March 07, 2026 - 252 views
RGC fell short in their bid for silverware after a series of handling errors proved costly in a 29–13 defeat to Swansea RFC in the Super Rygbi Cymru Plate final.
The North Wales side, who play their home matches at Stadiwm CSM, struggled to convert promising attacking positions into points as Swansea produced a clinical display to lift the trophy.
The final began at a lively pace with both teams looking to spread the ball wide, but it was Swansea who struck first when fly-half Josh Phillips opened the scoring with a penalty. The visitors quickly extended their lead when they launched an attack from deep, with Mat Protheroe crossing for the opening try to make it 8–0.
Momentum stayed with Swansea as RGC were forced to defend for long spells. A strong scrum allowed the Gogs to clear their lines at times, but repeated knock-ons and loose passes prevented them from building sustained pressure.
Swansea capitalised again when Protheroe ran a sharp line to collect a pass and crash over for his second try of the afternoon, with Phillips adding the conversion to stretch the lead to 15–0.
RGC eventually found a foothold in the game around the half-hour mark when they entered the Swansea 22 for the first time. Although an early chance slipped away through another handling error, the North Wales side did manage to get on the scoreboard before the break. After several powerful carries close to the line, Billy McQueeny forced his way over for a try, with Billy McBryde converting.
McBryde then slotted a penalty just before half-time to narrow the deficit to five points and give the home crowd renewed hope.
However, the second half began with a setback for RGC when Charlie Probert was shown a yellow card. Swansea piled on the pressure during the period of reduced numbers before eventually striking again when Phillips spotted a gap and raced clear to score.
Although McBryde added another penalty for the hosts, Swansea continued to control the contest. Phillips kept the scoreboard ticking with further penalties as the visitors punished RGC’s indiscipline.
There were still flashes of attacking quality from the North Wales side. Caio Parry produced a lively chase down the wing after kicking ahead, while a powerful break from Jessie Williams lifted the crowd as he surged through defenders into the Swansea half.
But each time RGC looked to build momentum, possession slipped away through turnovers or handling mistakes. Fittingly, the match ended with RGC pressing inside the Swansea 22 before another knock-on halted the attack just yards from the try line.
Despite the defeat, reaching the final represented another competitive showing for the North Wales development side in the Super Rygbi Cymru competition, which was launched to strengthen the pathway between club and professional rugby in Wales.
On the day, however, Swansea’s accuracy proved the difference as they secured a 29–13 victory and lifted the SRC Plate.
