consider one of these yourself, a little research goes a long way, you may find it illuminating to see what a difficult past this Olympian overcame. 

There are many more holes I can pick in your piece and there are plenty of testimonies I could collect from girlfriends about the impact sport has had on them, but to be honest we're all too busy being utterly fabulous because a will to win and succeed comes first. 

I'd hope that by saying my bit it encourages anyone who agreed with your article to think again and recognise the importance of sport as a tool for education, where some of the most important life lessons are learned for boys ...and girls!

Anything Is Possible

The final weeks of last season were dark days at Cowbridge RFC.

We’ve never been a ‘great’ club but the run of results that the boys had put together meant the small town side were in the worst position they’d been in for many seasons as they sat on the very bottom of the league.

This Saturday the boys kicked off their 2011/12 campaign down at the Fred Dunn Athletic Ground, buoyed by a good pre-season and with more youth in their ranks than they’ve had for some time, they lined up against unfamiliar foe in the form of Hirwaun.

…80 minutes later and the boys were in possession of the big ‘W’ with an astonishing 45-11 victory. Hopefully this will spur the boys on to a successful season and a new dawn for Cowbridge RFC, anything is possible.

Anything IS possible…

On last Thursday’s Rugby Club, Stuart Barnes stated that, Wales are the ‘in form’ home nation going into this month’s world cup. Momentum counts for everything in knock out competitions and Wales’ first match against South Africa will no doubt be the sides most important game of the tournament, no matter how far they progress.

I’ve said before that as a proud Welsh patriot I suffer from the most extreme optimism in the lead up to any competition. The World Cup it would appear is no exception. Just a month ago I had lost all faith in the national side but, a couple of encouraging performances and a win over England may have changed my mind.

OK, so I’m not saying we’re world beaters but if we can get passed the current world champions in our first game then anything can happen. The Boks are hardly a walkover, after looking lacklustre and immensely disorganised over the southern hemisphere winter, last game out, in the final round of the Tri-Nations they sprang a surprise on the hosts and beat them.

There are jokes a plenty about New Zealand and their ‘choker’ status, after all, they’re planning on performing the Heimlich maneuver instead of the Haka in their opening game against Tonga on Friday night…

With the exception of the defending champions we do not have the hardest of groups. I mean no disprespect to the Pacific Island nations, but Wales have beaten England and Argentina in the past month, they can deal with physicality and their conditioning and fitness has set them aside this summer and they enter the competition with renewed vigour.

To England and the Manu show as it’s surely becoming, the 2003 winners meet Argentina in their opener. Next year 3 become 4 in the tri-nations competition as the South Americans join in the Southern Hemisphere’s annual international tournament.

Their inclusion surely shows the progress they’ve made as a rugby nation and that’s without considering that they finished higher than both Australia and the All Blacks in 2007’s RWC, when they claimed 3rd place.

But this will just be the beginning for England, with fellow home nation Scotland also occupying the same group. Whilst the Scots haven’t exactly put on inspiring performances they’ve done enough to record all important wins in their warm ups, just like England, they beat Ireland in their warm ups. 

Ireland the last home nation to secure a 6 Nations Grand Slam may be standing tall and shoulder to shoulder but also worried and bemused. An awful RWC run in, a serious knee injury to back row stalwart David Wallace will only stoke the flames of doubt and depression that must run through the competition.

Psychology has a massive place in sport and USA Rugby may not have looked like the worst opener when the fixtures were released but now, the Irish will worry. They kick off their campaign on September 11th, the most poignant day there is for Americans, they have something very emotive to play for.

Rory Best has said that the first 10 minutes and containing the eagles side will be most important come Sunday because of this.

Pool C is also home to my danger team. The Wallabies are enjoying a spell of great form for their top players off the back of winning the tri-nations and an Australian franchise, Queensland Reds, winning the SuperRugby competition too.

A supremely talented team with a young spine, the creative players of Australia are to be feared ...even if many have the capacity to have mixed performances, with Quade Cooper especially prone to a fluctuation of world class displays at 10 mixed in with games filled with errors and poor decision making.

Genia however steadies the ship often when Cooper struggles, a great play-maker, he's definitely up there with SBW as one of my favourites set to star at this RWC.

So now all that's left is to set our alarm clocks, early kick offs mean that I'll be consuming cider with breakfast on both Saturday and Sunday, the things we do for the sport we love.

My excitement levels are astronomically high as I count down to round 1 of the group games, we can do this, Wales CAN beat SA, anything is possible...

The X-Factor

I might not like the X Factor, but there’s no escaping that the run in to this year’s world cup has resembled the TV talent competition as international squads are whittled down to their final numbers ready for the lengthy flight to the island of the long white cloud.

The WRU’s barn at the Vale and England’s base Pennyhill Park are not unlike the judges houses as players do their best to impress and leap that last hurdle to the live shows; or in this case the string of pre-RWC friendlies currently in progress.
And last week the first wave of those battling for a world cup place performed in front of a packed Twickenham audience.

For the lads lining up for both England and Wales there were those who knew only their best performance would do and others who knew a solid showing would be enough. There were also players of course, who very sadly, won’t get any closer to the world cup than that first friendly.

Best wishes go out to Morgan Stoddart who will now miss the tournament after badly breaking his leg. Morgan came through his operation at London’s Charing Cross Hospital well but won’t play any part in Wales’ plans for some months; no date has been put on his return to rugby.

Anxious times lay ahead for England also, as captain Lewis Moody picked up a knee strain which could rule him out of not just the Wales and Ireland games this month but the RWC altogether. Martin Johnson’s camp have been cagey yet realistic in their statements about Moody, taking nothing for granted yet backing the skipper to recover from the injury in time to lead the team in New Zealand.

If ‘Mad-Dog’ Moody is to miss out though, which players will this give hope to? A spot in the back row now opens up. The England management would have the difficult task of selecting a player with age and experience or youth and promise, with Tom Wood, Hendre Fourie and Chris Robshaw all putting their hands up for the spot.

…and that’s not to mention the question of captaincy and who would fill the breech; should it become available.

The injuries to Stoddart and Moody go some way to highlighting what a bruising encounter the match last Saturday was. Undeniably, some of the biggest hits came in from the centres, probably most notably from debut cap Manu Tuilagi.

The youngest brother from the great Samoan rugby stable, Manu looked perfectly undeterred by the pressure of HQ. A mature performance from the 20 year old gave plenty of food for thought and should result in another stamp in the 6 foot 1, 16 stone 7lb, centre’s passport.

Questions still exist however over Johnno’s backs division and who exactly the former world champion will take. Armitage made a good account of himself at full-back but Ben Foden will look to impress this Saturday in Cardiff.

Foden’s last visit saw a try-scoring yet ultimately losing performance in the Heineken Cup final. The Northampton star will be looking to excise his demons on his return to the Welsh capital whilst cementing his place in the number 15 jersey.

Rotation also played a key part in England’s strategies last Saturday as Banahan was tried both out on the wing and at centre, with competent displays in both positions. The Bath-man’s switch to the midfield also made way for speedy Gloucester winger Sharples, who did well but ultimately, will be lucky to secure a place in the final squad.

But what of Wales? The winning margin could’ve been greater; and whilst England were arguably happy to practice their defense for large swathes of the second half, Wales still put on a good attacking show and will have much to build on in the return fixture.

Tavis Knoyle, however short his appearance, did well to speed up the ball, something Phillips’ service had lacked at vital points in the first half. Many corners are hoping to see Warren Gatland trial the other scrum halves in these testing games.

In the back-row a return for former captain Ryan Jones. The Ospreys man did well to stabilise the scrum, which highlighted the inexperience for replaced Toby Faletau.

Another replacement who showed his worth was Luke Charteris, height like that can make all the difference in a line-out as he showed from the moment he came on.

Behind the scrum, Priestland impressed as he stepped up to the 10 berth only hours before the game. He marshaled the game well and whilst the veteran Stephen Jones might have made the difference and helped Wales secure the confidence boosting win, the fly half put in a sound performance.

Jamie Roberts also looks to be hitting the kind of form that saw him earn the player of the series crown for the Lions back in 2009; and on Saturday there’s every chance he’ll be paired with Gavin Henson.

Contentious Henson divides opinion off the field but there is no denying he is a great player when fit and in form, if he plays well on Saturday partnered with fans favourite Roberts, the nation’s confidence and expectation will grow further.

The teams will be announced imminently, though many can guess the changes that will be made. Expect a fiery encounter at the home of the dragon as Wales v England kicks off live from Cardiff on Sky Sports from 2pm, as players continue on their journey to prove they have the rugby ‘X Factor’, on the way to the World cup… not Christmas number 1!

Martyn and Shanks, failed by their region or the union?

I was 15 when Welsh rugby was regionalised but even I can remember the promises that were made.

We began with 5 regions and the vow that players would be centrally contracted to the Welsh Rugby Union ensuring that, even though we would now have less teams playing at the highest level, no player would be left out in the cold and talent would be nurtured for the sake of national rugby and the success of the regions in Europe.

So here we are 8 years down the line, players still contracted to their region and fans disappointed in the way legends of the Welsh game are being treated.

This week has brought the news that both world class flanker Martyn Williams and 70 times capped centre Tom Shanklin will be released from Cardiff Blues. Chairman Peter Thomas points to a financial motive for both of these decisions.

As fans and armchair pundits we have short memories.

We should not be shocked that Martyn is to leave the region, it has always been his intention to finish his 'club' career at the end of this season, indicating that he would take up a special agreement with the WRU, meaning he would be contracted to them up to and through the 2011 RWC ending his professional career at the end of the tournament.

It would seem Martyn has no intention to play for the Blues beyond the end of this season. So why should they extend his contract, paying his undoubtably high wage packet, for him to only represent Wales in New Zealand later this year and never pull on the regions colours again?

The expectation, from the Blues and MW, was that the union would pick up the reigns and sort out a deal. Silence from the WRU and whispers from inside the Blues would suggest that Martyn has been unable to arrange this though, surprising considering Warren Gatland's very public desire for Martyn to be part of his World Cup squad.

The double announcement by the Blues also sees Tom Shanklin exit the region. Today, Shanks goes under the knife after sustaining another knee injury.

Tom, a double grand slam winner, when fit, has been a staple of the Welsh squad. A solid performer with consistent displays no matter who his midfield partner has been. However, it is well documented that Shanklin has never toured with the Lions, highlighting his bad luck with injuries. After selection in 2009, Tom was cruelly hit with a shoulder injury in one of the Blues final games of the season, forcing reconstructive surgery and a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

It isn't just his shoulder that has fallen foul to injury though, with many knocks to his knees being picked up in the last few years, an observer must ask themselves, how much rugby does he have left in him?

Of course it is unfair for any player to be let go, but at 31, would Tom's re-inclusion in the Blues squad and more importantly their playing budget keep younger talent out?

The crux of the matter is that sport is business and no matter how steeped in history and pride our national game is, there is no room for sentiment in rugby in 2011.

This afternoon a statement was released by the NG Dragons and Robin Sowden-Taylor to announce the flanker's retirement.

I wish Robin the best of luck with whatever direction he takes next but at the same time he is probably the best example of the failure of regionalisation and a lesson for the future.

RST has been capped 8 times. A promising talent from his teenage years, he was regarded as the natural successor to Martyn Williams at openside for both the Blues and Wales.

Unlike many modern professionals though, Williams has been treated well by injury, meaning Robin has missed out on those opportunities to step up and shine and with Sam Warburton coming through in the past few seasons, RST couldn't even depend on Williams' imminent retirement as a means to more caps.

And now, we run the risk of this happening again as Martyn departs the Blues leaving Warburton as first choice openside, another young talent waits in the wings in the form of Josh Navidi.

Even closer in age than Martyn and Robin, these two young talents and many others in positions where we have strength in depth, run the risk of repeating recent history all because we're still yet to realise the promises made by WRU for regional rugby in Wales.