Come and join YOUR local Rugby Club

Pre - season training starts Tuesday July 13the 18.30 at the Marl in Grangetown (pitch next to Channel View Leisure Centre).

New players of all abilities welcome.

for more info email info@ciacs.co.uk

also mini and junior section - train 10.30am every Sunday during the season.

Presentation Night 2010

During a great presentation night on Saturday May 29th 2010 the following awards were given out :

Player of the year = James Davies
Player's player = Simon Monk
Most promising = Daniel Waldron
Most improved = Owain Ford
Forward of the year = Kevin Evans
Back of the Year = Aled Edwards
Clubman of the Year = Gareth Mahoney / Steve "Dougie" Thomas.

Presentation night 2010 - May 29th

Presentation night 2010 - May 29th 7pm till late

End of season presentation night with buffet, disco, singer, and guest speaker.

Open to all, lets get as many people there as possible so invite partners, friends, family.

Dress code : shirt and tie

CIACs 34 – Pill Harriers 27 - Match report

Bitter Sweet Pill to swallow for CIACs!


CIACs leave it late to win a hard fought victory against the visiting Gwent side.Following a good victory against the touring North Walian side the previous week, this was an opportunity for the home side to extend their winning run against the side from the South East.

From the kick off, Pill started well, forcing the CIACs back into their own 22. However, despite gaining early territorial advantage the CIACs comfortably contained the initial threat from the opposition and, from an ensuing break in midfield, it was the CIACs who were starting to put on the pressure.

The CIACs put together a series of attacking phases which slowly pushed Pill back deeper into their own half, and with the pack driving forward, led by Kiwi, Zac and Jack, Mavis eventually found a gap and pierced the defence with a short 5 meter run over the line. 5-0 CIAC’s.

With points on the board, the CIAC’s were looking confident and from the restart old head Dez soon created another chance by securing the ball in the loose and, from a quick offload to Kiwi, released Gardiner on the wing, who made good ground before unfortunately running into traffic.


However, this positive spell was sadly short-lived and it wasn’t long until it was the away side that looked more likely to score. After a quick ball from a lineout on the half way line, and sloppy tackling from the CIACs, the Pill centre made easy work of breaking through the midfield, and would’ve scored had the referee not called them back for an off the ball infringement in favour of the home side.


Unfortunately, the CIAC’s did not take heed of this early warning and after patchy period of play, Pill were eventually rewarded for their persistence and, without much of challenge, Pill inevitably broke the fragile defensive line to make it 5-5.


Fortunately for the home side the Pill defence was equally vulnerable, and it wasn’t long until it was the ones in Black and White who were pushing the opposition back, and after consistent passage of play from the forwards, CIAC top try scorer Mavis broke free and dropped over for his second of the game. With a successful conversion from Will the CIACs regained the lead at 12-5.


Some of the funniest, and sometimes disturbing, moments of game, came from watching our five foot something backline try and take down the 30 stone heavyweight in Pill’s 2nd row. Thankfully, appearances can be deceiving and it didn’t take much to topple the man monster, but, unfortunately, as our tacklers slid down the giant’s bean stalks they fully exposed the Grand Canyon beneath, a natural wonder we all could’ve done without seeing!


The match was starting to turn into a game of ping pong, and with the CIAC’s unable to put their stamp on the game, the last 10 minutes of the first half saw Pill score two almost identical tries in quick succession, as they again used width and the strength in midfield to allow their centre and wing to break the CIAC line, and take the lead 12-15.


The CIAC’s, at times, showed that they were capable of playing some entertaining rugby with a number of decisive breaks from Jason Ahmed and Andrew Copland, and just before the end of the half, a series of quick offloads again seemed to have put seasoned veteran James Gardiner through for a try but with half the field to run the winger just fell short. In the end, after an infringement from the Pill forwards, the CIACs had to make do with a penalty in front of the posts, making it honours even at 15-15 at half time.


The CIAC’s made a positive start in the second half and were again first on the score sheet. After a number of well organised phases, the CIAC’s instantly put Pill on the back foot and from some quick hands across the backline the CIAC’s went 20-15 up from a well-worked try. Sorry, due to all the excitement I didn’t see who scorer was!!


It looked like the CIAC’s had turned a corner, and despite finding themselves in their own 22 again, the defence were starting to look more resolute and after weathering ten minutes of pressure, the CIAC’s finally turned the ball and cleared the line. From here, the CIAC’s created a strong platform and with a brilliant clearance kick from 39 year old substitute James Emery, the CIAC’s quickly put them back in try scoring distance again. However, with the CIACs seemingly in no rush to exploit their territorial advantage, from a quick line-out, the ball fell into the hands of the Pill winger, who with all the space in the world ran a the length of the field to score an opportunistic try against the run of play. With a successful conversion the Pill regained the lead 20-22.


This try turned the game in Pills favour, and minutes later it was the CIAC’s who were again scrambling back. From the kick off, the ball found its way into the hands of the away team and the winger looked to be running in a for a certain try if it wasn’t for a fantastic covering tackle from Zac Williams who ran from over 50 meters to force the ball into touch just short of the try line. However, Zac’s efforts were all in vain and the subsequent line-out led to push over try from the Pill forwards, stretching Pill’s lead to 20 – 27.


The game was now starting to slip away from the CIAC’s, and with less than ten minutes left on the clock, time was running out. At this point, Jack and Saucy decided to bring some fresh legs on in Gareth Rossiter and Chad, which appeared to give the CIAC’s the impetus they needed to start a fight back. Much like their Welsh international peers, it took 75 minutes and the threat of losing to inspire the black and whites to produce the best rugby of the game.

The CIAC’s forwards, with Alan Stone, Dewi Owen and Owain Ford in the front row, drove the Pill back under their own posts leading to persistent penalties from the Pill forwards. Therefore, after seeing another powerful and controlled drive from the CIAC forwards being illegally brought down on the Pill try-line, the referee no option but to award a penalty try. This took the game to 27-27.


With only minutes left, it looked like the game was heading for a draw, but the CIACs had other ideas and could smell blood from the exhausted Gwent side. From the kick off the CIAC’s instantly hit back and were now running the Pill defence ragged in the opposition half. With CIACs dominating territory the crowd could sense a victory and, with only seconds left, the CIACs responded in kind. From a persistent attack, some quick passes through the backline opened up the gap to allow the CIACs to claim victory! Again I have to apologise, nobody seemed to see who scored the try (???), but by that point the win was all that mattered!!


On reflection, the CIACs made hard work of a game they should have won with ease. The CIACs showed at times that they have both the required power up front and the necessary flare in the backs to cause a lot of problems; however this fickle side also lacks consistency, and can all too easily allow teams to exploit basic mistakes and lack of concentration in defence. That said, with the new coaching dynamic duo in place, I’m sure this young crop of players will be a dominant force in the league next season!

Rhodri Davies

The day Cardiff said its farewells to a CIAC's legend

Feb 16 2010 by Dan O'Neill, South Wales Echo

Ask any sprightly young fight fan what the name Joe means in South Wales and he’ll look at you in disbelief. Why, who else but Joe Calzaghe, unbeaten in 46 fights, best Welsh boxer of ’em all.

Well, you can argue about that while thinking of Jimmy Wilde or Jim Driscoll, Tom Thomas or Freddie Welsh or – but let’s not destroy the illusion. They can claim that Calzaghe was the best. But there’s no doubt about who was the best-loved – Cardiff’s own Joe Erskine, the finest ring-master since Driscoll, with whom he had so much in common.

When they took Peerless Jim on his last sad journey from a numbed Newtown to Cathays Cemetery, 100,000 men, women and children braved the bleakness of that February day in 1925 to say farewell to a folk hero. And when it was over, and old men still talked about it in the Old Arcade or the City Arms 50 years on, they told each other there could never be another outpouring of grief to match it.

Nope, there could never be another fighter like Jim, whose gloves so unerringly touched the heart of a city.

Until 20 years ago, on the day when they took Cardiff’s own Joe on that same last, sad journey. The sense of loss was just as profound, and in a way Joe’s passing marked, as well, the passing of old Butetown, Tiger Bay if you like, for here was the last of the paladins from that fabled little patch.

Joe Erskine died 20 years ago this week, the glory days long gone. He died alone in his Adamsdown flat, his money gone, his health gone, his second marriage over. But what a legacy he left, what a credit he’d been to the hard old game he graced with such dignity.

“If Joe had owned a punch,” said his old mate, middleweight champ Phil Edwards, “he would have been world champion.” Phil wasn’t alone in that claim.

Well, Joe was British and Empire boss when Britain was pretty well stocked in the beef brigade with Henry Cooper, Brian London, Dick Richardson and up-and-comers like Billy Walker battling each other. But although he went to the top of the tree he never forgot his roots and they went deep, those roots, all the way back to his beloved Bay.

Which is why his coffin was carried back through that Bay – the old Bay – along Angelina Street where he’d been born 56 years earlier, and Bute Street and Mount Stuart Square before going on to Thornhill. That was how he wanted it.

Yes, Joe died broke, the £80,000 he’d earned – a tidy sum 50 years ago – swallowed by a string of busted business ventures. But that was only money. Joe was rich in friends right to the end and they came to see him off.

Naturally, the fight fraternity was there, old ring rival Henry Cooper along with Merthyr’s Eddie Thomas and Howard Winstone and from London, Terry Downes with local fighters Gordon Blakey and Pat Thomas, Eddie Avoth and Malcolm Collins and, of course Jack Petersen, Cardiff’s heavyweight hero of the Thirties who saw Joe take the title he’d once held.

Joe had played rugby for that fine Bay side the CIACs before turning to his bruising trade and there was his old team-mate Billy Boston, who went on to become one of the greatest of all rugby league players. And from union, Barry John and Newport’s Ken Jones.

Most couldn’t get into St Mary’s Church where another Bay boy showed the world they could sing as well as fight. Patrick Williams, Dando to one and all, gave them Panis Angelicus and the Lord’s Prayer in a baritone sending shivers down every spine. Then a small, plump woman wearing a headscarf followed and, as someone said, we heard an angel singing.

Swing low, sweet chariot, sang Edith Bindon and, one by one, the entire congregation joined her, the old church echoed, and that was when the tears flowed. In his pomp, Joe had stirred the crowds in some great arenas but never like this.

Then up to the crematorium where other greats waited: Bleddyn Williams with Jack Matthews and Rex Willis, Cardiff rugby legends alongside City’s Derek Tapscott, John Dawes, the Lions’ captain and coach there as well. And veterans of the old CIACs, banished from their Bay when the old gave way to the new, no longer the Bay where Joe grew up. That was how it was 20 years ago. So worth remembering then, Cardiff’s own Requiem for a Heavyweight

Sea View v CIAC's 20/02/10

We are away tomorrow at Sea View in the league, see map link for their pitch :

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&ll=51.416204,-3.282616&spn=0.00914,0.019248&t=h&z=16&msid=104100299034673061745.00047ff25a48f04605a93

Everyone to meet on Saturday at 12.45.

Tour Deposits

Please note all tour deposits Have to be in to Gareth Rossiter by this coming Saturday 13/02/10.

cheers

Saturday 30/01/10 Sully Sports v CIAC's

After what feels like 6 months without a game we are away to Sully Sport in the League this saturday. 2.30pm KO.

All meet as usual in docks cons by 1pm

loctation of Sully Sports rfc : MAP TO SULLY

As expected the game is OFF this weekend.

As expected the game is OFF this weekend.

We have booked the INDOOR hall at Channel View Sports Centre for next Tuesday @ 19.30. There is a circuit training class at 18.30 in the same hall, so everyone to go to that first, we need the fitness with so many games being called off.

Christmas Social

Boys,

This years Xmas social will be taking place on Saturday 19th December at the Docks Cons Club from 6.30pm (we should have a game on the same day so straight after the game for those playing). This social is not only a good chance for us all to get together before Xmas but an opportunity to raise funds for Tour.

I hope to see you all there. Partners and friends are also invited so please bring them along. The more the merrier!!

Merry Xmas/Nadolig Llawen

Saucy

Up Coming CIAC's Rugby Socials

Friday November 20th

Ponty v Cardiff British and Irish Cup (Meet at Ponty train station 6.30)

Saturday 28th November

CIAC members day, all meet by 14.00 at the docks Docks Cons (heavy fines for anyone who is late)