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Aber Valley Wolves saw off Bridgend Blue Bulls to win the Under-16s Grand Final on the weekend – but there was disappointment for the Ystrad Mynach-based South Wales Jets.

The Jets were beaten in the Rugby League Conference title, losing 44-14 to Aberavon Fighting Irish – while the Jets’ under-18s suffered a 20-16 loss to Bridgend Blue Bulls in their final.

The three games were all played at the Gnoll in Neath on Saturday August 2 as part of Wales Rugby League’s Grand Finals Day.

It follows on from Wales Rugby League (WRL) Junior Finals Day, which was held at the same venue on Saturday July 26.

South Wales Jets won the U13s final, defeating Swansea Rams 18-4 to finish the season with a 100% record.

However, the Jets U12s missed out by the narrowest of margins – losing 21-20 to the Rams – while Jets U14s were also beaten by strong opposition, with the unbeaten Blue Bulls running out 32-14 winners.

Ian Golden, of Wales Rugby League, was in Neath reporting on the day’s action on August 2.

Under-16s Grand Final

Aber Valley Wolves 18-12 Bridgend Blue Bulls
 
Aber Valley Wolves scored two tries in the last ten minutes to complete a 100% winning season and beat Bridgend.
 
Alfie Davies stormed over 50 metres for their opening try on 14 minutes, which was converted by Ryan Williams.
 
The Bulls hit back straight away. William Dawkins scored under the sticks and Ceirion Emment-Jones converted.
 
They went into the lead just before half-time. Theo Tooze went over in the same place with the goal again kicked by Emment-Jones.
 
The second half was a tight affair, with defences ruling. It took until ten minutes before the end for Jake Leighton to break through for the Wolves, scoring under the sticks, with Ryan Williams converting to level the scores.
 
And then five minutes later, Alfie Davies ran through for the winning try for the Wolves. Williams converted.

Under-18s Grand Final

Bridgend Blue Bulls 20-16 South Wales Jets
 
Bridgend Blue Bulls won a dramatic U18s final, with the result in doubt right up to the end.
 
Juris Kesans, a winner with Bridgend U12s back in 2019, dived over from dummy half to get Bridgend a second minute lead in this final. He converted his own try.
 
Jets hit back on 16 minutes with a Thomas Underwood try that was converted by Caine White.
 
There could have been a second Jets try before the half-hour when Madoc Lane ran over 50 metres -dodging through the opposition with remarkable pace – but Fin Jones, another winner from 2019, did an equally outstanding fullback’s job to stop him scoring.
 
It was the Bulls who went into half-time 12-6 up. From a set following a penalty, Lewis Evans dived over and Kesans converted as the whistle blew.
 
Jets hit back early in the second half when Ellis Muller dived over from short range but the kick was missed so Bulls still had a two-point lead.
 
Bridgend soon extended their lead to 20-10 thanks to unconverted tries from Sam Elias and Kyson Rees.
 
With three minutes to go, Jets hit back again with an Ollie Bellavia-Walker try that White converted, but Bridgend had the remaining possession and held on for the win.

Rugby League Conference Title

Aberavon Fighting Irish 44-14 South Wales Jets
 
Aberavon Fighting Irish put in a dominant performance to complete a 100% record in the league this year, to win back-to-back JES Group Rugby League Conference titles.
 
It was a big needle match between the two finalists. South Wales Jets won the 2023 final with a 100% record, whilst Aberavon won last year’s, plus they are the only side to have ever beaten the Jets in the Welsh competition.
 
And for the Fighting Irish, it was their fourth win in a row against their opponents, with former Ospreys rugby union winger Jay Baker the star of the game. Showing his class as a former professional player, he is the first player to score four tries in a match in the league this season.
 
Errors dominated the first quarter of the encounter, as both sides tried to settle in and create the first chance.
 
That was until Aberavon took the lead on 20 minutes. Adam Pope had the first chance but was stopped in his tracks, and from the next play, Jay Baker went over in the corner. Ryan Pugh couldn’t land the conversion.
 
Alex Langworthy was close to a try back for Jets as he tried to leap onto a grubber, but he was a second too late in diving and the ball went into touch.
 
Aberavon worked their way upfield and scored from the length of the field set. Pugh running through the gap and converting his own try.
 
From their next set, they scored their third as Baker crossed for his second try which Pugh again improved.
 
Again from kick-off, Baker brushed off all his markers to ease through for the fourth try of the game and complete his hat-trick. Pugh converted to give his side a 22-0 half-time lead.
 
Jets got on the board six minutes into the second half with a well-worked try that was finished off by David Hooper. Shane Lee couldn’t land the kick.
 
But Aberavon restored the balance quickly afterwards, when Morgan Meaclem battled over for his side’s fifth try.
 
Cody Rees scored their next try, jinking through the Jets line, with Pugh converting.
 
And the tries kept coming. Jake Price added Aberavon’s seventh with Pugh again adding the goal.
 
Baker soon added his fourth of the game, as he created his own space, running unchallenged to place the ball under the sticks.
 
At that point, it was a joint record highest win margin for a Grand Final win, but Jets weren’t going to let that record happen as they finished with a flourish.
 
First, Ieuan Sims went in under the sticks for a consolation try with Lee converting. Then Alex Langworthy brilliantly leapt on his own kick just before it went over the dead-ball line for an acrobatic try.