Welsh Return Home

So 1st  XV rugby isn't over at Old Deer Park, as last night Chairman Bleddyn Phillips announced that the next British and Irish Cup tie against Edinburgh Academicals would be held there with the intention being to hold the return match against Pontypridd there too along with the championship fixture against Moseley which is to be played on the same day as the England v Wales 6 nation clash at Twickenham.

Earlier in the month Bleddyn stated that he would very much like to continue playing a couple of matches back at ODP, each season, as away of ensuring that a clear link is maintained between the professional side, playing their home games in Oxford, and the various amateur teams back at ODP. This link was re-iterated here on Dragons Den by, the amateurs Chairman Gwyn Williams, last week.

The move to play at the Kassam has been controversial both with some of the long-term fanbase in London and with some of the residents of Oxford and maybe these fixtures will go some way towards healing those rifts and bringing the whole support together.

There is no doubting that Old Deer Park is a wonderful place and hopefully these fixtures will tempt some of the newer Oxford support to make the trip down and see for themselves what it is that the long-term support in Richmond love. In addition it will also give the supporters, who have chosen for varying reasons not to make the trip up to Oxford, a chance to see the outstanding rugby that the 1st XV have been playing so far, this season.

Whilst there will almost certainly still be some at both ends of the M40 who will moan about the decision, hopefully those enjoying the fact that 1st XV rugby will still be played at ODP, will outweigh the doom-mongers and take this in the spirit in which it is meant; as away of enforcing the continuing links between the professional and amateur sides of London Welsh.

Yes it is true that the 1st XV play their games in Oxford but that doesn't mean that they have forgoton their roots, whilst the amateur teams ensure that London Welsh maintains it's connection with Old Deer Park , and hopefully the Dragon will continue to roar there for many years to come.