By Harry Corish
Aled Ward has bucked the trend – thanks to BUCS rugby – and will aim to prove it for Pontypridd on Saturday night.
The Ponty back row forward is a player who has swum against the tide, moving from English rugby to Welsh at a time when so many youngsters are heading eastwards.
He intends to show the benefits of that switch back home on the opening weekend of the Indigo Premiership, when Ponty host rivals Cardiff in a familiarly ferocious clash that is live on S4C.
Ponty’s eye-catching recent capture of Fijian star Nikola Matawalu may have stolen the headlines in the week club rugby returns, but Ward’s debut will be just as fascinating.
The 24-year-old started with regional power Cardiff but was released in his teens, found his way into university rugby at Cardiff Met, and from there took a route into England with Championship club Hartpury.
That journey has been a one-way ticket for most Welsh players in recent seasons, but Ward has opted to return to his roots.
“It will be great being at home, with our support,” says Ward, a former Wales U18s and U20 cap.
Thanks again to @GEOTurfConsult for their help in sponsoring me for the 2019/20 season with @cardiffmetrfc. The sponsorship plays a big role for myself and the club 🏹 pic.twitter.com/qNHTscqc4r
— Aled Ward (@aled_ward) October 17, 2019
“I’ve not had a chance to witness a packed Sardis Road before, so I’m hoping it will be electric there.
“The fans they get in are fantastic and everyone is so passionate about the club, it filters through to the players and coaching staff.
“It is going to be an honour pulling on that Ponty shirt at Sardis Road, especially for the local derby. I know all about the rivalry and these are the games you want to be involved in.”
Ward’s career seemed to have stalled when Cardiff let him go, but he took up a university place at Cardiff Met at the time of the relative early beginnings of the BUCS Super League, which is now a well-known hotbed for young talent.
“I probably didn’t know at the time how beneficial it would be, because the BUCS Super League was only in its second year. I knew the lads there and the coaches, so it was definitely a good move at the time, after being let go from the academy.
Nikola Matawalu Set To Sprinkle Some Stardust On The Indigo Premiership, Says Ponty Coach
“The most important thing back then was that I was playing every week, sometimes twice a week, so in terms of development it was great.
“I came out with a degree, I played with some great players, and it was a great time.
“I’d spent the majority of my life in Wales and coming towards the end of my degree I wanted to venture a bit further and play rugby.
“Danny Milton (Director of Rugby at Cardiff Met) was a big help for me. He sent my clips out to numerous coaches in the English Championship and I spent two years at Hartpury.
MAE’R INDIGO PREM YN ÔL! 🤩 🏉
Mae’r timoedd yn barod. Mae’r chwaraewyr yn barod. Ydych chi? 👊
The #IndigoPrem is back and it’s better than ever! 💪
🏉 @PontypriddRFC v @Cardiff_RFC
📅 Nos Sadwrn | Saturday
🕕 5.15pm
📺 @S4C @WelshRugbyUnion | @IndigoGroup pic.twitter.com/OHxiGqRYIC— S4C Chwaraeon 🏴 (@S4Cchwaraeon) September 2, 2022
“It was a great two years, it is a great league, full of talent. I was able to play week-in, week-out and test myself against top quality players – some experienced players and some who are going places. It was great fun.
“Wales is quite condensed and full of talented players, so you have to find a gap, really.
“I just went with playing in England as I’d seen a pathway ahead of me. You are playing against guys who are ex-professionals and academy players coming through, so it was a big challenge.”
He admits his rejection from the Welsh regional set-up was painful, but insists it was a cloud with an unseen sliver lining.
“It was tough to take, but as you get older you realise how brutal professional sport is and it’s just part of the process.
“From that I’ve been able to get a degree and spend two years in the English Championship, which has been amazing.”
There was always unfinished business back in Wales, though, and a job opportunity as a WRU hub officer opened the door to Sardis Road.
“Since going for my first session at Ponty, it has been brilliant. It’s such a competitive environment.
It’s game day!
Here’s a reminder of your Cardiff team to take on @PontypriddRFC at Sardis Road in our opening @IndigoPrem fixture. Kick off is 5:30pm and the game is being shown by @S4Cchwaraeon.#BlueAndBlacks 💙🖤 pic.twitter.com/WOuSpzOaUp
— Cardiffrfc (@Cardiff_RFC) September 3, 2022
“I am really excited to get going. I have never played a Premiership game before, so I can’t wait to get stuck into the league.
“Ponty had some great results last year. It is a strong team and a good group of lads who care about the club and want to do the best they can. Hopefully, it will be an exciting year and we can push on.”
Ponty finished seventh in last season’s Indigo Premiership, but they actually only lost two more games than champions Cardiff and it was a lack of bonus points that cost them – just two all season.
This time – with Ward and Matawalu on board and with the campaign returning to its proper home and away format – the omens look more promising for dwellers at the House of Pain.
Ward insists: “We have players in the squad who have experience winning the Premiership, they know what it takes, we are quite a young squad, as well, but the mix of both could push us far.
“Cardiff up first is a great opportunity against one of the best teams in the league. It’s a good opportunity to get off to a flying start and build some confidence.
“We are under no illusion that they will be littered with talent throughout the squad, and they will be well-drilled.
“But we are coming off a strong pre-season and it is a great time to catch them and go for them. If we stick to our guns and work hard, we will definitely be in amongst it at the end.”
S4C: Saturday – 5.15pm. Rygbi Indigo Prem
Pontypridd v Cardiff
Live coverage of the Indigo Group Premiership match between Pontypridd and Cardiff, from Sardis Road. KO 5.30pm. English commentary available.