“Heol-y-Cyw is a very special club; I’ve come a long way since coming here as a player and a person. When I joined, it was the most welcoming club with a great bunch of boys. I’ve made friends for life here; my best friends are from this club, and I even met my wife through mutual friends from this club… so coming here has definitely worked out well.”
A club that holds a special place in Joel Eyres’ heart; for him, the Cyw is home. More than just four walls of a rugby club, a place to connect, a place where memories are forged.
A foundation of rugby
For the players, rugby is a way to escape from a busy world; once on the rugby pitch, nothing else matters besides giving it all for the badge, for your team, for your village. Eyres talks about what the sport means to him.
“Rugby has been a huge part of my life. I started at 9 years old as a quiet kid; I had my group of friends at school but found it hard to go out of my comfort zone and make new friends in a new environment. From there, I was quiet off the field, but I found a voice on the field, and through that eventually learned to have a voice off the field. It’s had a massive effect on me socially, shaping who I am today. It’s also been a way to switch off and become someone else on the field- whether in training or in a game. You switch off from outside life and go into rugby mode.”
Ever since the age of nine, rugby has been a consistent presence throughout his life. A lot of rugby story has been told at Heol-y-Cyw RFC, a club that means a tremendous amount to him.
The Cyw
“It’s a small village with three pubs and no shops… you’ve got big areas and clubs surrounding us, but we always punch above our weight. The Cyw have always had a reputation as a tough, gritty side teams traditionally don’t like playing against, and that’s down to the closeness of the club and community. When you’ve got a group of mates who give it all for each other, you're always in for a tough game, and the loyal supporters always give us an extra push.”
Over the decades, Heol-y-Cyw has built a steadfast reputation for punching above its weight. A value that is imprinted into the team’s very being. That fierce support has been a staple for the club, making home games very special. Eyres elaborates on what running out in front of the home crowd means.
“Always a bag of nerves! I’ve never been good pre-match, but I suppose nerves mean you care. I'm trying to change that now and enjoy the pre-match a bit more. I’m closer to the end of my playing days than the start now, so I want to enjoy every moment. When the first whistle goes, though, you forget the nerves instantly. When we win at home, it’s a brilliant feeling; you feel so proud walking off the field to happy supporters, the vibes in the changing room and a happy clubhouse afterwards. Every game in our league is a hard game, so every win means something.”
Last season was the team's first in Division West Central, and Eyres goes into the highs and lows of last season.
Last season and now
“Last year was tough. After winning the league the previous season, we did fall off a bit. We lost a few players for various reasons, which did affect us. Our grit nearly saw us top of the league over the Christmas break, but we lost in Skewen in the last play of the game. We lost a bit of momentum after that and were in a relegation fight. I think we actually won over half of our games, which shows how close the league is; you lose a couple and can go from top to towards the bottom within a couple of weeks.”
The club has entered a new chapter in its history, even though results haven’t gone the Cyw’s way; Eyres believes they can prove the doubters wrong.
“This season is exciting. We’re going through a real transition in the club at the moment, with a new coaching setup and a lot of young new players. We’ve had a very experienced squad over the last few years, so things are very different at the moment. This is the league to be doing it in; we will learn a lot. There will be games where we’re really up against it, but if we play the Heol-y-Cyw way, we will shock some teams. People have been doubting us this season; that’s plenty of motivation. We’ve been doubted ever since I came to this club, but year after year we prove those people wrong.”
Eyres embodies what rugby is about. Friends, family, and loyalty. It will be fascinating to see what he and Heol-y-Cyw can achieve this year.