Scarlets this week welcomed a touring team from a Welsh-speaking rugby club in Patagonia, Argentina, giving the young players an insight into the values and history of the Scarlets, as well as life as a professional rugby player.
The players, aged between 15 and 18 of Draig Goch RC from the town of Gaiman in the Chubut province, spent the morning at Parc y Scarlets where they were given a tour of the stadium, conducted in Welsh, while learning about the club’s rich rugby heritage and identity.
Draig Goch is a club with strong Welsh language and cultural links, with the tour party having visited clubs like Nant Conwy, Lampeter and Yr Tymbl during their time in Wales. They also headed across the Irish Sea to Dublin last week to meet up with the touring Pumas squad, who are in the northern hemisphere as part of the Nations Championship this November.
During their visit to the Parc, which was supported by our partners Castell Howell, head coach Dwayne Peel and managing director Jon Daniels were on hand to chat to the group about the Scarlets’ rugby values, philosophy and the club’s work in developing young players of similar age in west Wales.
Dwayne, along with academy skills coach Phil John and our community team, then put the boys through their paces with a rugby skills session in the FSG Indoor Arena.
“It was fantastic to welcome Draig Goch to Parc y Scarlets this week and wonderful to hear the boys speaking in the Welsh language and seeing the influence of Welsh rugby and its culture on the club,” said managing director Jon Daniels.
“We hope the players and coaches enjoyed their time with us and that they take away a real sense of the passion, history and tradition that makes rugby in west Wales so special.
“We wish Draig Goch all the very best for the remainder of their tour.”