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04 Apr, 2025
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Welsh rugby club emerges from 'heartbreaking' disaster to play on biggest stage of all
@Source: walesonline.co.uk
Cross Keys RFC have bounced back from a catastrophic flood and will be playing at the home of Welsh rugby this weekend. Storm Bert tore through the club's grounds in November, submerging the field in six feet of water after the River Ebbw burst its banks. Within the clubhouse, there was a whole variety of items damaged - flooring, electrical goods and training equipment. With the pitch unusable during the aftermath, the club were forced to train elsewhere, and had to play their home matches on foreign turf for most of the season. Remarkably, despite their setbacks, the club has persevered through the negativity to make the Premiership Cup final after beating Merthyr RFC 36-31 after extra-time in the semi-finals. The match is set to take place on Saturday, April 5, at the Principality Stadium, with a chance to get their hands on some silverware after a rollercoaster season on and off the field. Speaking to BBC Radio Wales about a chaotic few months, club secretary and volunteer Angie Prangell explained that the clubhouse was underwater and touched on the financial impact of the damage and closure. "It was a massive impact, because we are normally open seven nights a week," explained Prangell, with the clubhouse now back open and hosting a bingo night. "The club was closed and there was no income but you still got your bills, you still got your electric, we had humidifiers everywhere. The electric bill has gone sky high. "It's heartbreaking, absolutely heartbreaking. We put our heart and soul into the club. It’s a community club and it’s basically like your home. Very, very close to tears. People in the community just came out with their buckets and their mops, they came in their droves to help us." Director of rugby Morgan Stoddart added: "We did quite a few sessions down in Cardiff Met, we trained on the 3G, a couple of local primary schools, it wasn’t great for team sessions, but we’ve just got to get on with it. "It was down to us to try and motivate the boys, longer travelling, out of the house longer, not as great facilities. To be fair, all the boys bought in and got on with it." Player Corey Nicholls also said: "It’s nice to get the village out behind us again, they always say – we’ve only got one set of traffic lights in Cross Keys, so we’re just a tiny little village! It’s nice to get everyone there." Team-mate Harvey Reader said: "Just to play in the Millennium Stadium is an absolute privilege, and if we are to win, that is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life."
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