Since winning the old Division 5 North title back in 2008, Pwllheli had finished second in the top division for the past three seasons. They were two points behind Bala in 2014, four off Nant Conwy in 2013 and five behind Caernarfon in 2012.
But there was no thought of being the bridesmaid for a fourth year in a row as they won 20 of their 22 fixtures, losing only at Llandudno (30-18) on 13 September and drawing 13-13 at home with Dolgellau on 11 October. After that it was 17 straight victories and a merry romp to the title with a five point cushion over Nant Conwy.
To add to celebrations at the club, they also won the North Wales Plate with a 19-6 triumph over Bro Ffestiniog at Parc Eirias. The 2nd XV also chipped in with a league cup title and the Youth XV won the North Wales Plate.
Head coach Ian Jones, a former captain at the club, put part of his side’s success this season down to the two-week summer tour of South Africa in 2014.
“I believe that the trip was a key to our success. The boys trained and played together for two weeks and built that bond and trust against opponents who have rugby in their blood,” said Jones.
“I want to build on this year on year and so next season we are visiting France. The club really is going from strength to strength and is in a good place financially.
“We have great Youth and Junior systems in place and our 2nd XV also won some silverware. We’ve worked incredibly hard over the past three years to get into this position.
“We’ve finished as runners-up in the last three seasons, but now we’ve managed to topple Nant Conwy off their perch. What we do now is continue to build and grow.”
The SSE SWALEC Division 2 North title went to Llangefni, who will return to the top division after two seasons. They finished third in 2014 and lost only once in taking the Division 2 North crown by three points from Abergele.
They secured their title in emphatic fashion with a 72-0 win over Harlech. Their biggest win of the season came against bottom of the table Rhyl, when they ran out 146-0 victors.
“I’m extremely proud of the players. We’ve faced experienced teams, held our ground, played some decent rugby and stepped up to the plate,” said club captain Tom Williams. “Things are looking bright for us next season with the average age of our side in the early 20s.”
In SSE SWALEC Division 3 North, the title went to Llanidloes, who were relegated from Division 2 North in 2013. They went through the league campaign unbeaten in their 16 matches, scoring 99 tries and winning the title by a clear 15 points from Flint.
“The difference in our team this year has been that we’ve been lucky with the strength in depth. That’s something we haven’t had for a few seasons,” said Llanidloes skipper Paul Jehu.
“We’ve used around 35 players in the 1st XV, which is a credit to our youth system here. There are a number of talented youngsters coming through and fighting for places.”
