Having free choice to write what we want on PembrokeshireSport.co.uk in this feature has the added bonus of being able to chat to those in clubs in our area who are the genuine unsung heroes – and to move outside Pembrokeshire on times to be able to highlight the wonderful work done by others, especially the ladies, in clubs who come into our area to play and have become part of our rugby on this occasion.
 
Llanybydder is one such club and there is no doubt that outside of her family, Nerys Morris lives and breathes her work as team manager there; rarely missing a match and always ready to help with details from their performances, which is how I was lucky enough to initially meet this rugby lover whose involvement goes back a very long time in the club’s 50-year old history!
 

Family matters

 
Her dad Brynmor Morris was a tight-head prop when the club began, known to all as ‘Hoss’ and telling his impressionable young daughter that he was ‘”the best tight-head the club has ever seen” when the clubhouse was being built and she was allowed to go up to Dol Wlf to watch the games as a four-year-old, with a diesel generator being carried out to help power the early floodlights under which they trained.
 
“Dad used to drive the boys to away matches in a mini-bus and although I was in primary school I was allowed to tag along and be spoilt by the players, who used to let me have a little sip of their beer when dad wasn’t looking – and I’ve been sipping beer with players from the club ever since!”
 
Included in those ‘players’ now are her partner Rob Dyer, who used to play in the second row for Carmarthen Athletic and is still registered with Llanybydder – ‘Just in case!’ – whilst oldest son Joshua Jones (25), now in his seventh season of senior rugby, is a regular at No 8. Then there’s her other boys Dion Morris-Dyer (14) and Owain Morris-Dyer (12), who play for Newcastle Emlyn because Llan haven’t got teams in their age groups – but with Nerys’s passion for her club it is a fair bet that Dion and Owain will play there when they get older. They are already involved in match days when one looks after the place-kicking tee and the other takes care of the water – and both attend training sessions and are allowed to take part in the fitness and skills segments before the players get involved in the more physical stuff.
 
Nerys is also very busy pre-match as she sorts out the kit in the changing room and helps first-aider Nan Evans cut up the strapping for players, puts up with the natural banter, welcomes the referee and opposing team, looks out for yellow cards so that players are not off longer than they should be, and watches the time played so that every replacement has some time on the field since it is all about everyone feeling an integral part of the squad.
 

Other sports

 
Nerys played hockey in school as a goalkeeper, was in the Llanybydder Ladies team at 15 and with Llandysul when she was a little older – but rugby was always her favourite and she joined Newcastle Ladies when they started out, playing in the second row and doing so well that she earned selection for West Wales – and she also played in goal for Llanybydder in the Ceredigion League, but sadly the ladies’ game is no longer in existence there.
 
She is still involved in football, however, as a coach with Llanybydder after starting out with Dion and now with Owain’s age group – which sometimes means long trips and a rush back to fulfil her team manager’s role with the fellers!
 

Praise for Pembrokeshire – and looking forward to 2024/25

 
Nerys followed in dad’s footsteps when she started out on the club committee  and three years ago became fixture secretary, followed by team manager for the last two of them and becoming more and more involved along the way.
“I have really enjoyed getting to know characters from your local clubs in my role as fixture secretary like Jack Dudley (St Davids) and Peter Davies (Neyland), who have helped us with players when we have been short and playing near them so that what started out as a very difficult time became easier so that we were able to fulfil all our fixtures, despite the huge amount of travel – and we only won one game, against Llangwm, we have had a much better second half and with a bit more luck could have won a few more.
 
“We start out again next season in Division Four so we will meet some new clubs alongside our friends from Pembrokeshire, but I feel we have learned a great deal from the campaign we have just finished.
 
“Another positive is the fact that we have our own pitch and a clubhouse which is open all week and is a focal point in the village, where food is franchised out on match days. We have had excellent new coaches in Osian Potter and Phil Price, with a great hwyl amongst the players, inspired by captain John Evans, who plays in the second row. We are very much a family club with sets of brothers in Tomos and Wil Jones (the Tower Hill Boys), Steff  and Matthew Rawlings, Dan and Rhys Jones, plus father and son Steve and Llion Williams.
 

And finally . . .

 
To celebrate their half century the club’s annual dinner the club had former Welsh internationals Martin Williams and Mike Williams as guests – and there was another major event since the club organised a tour to Portugal to play a couple of games there – but Nerys was understandably not impressed by Josh because she applied to join them, albeit as the only female – but on a very close show of hands she was gently turned down – on the casting vote of her eldest son!
 
There has also been a celebratory match against The Presidents XV, where Mike Phillips joined her partner Rob in a narrow win for The Presidents.
 
PembrokeshireSport.co.uk believes that Llanybydder RFC has shown great spirit to come through a very difficult time and we have no doubt that it is because of the likes of Nerys Morris. We have really enjoyed making her acquaintance and are already looking forward to bumping into her at the grounds of our local clubs in the fourth division – and chatting to her on the phone when they are playing up in Mid Wales!