A Welsh rugby club have dedicated a cup triumph at the Principality Stadium to a club stalwart who sadly died hours after watching them reach the final.
Abertillery defeated Vardre 34-27 in the final of the WRU National Division Three Cup on Saturday, having beaten Lampeter in the semi-final two weeks ago.
Just hours after seeing Abertillery reach the final, former back-rower and ex-club chairman Roger Clarke passed away.
In tribute to Clarke, Abertillery had 'Clarky' embroidered on their shorts at the Principality Stadium while they also wore black armbands.
Clarke had played more than 200 games for the club during their heyday in the Welsh top flight in the 1970s and 80s. Then, during the 1990s, he kept the club afloat as chairman.
Afterwards, Abertillery fly-half Dan Haile paid tribute to someone who embodied the club.
“He was at our semi-final and on the bus with us coming home," Haile, who scored 19 points in the victory, told the WRU website. "But, unfortunately, he died that evening.
"I think the character we have shown in the final was typical of that of the man in all his games for the club and what he did for it. This win was a tribute to him."
Haile’s 19-point haul proved the difference between the two sides, with Abertillery managing to maintain their unbeaten record this season.
“It’s a lot to take in,” added Haile. “For a lot of this group this has been three years in the making. We were denied promotion because of Covid when we won the league. This is a bit of retribution for that and we have been building to this for the last two years.
"It was an outstanding performance from our forwards. Vardre threw the ball around more than I was expecting and were dangerous but we managed to hold out.”
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