New Tredegar RFC, a previously thriving rugby club, have fallen on hard times recently.

Demoted from Division 4 East after not being able to fulfil their fixtures, the community club will play in Division 6 next season – the bottom tier of amateur rugby’s structure.

The club were hit hard by poor weather and a lack of playing staff, meant that the club had more fixtures to play than weeks available in the season.

Now building from the base of welsh amateur rugby, New Tredegar have unveiled their new strategy to return to their previous position as a thriving village rugby club and a community hub for the surrounding area.

The club are starting a new long-term plan that is aimed at getting the club back to the standard of rugby that it has played in the past.

A large part of their plan is to re-establish a youth side that builds on the strong work of their minis program and age-group players, creating a pathway for their talented youngsters to reach the senior team.

A new management team has been assembled with the task of carrying out these exciting changes.

Ryan Man and Roderick Miles will take on the role of joint Team Managers, while Ray Davies, who has been an integral part of New Tredegar for nearly 50 years, will be Fixtures Secretary. Finally, Dean Jones will be heading up the drive to make the senior side commercially successful.

Chairman of the club, Alan Vaughan, is thrilled to have a new team in place

“It’s so pleasing for the senior team to have some new support and fresh ideas,” Vaughan said.

“The club is successful in many ways, but the senior team is the pinnacle for any side and New Tredegar is no exception. The committee and I will be supporting in anyway we can.”

New Tredegar has identified four key areas of focus that they believe, when completed, will bring the club back back to its previous heights:

1. Create a club culture that feels professional both on and off the rugby pitch.
2. Develop and maintain a smooth pathway for players from mini’s to youth teams and into senior rugby.
3. Recruit quality coaching to become an attractive hub for players where they can learn and develop their rugby skills.
4. Establish a commercial strategy to reinforce the club’s new direction and secure the financial status of the club going forward.

As well as these core pillars, there has already been work put in to bring coaching clinics from high-profile players and coaches within Welsh rugby to create some excitement around the launch of this new strategy.

The club has also put appointing high quality coaching staff top of its priority list ahead of an important preseason.

Ray Davies, Fixtures Secretary of New Tredegar RFC, said of the changes: “I have been a part of the club for over 47 years and to see it drop down the divisions is hard for everyone.

“I know how much time and effort everyone puts into this club and that passion is what we want to be harnessing as we take the club in this new direction.

“This strategy will bring New Tredegar back to its past glory and establish it, once again, as an essential part of the local community. We are all excited to see where we can take this wonderful club in the future.”

Dean Jones a former player who is helping to drive sponsorship and other revenue to invest in the club, is excited by the direction the club is going.

“It has been sad to see the hard times that this great club has fallen on and when the opportunity came up to help in any way, I could not turn it down,” he added.

“Being born and bred in New Tredegar and benefitting from the great work the club does, I feel passionately that players should come to New Tredegar knowing it can deliver for them as a club both on and off the field.

“I am looking forward to getting stuck in and bringing the focus back on all the good this club does for its supporters, players and community. Our plan is rock-solid, and I’m buzzing to get going now!”