Scorpions link up with Bay Radio and Nation Radio

South Wales Scorpions Rugby League Club have announced that their official radio stations for the 2010 season will be Nation Radio and Bay Radio, part of the Town and Country Broadcasting Group that own six radio stations throughout South Wales.

Bay Radio, the local radio station for the Swansea Bay region covering the Swansea and Neath Port Talbot county boroughs, has increased its audience by over 20% since last year. Its sister station, Nation Radio, covers the whole of South Wales including Cardiff, Newport and Swansea, and is the fastest growing station in the UK.

The two stations will together be providing what is believed to be the largest amount of advertising ever for a rugby league club in Wales, with broadcasts the week prior to each of the Scorpions’ 11 home fixtures, starting with the prestigious friendly against Wigan Warriors at The Gnoll on Sunday (kick-off 2.30pm).

The Scorpions are the newest professional rugby league side in Wales. Following their game against Wigan, they will be playing 20 matches in the Co-operative Championship 1 against some of the UK’s well-known rugby league sides including former Super League clubs Oldham and Workington Town.

In addition to the radio adverts throughout 2010, Bay Radio and Nation Radio will be providing editorial support when needed in form of interview opportunities plus a link to the Scorpions website on home pages on both Bay Radio and Nation Radio sites.

The Bay Radio and Nation Radio logos will appear on the Scorpions’ home and away shirts, they will also receive advertising boards at The Gnoll, while both stations will have adverts in the match programme and links from the Scorpions website.

Scorpions’ owner Phil Davies said: “We are delighted that Bay Radio and Nation Radio are our official radio stations for 2010. We have built a good relationship with the over the last couple of months already. They’ve had us in as studio guests a few times already and next Sunday’s Wigan fixture was announced first on Bay Radio. We know this will be the start of a long and fruitful partnership and we can’t wait for kick-off on Sunday. Thanks to the additional advertising the Bay Radio and Nation Radio will be providing this week, we should get a bumper crowd and an occasion to remember.”

Andy Griffiths, Broadcast Director of Town and Country Ltd said: “We have always been keen to support local sport and we are very excited about this partnership with South Wales Scorpions. I have already been very impressed with the club’s enthusiasm, determination to develop local talent and their already good relationship with the supporters and local community. We are glad that we are able to provide support locally, in the shape of Bay Radio, and nationally with the very popular Nation Radio. We will have a presence at all matches and are very much looking forward to Sunday’s kick-off when Wigan come to town.”

Tickets for South Wales Scorpions v Wigan Warriors priced £4 for concessions and £8 for adults, can be bought by going to www.scorpionsrl.com.

South Wales Scorpions initial 23-man squad

South Wales Scorpions have announced a 23-man squad for their 2010 Championship 1 season with the promise of more players to be signed in the near future.

The Scorpions play their first ever match on Sunday 21 February, a friendly against Super League side Wigan Warriors at The Gnoll in Neath (kick-off 2.30pm).

The squad was selected following a public full contact trial match between “The Greens” and “The Reds” which the Greens won by 5 tries to 2 (no conversions were taken) where over 200 fans turned out to watch with many buying both tickets for the Wigan Warriors game and season tickets on the night.

As expected, almost half of the Scorpions squad are players who have come through the junior and reserve ranks at the Crusaders, but there are a number who are new to the area, the country or rugby league itself.

In rugby league terms, Loz Wildbore could be the club’s highest profile signing. The experienced 26-year old full-back or winger arrives in Wales from York City Knights. Hull-born, he has also had spells at Hull FC, Hull Kingston Rovers, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, Widnes Vikings, Featherstone Rovers, Doncaster and Dewsbury Rams.

Craig Richards returns to The Gnoll after a spell with Stourbridge RFC. The former Neath RFC winger and Wales Sevens RU and Commonwealth Games international played a few games for Celtic Crusaders in 2007 and has also turned out Newport, Llanelli, Coventry and Bridgend in the 15-man game.

The Scorpions have brought in one overseas import in Welsh-Australian Andrew Gay from Toukley Hawks RLFC who play in the Central Coast Rugby League in New South Wales. Welsh qualified, his dad was born in Splott in Cardiff, he was the Hawks player of the year in 2008.

There are three players who have been signed from Welsh Rugby Union clubs - Stephen Ireland, Neil Dallimore and Sam Studley.

Ireland comes to the Scorpions from St Peters in Cardiff, but he has also had lengthy spells at Cardiff RFC and Newport RFC in the Welsh Premiership, while Neil Dallimore and Sam Studley both arrive from Llanharan RUFC. For all three players, it will be their first taste of club rugby league, but Studley has previously turned out for Wales and Great Britain under 18s after attending an open trial in 2006. His first ever competitive game of rugby league was for Great Britain under 18s against Australia! Following these games, he went back to rugby union but has now decided to give the 13-man game another try.

Six players have been signed from local Welsh Conference Premier rugby league clubs – Phil Cushion, Steve Parry, Paul Boden, Alan Pope, Shawn Owens and Christiaan Roets.

Cushion and Parry sign from Nelson-based Valley Cougars, Boden adds the local flavour to the side after arriving from Neath Port Talbot Steelers, Pope has signed from Dinefwr Sharks in West Wales while Owens and Roets previously played for Bridgend Blue Bulls.

The South African born Roets started his rugby league at the now defunct Swansea Valley Miners. He was a surprise selection for the Iestyn Harris’ full Wales side late last year and immediately starred, scoring a hat-trick on his debut against Serbia winning man of the match in the process. He scored a further try against Scotland two weeks later as Wales won the European Cup Final live on Sky Sports.

Cushion played for Valley Cougars last year, but spent three years at the Crusaders before that making 47 first team appearances and winning two full Welsh caps. He had previously played for Swinton Lions.
Roets and Cushion are two of five full Welsh internationals in the Scorpions squad with fellow Dragons Lee Williams, Ashley Bateman and Gil Dudson, all of whom have Crusaders first team experience, also being named.

Loren Quick, Lewis Reece, Joe Burke, Jamie Tibbs, Barrie Phillips, Dalton Grant, Garrick Legge and Harri Greville have all come through the ranks at the Crusaders in their under 18s and Super League reserves with Quick and Reece already becoming the Scorpions first ever international players after turning out for Wales under 18s against England two weeks ago.

Wales won that game 28-14 and they now take on France at Carmarthen Athletic this Sunday at 2pm. They have also both been selected for the Great Britain under 18 squad who take on France on Wednesday 17th February at Blackwood RFC.

The Scorpions will also be able to use British-born Crusaders players who are not in their Super League side in any particular week.

The club’s first social night out was yesterday (Sunday) where in a unique link-up, South Wales Scorpions were official sponsors of the Elite Ice Hockey League match between Cardiff Devils and Edinburgh Capitals. The club hope it will be the first of many such link-ups with the Devils and other local sports sides.

Tickets for South Wales Scorpions v Wigan Warriors or season tickets can be bought by going to www.scorpionsrl.com or calling 01656 863896.

FULL SCORPIONS SQUAD: Ashley Bateman (Crusaders), Paul Boden (Neath Port Talbot Steelers), Joe Burke (Crusaders), Phil Cushion (Valley Cougars – former Crusaders), Neil Dallimore (Llanharan RU), Gil Dudson (Crusaders), Andrew Gay (Toukley Hawks, Australia), Dalton Grant (Crusaders), Harri Greville (Crusaders), Stephen Ireland (St. Peters RU, Cardiff), Garrick Legge (Crusaders), Shaun Owens (Bridgend Blue Bulls), Steve Parry (Valley Cougars), Barrie Phillips (Crusaders), Alan Pope (Dinefwr Sharks), Loren Quick (Crusaders), Lewis Reece (Crusaders), Craig Richards (Stourbridge RU), Christiaan Roets (Bridgend Blue Bulls), Sam Studley (Llanharan RU), Jamie Tibbs (Crusaders), Loz Wildbore (York City Knights), Lee Williams (Crusaders).

Scorpions to face Wigan in a pre-season friendly

Wales’ newest professional rugby league side, South Wales Scorpions will open their season with a prestigious home friendly against Super League side Wigan Warriors.

The match will take place at The Gnoll in Neath on Sunday 21st February (kick-off 2.30pm).

Wigan will bring a team consisting of first team squad members as well as players from their Super League under 20 squad.

The Warriors visit to Wales comes less than a year after they were famously beaten by the Crusaders at the Brewery Field in the 2009 Super League.

Scorpions’ chairman Phil Davies said: “It is a fantastic coup for the club in bringing Wigan to The Gnoll. They are the most famous name in rugby league and they will test our young side to the limit. It will be the perfect trial match for us before we go into a tough Championship 1 campaign.”

Tickets for the match cost just £8 for adults, £4 for concessions with children aged 11 and under admitted free (a maximum of two under 11s per paying adult). They will go on sale online today at www.scorpionsrl.com and are also available to buy at the Scorpions trial match in Porthcawl this Friday evening.

The Scorpions’ Co-operative Championship 1 season starts on Sunday 28th February with a home game against Workington Town. Kick-off for this game is now at 1pm following a request from the visitors.

The club’s newly designed website is expected to launch next week.