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Rugby team heartbroken by flooding, now dreaming of cup glory

Nelli Bird
BBC News
Angie Prangell Photo of men's rugby team dressed in a grey and black kit with front row kneeling and back row standing. They are stood in a muddy field and are covered in mud.Angie Prangell
The Cross Keys team beat Merthyr to reach the Premiership Cup final

A rugby team forced to play on primary school pitches because their home ground was flooded will run out at the Principality Stadium at the weekend after a rollercoaster season.

Storm Bert wreaked havoc at Cross Keys RFC in Caerphilly county, with the pitch and clubhouse under 6ft (2m) of water.

But the dedication of volunteers, players and coaching staff has seen "devastation" turn to dreams of silverware, as the team prepare to take on Pontypridd in the final of the Premiership Cup.

Captain Corey Nicholls said a win would "put Cross Keys back on the map".

"It was absolutely heartbreaking," said club secretary, Angie Prangell, remembering the scene in November 2024.

"We put our heart and soul into the club - it's like your home - and when we opened the doors, we were very, very close to tears. It was so emotional."

Once the water had gone, there was thick mud everywhere that had to be cleaned, filling three skips.

Angie Prangell The car park outside Cross Keys RFC clubhouse completely covered in deep water. Two cars are seen in the car park with water over the bonnets.Angie Prangell
The scene of flooding at Cross Keys RFC during Storm Bert in November

Ms Prangell said the damage meant the clubhouse could not open for three weeks, but "everyone pulled together" to fix it, including people from the local community.

"The amount of work was unbelievable.

"We are normally open seven nights a week, so we had no income. But you still have your bills to pay.

"We had to have humidifiers everywhere, so the electric bill went sky-high."

It was the second time the club had faced major flooding, after Storm Dennis caused extensive damage in 2020.

Getting the clubhouse back up and running was just one of the hurdles this time and, with the pitch unplayable for two months, the team had to find alternatives for training.

Angie Prangell Red and gold chairs are strewn across the floor, and there is muddy flood water on the ground in the clubhouse.Angie Prangell
Once the floodwater receded, thick mud was left all over the floor of the clubhouse and over carpet and chairs

That meant journeys of up to an hour to Cardiff, as well as sessions at local primary schools on small, 3G pitches, which was "not ideal", according to Morgan Stoddart, former Wales international and director of rugby at Cross Keys.

"It was up to us to motivate the boys to train away from the club - with longer travelling," he said.

"And to be fair all the boys got on with it, which served us good for the second part of the season. It's now about using the emotion in a positive way."

Huw Evans Picture Agency/WRU A girl, covered in mud, sweeps thick mud from a path next to a rugby pitch which is covered in brown water.Huw Evans Picture Agency/WRU
Ten-year-old Alayah was one of the community volunteers who helped with the clear up

The game on Saturday will be a rerun of the 2014 Swalec Cup final which saw Pontypridd beat Cross Keys 21-8, and comes after Cross Keys shocked Merthyr with a 36-31 win to reach the final.

But for players like back row Harvey Reader, 28, just having the chance to play at the Principality is a dream come true.

"We are probably going in as underdogs, but I don't see why we can't do it," he said.

"If we did, it would be incredible. To play in the stadium is a privilege, and if we were to win, that's something that would stay with me for the rest of my life."

BBC News Harvey Reader sitting in the stand of a rugby pitch, wearing a Cross Keys RFC top and smiliing.BBC News
Harvey Reader says there is a "big buzz" around the game

Captain Corey Nicholls, 29, said there would be a big party if they were to win.

"It would be great to put Cross Keys back on the map.

"We've had a tough couple of seasons - it would be nice to get the village behind us again.

"We always say, there's only one set of traffic lights in Cross Keys, it's a tiny village so it's nice to get everyone's support again."

You can watch the Premiership Cup final on S4C at 17:15 BST on Saturday 5 April.