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WRU Regional Community Championship Kicks Off

The Dragons Amateur XV start their WRU Regional Community Championship tonight against the Scarlets, kick off 7.30pm.

Kath McCarthy | 08/11/2005

Dean Williams brother of Welsh International Shane Williams will make his debut for the Scarlets Regional Amateur team against The Dragons at Blackwood's Glan-yr-Afon Park ground on Tuesday night (kick-off 7.30pm) when the new, five team tournament gets underway.

All four Regions will be taking part and there will also be a side from north Wales, playing under the name of Gogledd. Players are selected from those teams in each region playing in the ASDA Leagues from Division 1 to 5 and are 25 or younger.

The other match sees Gogledd host the Ospreys at Ruthin (kick-off 7.30pm). There are two more rounds in November - Gogledd v Scarlets (Llanidloes) and Ospreys v Blues (Dunvant) on 22 November and Dragons v Ospreys (Blackwood) and Blues v Gogledd (Abercynon) on 29 November. The tournament returns during the Six Nations window with three more rounds in February and four in March.

National Community Rugby Manager Phil John is currently looking at setting up the first international fixture for the new Welsh Amateur XV selected in April at the end of the tournament.

"This is a great idea and I'm sure there will be a handful or more of players who will come right through to the Premiership and then Regional levels in this way," said Ospreys and Wales wing Shane Williams. "I was picked up by Neath through luck when I was playing for Amman United. Ron Waldron came to watch me and that paved the way for me to go into top-level rugby. This is a better way for the Premiership and Regional coaches to examine the rich vein of talent that exists in the lower leagues. I still get involved in the odd training session with Amman United and I watch as many games of theirs as I can. So I know first-hand just how much talent there is in the ASDA Leagues and I'm sure there will be hundreds of players dreaming of winning a coveted Welsh cap at the end of the season."

WRU REGIONAL COMMUNITY CHAMPIONSHIP - ROUND 1 TEAMS

Dragons: Robert Smith (Blackwood), Gareth Hassell (Pill Harriers), Darren Humphries (Bargoed), Phil Price (Caerphilly), Jordan Rees (Caerphilly); Jamie Howells (Bargoed), Darrell Cook (Rhymney); Ross Jones (Bargoed), Peter Harrison (Caerphilly), Anthony Lott (Bargoed), James Noble (Blaina), Steve Williams (Croesyceiliog), James Corten (Pill Harriers), Lee Edwards (Tredegar), David Brake (Caerphilly and captain).
Replacements: Jamie Cross (Caerphilly), Lee White (Pill Harriers), Nathan Curtis (Blackwood), Ben Harding (Blaina), Andrew Packer (Caerphilly), Mark Thorogood (Pill Harriers), Leighton Burrows (Pill Harriers).

Scarlets: Mathew Davies (Narberth); Dean Williams (Amman Utd), Alan Rees (Ammanford), Mathew Banner (Felinfoel), Thomas Bonnell (Trimsaran); Aled Davies (Whitland), Iwan Jones (Llangennech); Gareth Morgan (Llangennech), Mark Jones (Pontyberem), Tomas Davies (Amman Utd), Jason Jennings (Narberth), Mark Jones (Ammanford), Gareth Owen (Kidwelly), Celt Thomas (Whitland), Stuart Tyrie (Tenby).
Replacements: Ryan Williams (Amman Utd), Justin Lewis (Ammanford), Mathew Jacobs (Llangennech), Graham Jenkins (Haverfordwest), Darryl Jones (Milford Haven), Chris James (Narberth), Paul Rees (Felinfoel).

WRU REGIONAL COMMUNITY CHAMPIONSHIP - FIXTURES
Round 1 (8 November): Dragons v Blues (Blackwood) Gogledd v Ospreys (Ruthin)
Round 2 (22 November): Gogledd v Scarlets (Llanidloes) Ospreys v Blues (Dunvant)
Round 3 (29 November): Dragons v Ospreys (Blackwood) Blues v Gogledd (Abercynon)
Round 4 (7 February): Gogledd v Dragons (Bangor) Scarlets v Blues (TBC)
Round 5 (14 February): Blues v Dragons (Penarth) Ospreys v Scarlets (Aberavon)
Round 6 (21 February): Scarlets v Dragons (TBC) Ospreys v Gogledd (Ystadgynlais)
Round 7 (7 March): Scarlets v Gogledd (Llandovery) Blues v Ospreys (Pentyrch)
Round 8 (14 March): Ospreys v Dragons (Neath) Gogledd v Blues (Llanidloes)
Round 9 (21 March): Dragons v Gogledd (Abergavenny) Blues v Scarlets (Rumney)
Round 10 (28 March): Dragons v Blues (Fleur de Lys) Scarlets v Ospreys (TBC)

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