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Rhyl Journal
6 days ago
- Politics
- Rhyl Journal
Calls grow to bring back professional cricket to North Wales
Senedd members Gareth Davies, who represents Vale of Clwyd, and North Wales MS Sam Rowlands visited Glamorgan County Cricket Club in Cardiff for talks with the club's senior management about expanding the sport across Wales, making it accessible to young people, and reintroducing professional matches to North Wales. Glamorgan last played home fixtures in Colwyn Bay in 2019, before the pandemic forced all matches to be held at their Sophia Gardens ground in 2020 and 2021. The club has not returned to North Wales since. Mr Davies, also the shadow cabinet secretary for culture, tourism, sport, and North Wales, said: "It was an absolute pleasure to visit Glamorgan County Cricket Club at their stunning grounds in Sophia Gardens. "As the only Welsh county cricket club, they are truly committed to expanding the sport across Wales, and it was a real eye-opener learning just how neglected the sport has been." During the meeting, Mr Davies and Mr Rowlands emphasised the lack of investment in cricket facilities in North Wales. Mr Davies said: "There's been a total lack of investment in cricketing facilities in North Wales despite the region producing the lion's share of young cricketing talent. "We need to see the Welsh Government stump up the cash to ensure the sport is passed on to the next generation." He also said he is hopeful that with collaboration between stakeholders, professional cricket could return to North Wales in the near future. Both MSs raised concerns about the decline of cricket education in schools, which they attributed to a lack of investment from the Welsh Government. They noted that many schools have dropped cricket from the curriculum, forcing young talent to look for opportunities in England. However, they welcomed news that a growing number of promising players are emerging from North Wales, underlining the need for targeted investment in the region. Glamorgan currently runs a school outreach programme to introduce children to cricket, but limited funding means it is mostly confined to South Wales. Mr Rowlands said: "As chair of the Senedd's Cross-Party Group on Tourism I am always keen to attract even more visitors to North Wales and have called on the Welsh Government to do more to encourage major sporting events to be held in North Wales. "Recently, I expressed my disappointment at the loss of county cricket and under-20s international rugby, which were often a regular occurrence in North Wales. "They attracted thousands of spectators during their time and it does not seem right that people in my region have to travel hundreds of miles to South Wales to see major sporting events."
Sunday World
07-07-2025
- Sunday World
Cricket star appears in Co Down court to deny raping schoolboy
69-year-old Rodney Ontong entered not guilty pleas to each of the 13 offences against him A former first class cricketer today denied committing a raft of sex offences against two children - a boy and a girl. Standing in the dock of Downpatrick Crown Court 69-year-old Rodney Ontong entered not guilty pleas to each of the 13 offences against him, alleged to have been committed against two children on 17 July last year. Ontong, from the Southwell Road in Bangor, faces two charges each of rape, four counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, two charges each of causing a child to watch a sexual activity and child abduction as well as single counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and attempting to pay for sexual services. None of the alleged facts surrounding the accusations have been opened in court but the particulars of the offences, disclose that South African Ontong allegedly raped the schoolboy when he was under 13, sexually touched and incited both complainants to engage in sexual activity and tried to pay the teenage girl for sexual services. Following the arraignment, Judge Geoffrey Miller KC adjourned the case to 30 July to arrange disclosure and to set a date for trial. Excusing Ontong from attending that hearing, the judge freed the retired cricketer on continuing bail. Ontong played for both his country and captained Glamorgan County Cricket Club in the 70s and 80s before he had to retire as a result of injuries he sustained in a car accident in 1988.
