The South Wales Warriors are a British American football team based in Llanharan, Mid Glamorgan, Wales. They play in SFC 1 West for the 2022 season. The team was formed in 2001 after the Tiger Bay Warriors had disbanded due to the departure of head coach Rob Mota, along with key staff and players, by the remaining players and staff; the staff used equipment, resources and shirts from the folded Tiger Bay Warriors for economical purposes.
They play their home games at the home of Llanharan rugby club. In the 2008 season the South Wales Warriors won their conference with a record of 9 wins and 1 loss before losing their playoff quarter-final to the Cambridgeshire Cats. However, they were promoted following the reorganisation of the BAFL for the 2009 season. They were relegated to Division 2 West during the 2010 BAFA Community League restructure.
In 2011, the Warriors finished the regular season as runners up in the Division 2 West and finished fifth seed in Division 2 enabling them to enter the playoffs, eventually winning promotion and Division 2 Championship on 25 September at the Britbowl Championships held at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.
In 2012, the Warriors finished the Season with a record of 6 wins and 4 losses leaving them out of the playoffs and 4th in the Division 1 South and Central Division.
After being promoted to the BAFANL Premier South during the 2012/2013 league restructure, they played various teams from the southern half of the UK and primarily the 3 major London teams, London Warriors, London Blitz and London Olympians. After the end of the 2013 season, the club suffered heavily from the loss of key players to their Premier South rivals Bristol Aztecs across the border in England. This included Britball MVP Quarterback Gareth Thomas and wide receiver Benny Sherwood. The Warriors played through the following 3 seasons in the Premier South, culminating in their best Premier South record of 3 wins, 1 tie and 5 losses in 2016.
For the 2017 season, BAFA and the Warriors had taken the mutual decision to be demoted to the SFC 1 Central division after retirements and injuries to several veteran Warriors. For this they are unable to progress to the Post Season finals of SFC 1 Central for the 2017 and 2018 Season, and therefore be promoted to the Premier South division.
History
South Wales Warriors (2001 to 2010)
In 2001, the team was formed as the South Wales Warriors and were admitted into the British Senior League to compete in Division Two South. After a year out of action, they found the going tougher and finished with a 2–5–1 record. The following two seasons repeated this pattern, with the Warriors finishing with 3–6 and 5–5 records in 2002 and 2003 respectively. However, 2004 saw a vast improvement and they finished second in their group with a 7–2–1 record, making the playoffs for the first time since reforming. Unfortunately, they were knocked out at the first stage, losing their quarter-final 6–30 to the Chiltern Cheetahs.
This feat was repeated in 2005, finishing the regular season in second place before losing their playoff quarter-final. In 2006, the Warriors once again finished in second place, clinching their spot on the last match day of the regular season with a 27–21 win away to the Andover Thrashers. They were drawn at home to the Essex Spartans for their wildcard playoff. The Warriors posted an impressive win, however, the visitors complained to the BAFL that the pitch at Bedwas RFC was too short, and therefore did not comply with league rules. After consultations between the two teams, the game was played as normal but the BAFL decided afterwards that the Warriors would forfeit the game, and therefore the game was awarded to the Spartans as a 1–0 victory.
The 2007 season saw the Warriors get over their play-off disappointment by winning their group with a near-perfect 9–1 record to win their second ever conference championship. A 13–7 quarter-final win against the Cambridgeshire Cats set up a semi-final tie away to the Norwich Devils, who came into this game on the back of a perfect 10–0 regular season and a quarter-final win against the Cornish Sharks. Unfortunately for the Warriors they were unable to beat an impressive home team, going down 28–43.
South Wales Warriors (2011) The 2011 Season saw the Warriors compete in the reformed BAFA National Leagues. The opening game of the season saw them take on the Gloucester Banshees and win 46–0, one of four shut out games that season, which were to set the tone of the Warriors season. Eight wins and two defeats to the hands of the Berkshire Renegades resulted in the team finishing runners up in the Division 2 West league and entering the playoffs as wild card fifth seed. The quarter finals against the Kent Exiles resulted with a 33–13 Warriors victory . The Warriors then moved on to the semi-finals at the home ground of the Lancashire Wolverines in Blackburn. The Wolverines were soundly beaten 32–17, leading to a South Wales Warriors and West Coast Trojans Britbowl final at Crystal Palace and promotions to Division 1 for both teams. The Division 2 Britbowl final was played on 25 September 2011 at the Crystal Palace Stadium, London, with the final result of 48–20 to the Warriors crowning them Britbowl XXV BAFANL Division 2 Champions.
South Wales Warriors (2012) 2012 saw the newly promoted Warriors to Division 1 South and Central play a condensed season of football (10 Games over 13 weeks). The warriors had a mixed result to the season, winning six games and losing four. The Warriors home game to Essex Spartans was postponed from 16 June to 15 July due to adverse weather conditions affecting large parts of mainland Britain at the time, the subsequent game was forfeited after Essex were unable to field a team. The Warriors managed to keep a 100% home record for the season which left them finishing in fourth place within the division.
On 23 September it was announced that the South Wales Warriors were to be promoted to the Premiership South Division after an expansion programme run by BAFA.
South Wales Warriors (2013) 2013 saw the newly promoted Warriors in the expanded Premiership South Conference and played a season of 10 games from end of April till the end of August. The Warriors played each club in the Conference once give a total of 5 away games and 5 home games. The Warriors started the season at home to Peterborough Saxons, which ended in a narrow loss and ended the season on the road to London Olympians, which again was a narrow loss. The Warriors finished 9th in the division and started to get ready for their second season in the Premiership South Conference.
South Wales Warriors (2014) 2014 saw the Warriors again in the Premiership South Conference and played a season of 8 games from end of April till the end of August (8 as Sussex Thunder pulled out before the season began.) The Warriors played each club in the Conference once – a total of 4 away games and 4 home games. The Warriors started the season at home to Colchester Gladiators, which ended in a victory and ended the season at home to the London Olympians, which was a narrow loss. The Warriors finished 6th in the division with a 3–5 record, with victories in the home games against Colchester Gladiators, East Kent Mavericks and Cambridgeshire Cats, and defeats against Bristol Aztecs, London Blitz, London Warriors, London Olympians and Berkshire Renegades.
Senior team season records
Summary Season Division P W L T PF PA Final position Playoff record Notes 2001 BAFL Division 2 South 8 2 5 1 66 104 7 / 9 — First season competing 2002 BSL Division 2 South 9 3 6 0 258 128 7 / 19 — — 2003 BSL Division 2 South West 10 5 5 0 158 172 4 / 6 — — 2004 BSL Division 2 South West 10 7 2 1 228 129 2 / 6 Lost 6–30 to Chiltern Cheetahs in quarter-final. — 2005 BAFL Division 2 South West 10 8 2 0 298 71 2 / 6 Lost 16–30 to Kent Exiles in quarter-final. — 2006 BAFL Division 2 West 10 7 3 0 285 93 2 / 5 Defeated Essex Spartans in wild card playoff. Forfeited the game against Essex Spartans on 80 yard pitch technicality. 2007 BAFL Division 2 South West 10 9 1 0 255 91 1 / 5 Beat Cambridgeshire Cats 13–7 in quarter-final. Lost 28–43 to Norwich Devils in semi-final. Conference champions 2008 BAFL Division 2 South West 10 9 1 0 255 59 1 / 5 Beat Colchester Gladiators 21–12 in wild-card playoff.Lost 7–21 to Cambridgeshire Cats in quarter-final. Conference champions.Regular season record includes one win by forfeit.Promoted to Division One. 2009 BAFL Division 1 South West 10 6 4 0 194 86 3 / 5 — — 2010 BAFACL Division 1 South West 10 4 6 0 ? ? ? / ? — Relegated to Division 2 West 2011 BAFANL Division 2 West 10 8 2 0 317 66 2 / 6 Beat Kent Exiles 33–13 in quarter finals playoff.Beat the Lancashire Wolverines 32–17 in semi finals playoff.Beat the West Coast Trojans 48–20 to win Division 2 Britbowl Final at Crystal Palace. Finished Western Conference as runners up to Berkshire Renegades.Britbowl XXV BAFANL Division 2 Champions.Promoted to Division 1 South and Central 2012 BAFANL Division 1 South and Central 10 6 4 0 270 192 4 / 8 — Promoted to Premiership South through Premiership Expansion Programme 2013 BAFANL Premiership South 10 2 8 0 93 302 9 / 11 — — 2014 BAFANL Premiership South 8 3 5 0 58 244 6 / 9 — — 2015 BAFANL Premiership South 8 0 8 0 41 331 5 / 5 — — 2016 BAFANL Premiership South 10 3 6 1 150 347 5 / 6 — Demoted to BAFANL SFC 1 Central under mutual agreement during the 2017 league restructure. 2017 BAFANL SFC 1 Central 10 0 10 0 56 196 5 / 5 — Demoted to BAFANL SFC 2 West. 2018 BAFANL SFC 2 West 8 8 0 0 310 12 1 / 6 Beat Worcestershire Black Knights 1–0 in Quarter-finals. Black Knights forfeit game due to player levels.Lost 37–12 to Portsmouth Dreadnoughts in Semi-finals. BAFANL SFC 2 West Conference Champions 2019 BAFANL SFC 2 West 8 8 0 0 298 54 1 / 6 Beat Bristol Apache 28–3 in Quarter-final.Beat London Blitz B 16–6 in Semi-finals.Beat Bournemouth Bobcats 13-0 in Final. Britbowl XXXIII BAFANL SFC 2 Champions SFC 2 West Conference Champions Promoted to Division 1 2020 BAFANL SFC 1 Central – – – – – – – / – — League Season cancelled Due To COVID-19 Outbreak. 2021 BAFANL Severn Division 6 3 3 0 54 96 2 / 6 — Localised League Season Due To COVID-19. 2022 BAFANL SFC 1 West 10 3 6 1 101 134 4 / 6 — —2023BAFANL SFC 1 West 10 3 7 0 96 151 5 / 6 — —2024BAFANL SFC 1 West 8 6 2 0 137 56 2 / 5 Beat London Olympians 13-0 in Wild Card.Lost to Rushmoor Knights 11-34 in Quarter-finals. —2025BAFANL SFC 1 West 8 6 2 – 125 74 2 / 5 Lost to London Olympians 0-18 in Quarter-finals —
2011 results Date Fixture Result Notes 24 April 2011 WARRIORS @ Gloucester Banshees 46–0 — 7 May 2011 Bristol Apache @ WARRIORS 0–34 — 28 May 2011 Cornish Sharks @ WARRIORS 8–42 — 5 June 2011 WARRIORS @ Berkshire Renegades 6–9 — 19 June 2011 Gloucester Banshees @ WARRIORS 14–46 — 26 June 2011 Berkshire Renegades @ WARRIORS 19–14 — 9 July 2011 WARRIORS @ Bristol Apache 54–8 — 16 July 2011 Bournemouth Bobcats @ WARRIORS 0–34 — 23 July 2011 WARRIORS @ Cornish Sharks 22–0 — 6 August 2011 WARRIORS @ Bournemouth Bobcats 19–8 — 29 August 2011 WARRIORS @ Kent Exiles 33–13 Wild card playoff 5 September 2011 WARRIORS @ Lancashire Wolverines 32–17 Playoff semi final 25 September 2011 WARRIORS @ West Coast Trojans 48–20 Britbowl Playoff final at Crystal Palace
2012 results