After a busy and focused opening six weeks in the BKT United Rugby Championship, Scarlets Managing Director Jon Daniels highlights the positive start to the season at Parc y Scarlets and looks forward to the next block of rugby and community activity at Scarlets.
Q: On the field it’s been a positive start, what are your thoughts on this first URC block of rugby?
JD: “It’s been really positive and heartening to see the hard work that has gone on for a while now behind the scenes taking shape. It’s been a bright start with a lot of promise being shown.
“We spoke two years ago about having to build a new depth in this squad within our means and that it would take three years to see the fruits of that work. We had a generation of players that had led this club and delivered some brilliant highs including winning the PRO12, that were moving on and we knew we had some big shoes to fill – you can’t rebuild overnight but we have been working hard in the background and it’s great to see the green shoots of that work this season.
“The additions we have made this season into the rugby environment have been very positive for us, Leigh (Jones) has been working in support of Dwayne Peel in the performance area and Cubby (James Davies) has done a great job in identifying players to bring into this group that are the right fit and look at the contribution they are making.
“Given the tight resources and budgets we are working to – we are positive and energised as a club about the start we have made.
“The hard work and commitment being shown by everyone working at Scarlets along with a fresh focus on listening and delivering what really matters to our rugby community whether it’s on the field or off it is starting to show.
“The importance of unity right across our club, whether we are sharing highs or facing challenges, the togetherness between our supporters, our rugby team, our off-field team, our stakeholders, partners, sponsors and community partners should never be underestimated. It’s our foundation and it’s been great to see that building ever stronger this season and we want to keep the momentum going.”
Q: What have been your highlights so far?
JD: “The Bulls game was obviously a highlight and a great example of what can happen and be achieved when a team fighting for everything is backed by our supporters standing shoulder to shoulder with them. There’s an element of frustration in letting some points slip in the early weeks, as we believe we could have got more from the Benetton game and probably should have held on to beat Connacht as well. But that said, we’ve made steps forward. After the disappointment of Cardiff at home, we have responded with improved performances and haven’t looked like that again. Instead, we went to Cardiff and turned the table when we were down to 13 and held them out. In terms of fight and character and togetherness in a team – that was outstanding. Overall, everyone is pleased with the progression.
“We were also delighted to celebrate a huge landmark with Gareth Davies as he reached his 250th appearance for the Scarlets – only the third player to achieve this fantastic milestone since the game went regional. We also congratulate him on an outstanding and distinguished career with Wales as he announced his retirement from international rugby.”
Q: What has been the difference this season to last?
JD: “I think the biggest difference contributing to our performance is our set-piece. The scrum has been solid and our line-out has been effective as well – without those two things it’s hard for your attack to establish any foothold in the game and certainly our new recruits have made a difference.
“As a recruitment group we worked hard last year, we knew we needed to bring experience into the right places alongside a group of talented and ambitious young players, and there were hours of conversations with boys like Henry Thomas and Alec Hepburn about our situation and what we needed from them on and off the field.
“The moments people will remember and take joy from in this first block will be seeing boys like Tommy Rogers on fire, what Macs Page is doing, bringing in Blair Murray and there’s excitement – our fans are loving watching these players grow in confidence – but they can’t do that without our set piece and our pack functioning in the way they have been. I should also recognise what players like Johnny Williams are bringing to the party, they have stepped up to be leaders in this group and it’s great to see.
“I think the feeling around the group of players is really positive, they are building a strong culture and set of values and focus as a team and it’s great to see.”
Q: The Scarlets had the largest contingent of players (eight) in Wales called up to the Autumn Nations squad. How proud a moment is that for this club?
JD: “We will all be very proud when the Scarlets boys are lining up for the anthems in the autumn. And it shows that the programme is working. When you get the highest number of players in a national squad, that comes from a group that is being well-coached, effectively developed and fully supported by the backroom team.
“Yes, it is a source of pride. We are all fans of Welsh rugby and we know that the route to seeing players achieve international honours is one where they are performing at a high level consistently with their club – it’s a reflection of their performances and contribution to our opening six weeks of competition and the programme we have in place. So we wish them well during the Autumn Nations campaign and look forward to welcoming them back for a huge block of club rugby at the end of the month.
“For Welsh rugby as a whole to re-establish itself at the top table we all – WRU, pro clubs, Super Rygbi Cymru, pathways and academies, community clubs – have to work in closer collaboration. We all have a lot of hard work to do to present a better future within a strong rugby landscape.”
Q: There’s been a lot of work to broaden the matchday experience at Parc y Scarlets. How has that gone?
JD: “We engaged with our fans in the off season to ask what they wanted to see at Parc y Scarlets this season and how we can improve the matchday experience and we have been delivering as much as we can within our resources – from sound and music on a match day, the re-introduction of in-stadium ref mics, to players meeting fans immediately post-match, to activities around the stadium, social and family hubs pre-match, greater communication and wider representation across our community.
“It’s our responsibility and our commitment to listen and make additions where we can. Our supporters engaged positively and we have responded positively. There is still a long way to go and a lot more we want to do.
“The Tanner Banc bar and the FSG Arena for families are working really well this season. The Tanner Banc is a great place for our fans to congregate, they have a clubhouse now and that’s important and we’ve been getting 400-plus supporters enjoying pre-match together there. We have been improving and focusing the Arena activity to create a buzzing Supporters Village and family orientated entertainment zone – together with our community club activities.
“There have been numerous rugby festivals built into the match days with festivals for the Cardiff game and the Zebre game and we will have another big festival Christmas extravaganza for the Black Lion game on Sunday, December 15 with teams from across our region taking part in rugby games from 9am that day.
“And it’s not all about the rugby – we’re showcasing the talent of community groups from across our region just like our last game with the Ysgol Gymraeg Llangennech Choir and Milford School Band performing to the delight of supporters – they were brilliant. It creates a great atmosphere and is part of our responsibility as one of the biggest and highest profile venues in the area to create platforms for groups within our community to showcase their talents. We want to shine a light on talent from across our region.”
Q: What are the plans for the remaining home games?
JD: “We have a big block of rugby ahead. We go away to reigning champions Glasgow, we have two European games, two derbies and then two more Challenge Cup matches in January. It’s a tough block of rugby, but this is why we are here and why we do what we do. We want to continue to build points to maintain our URC position and are targeting the knock-out phases of Europe
“Off the field, our Black Lion game will have a strong ‘Christmas and Community’ focus and we are all working hard to deliver a brilliant Christmas showcase at that game which families can really enjoy.
Q: The Community Rugby Foundation is thriving – can you give an update on what the team have delivered so far this season?
JD: “Our community team are doing brilliant work. Our community engagement and inclusion programmes are one of the cornerstones of our purpose as a club, alongside performance. The depth and breadth of our programme now is something we are very proud of and excited about.
“The team has been working right across our region and are expanding their reach and participation with school and club visits, rugby festivals, half-term camps as well as Fit Fed Fun camps in socially deprived areas and delivering programmes for players with disabilities, deaf and wheelchair rugby as well as NEET programmes alongside local authorities. Our Sporting Memories group, which meets on a Wednesday morning, also has more members than ever.
“We have already engaged with 50% of our junior community club teams this season as part of our match days. In total, the team has engaged with an estimated 5,700 people since the start of the season. We are delighted that our match day 50/50 draw and Scarlets lottery are being so well supported as they bring in additional funds into the Foundation which supports these vitally important activities.”
Q: At the Bulls game, Scarlets recently hosted a girls rugby hub showcase to highlight the importance of inspiring new players for the future of the women’s game. What are the Scarlets’ plans for women’s and girls rugby?
JD: “We have been proudly running a women’s and girls programme for many years and our commitment as a board is that we want a professional Scarlets women’s team in Wales underpinned by an effective and successful pathway.
“We are lucky to have former Welsh international Tonia Antoniazzi on our Board and she is working with us on driving our women’s and girls programme. We are also fortunate to have a main sponsor in Gavin Griffiths Group whose Managing Director is incredibly passionate about supporting and developing girls and women’s rugby and chairs Mynydd Mawr Girls Hub.
“Last year we hosted Brython Thunder here at Scarlets which was a great source of pride to us and we hope to do so again this season – only bigger and better. We have incorporated girls rugby into our Academy which covers both the men’s and women’s game and have run performance taster sessions which gave the likes of capped Welsh international Jenna de Vera the chance to experience high performance rugby for the first time. Despite challenging financial times in recent years we have been resourcing our women’s and girls programme unfunded because it is really important to us as Scarlets. We cannot claim to be a club for our community if we are only representing the male half the game. A world where we don’t have a women’s professional elite programme underpinned by a strong pathway is unfathomable to us.”
What other events can Scarlets supporters look forward to?
JD: “We enjoyed another successful and well-attended fireworks evening at the Parc on Sunday and we are hosting the Crys 16 Meet the New Scarlets players this evening and hope for a good turnout for that event.
“Also our Scarlets Christmas parties at Parc y Scarlets are selling fast. We have some places left for December 20th / 21st so please book soon. Visit parcyscarlets.com for more information. We will be expecting more than 2,000 guests to our Christmas parties this year which will be more than we have ever had before. So that’s great news.
“Just a last note from me to say a big thank you to all the team at Scarlets both on and off the field for their hard work and commitment this season so far. It is making a difference.”