He warned everyone at Ebbw Vale it would be harder to retain the title than to win it and those sentiments are already ringing in the ears of Merthyr coaches Lee Jarvis and Dale McIntosh, players new and old and even chairman and benefactor Sir Stan Thomas at The Wern, where the former Wales coach is now the chief executive.
Winning the title at the first attempt, and reaching the semi-finals of the WRU National Cup, was a great debut season in the Premiership for the Ironmen, but now the hard slog begins again. Davies is looking for more on-field success in the 2017/18 campaign, but has a much broader remit to attend to off the field.
He and the club committee are charged with making the club, 141 years old in November and, along with fellow Premiership clubs Swansea, Cardiff, Newport, Llanelli and Llandovery, founder members of the WRU in 1881, into the focal point of the Merthyr community and a financial sustainable business.
“Sir Stan Thomas’ vision for his home town team, along with the club committee, is much bigger and broader than just rugby. The first piece of the jig-saw was to get the team successful on the field and to make the area sit up and take notice,” said Davies.
“That process started with winning the Division 1 East title and the WRU National Plate titles in 2014, taking the Championship crown in 2016 and then last season’s success. It is important to keep the on-field success going, but the bigger part of my role is to back fill and ensure we have the right links with our community.
“The Merthyr rugby story is compelling and the work being done here is important to the whole of Welsh rugby. We are the fourth biggest town or city in Wales after Cardiff, Swansea and Newport and we want to give the area a facility and a team of which to feel proud.
“We have 13 local boys in our current first team squad, a very strong youth team and 160 youngsters playing on a weekly basis in our junior section. We feel we are making a significant contribution to the game in Wales on every level.
“But what we are doing here is about much more than putting a team on the field. We are a service centre for our local community, working in partnership with the schools, colleges and clubs to develop relationships that work for us all.
“We want the people of Merthyr and its surrounds to feel a part of what is going on here and to come and take part. The facilities that have been developed at The Wern are fantastic and we have a new, state-of-art-art gym opening soon.
“As well as needing aspirational young rugby players, we want to play our part in inspiring the people of Merthyr to live a healthier lifestyle.”
Protecting their status as champions this season has seen an influx of new players headed by No 8 Joe Bearman (Ospreys) and prop Peter Edwards (Scarlets). But hooker Darren Harris has also come ‘home’ from the Dragons, while Wales Sevens international Steff Andrews and former Wales Under 21 centre Tom Riley will join outside half Richard Powell in adding to the back line options.
“We know we are there to be shot at and that everyone is going to want to beat us this season. Merthyr is the one scalp that every other team will want to take because we are the champions and because of our recruitment,” added Davies.
“The new Premiership structure is exciting and with so many top class coaches now involved at the clubs, people who understand the balance that is needed between development and performance, it is going to be an even more competitive season than the last one.
“The Merthyr rugby experience is all about pride, passion and identity. The players are all aware of the part they have to play, and the responsibilities they have within the long-term plan, and we want to be that bridge between our community and Cardiff Blues in unearthing, polishing and producing top-quality professional rugby players.”
Tom James and Kristian Dacey are both Welsh international players at the Blues who came through the ranks at
Merthyr and Andrew Coombs and Rob Sidoli are two other Merthyr-born players who recently played for Wales.
“The professional and semi-professional games are changing at a rapid pace in front of our own eyes. What we want to do at Merthyr is be at the front of the queue when further change comes in the future,” said Davies.
“We want to be a part of the future, have a sustainable business model that serves the needs of the team on the field and our community off it. Merthyr Rugby Club has done so much for the game over the past 140 years – now it is my job to ensure it can do even more going forward.”
PRINCIPALITY PREMIERSHIP ROUND 1 Sat 26 August unless otherwise stated
East
Bargoed v Ebbw Vale
Merthyr v Cross Keys
Pontypridd v Bedwas
Sunday, 27 August
Newport v Cardiff Rugby
West
Aberavon v Bridgend
Llandovery v RGC 1404
Llanelli v Carmarthen Quins
Neath v Swansea (7.30pm)
