Category: Uncategorized

In one of my third-year Work Placements I had the opportunity to cover the Men’s Hockey World Cup qualifiers by Hockey Wales, which was held in Cardiff. I’ve never previously covered hockey, this was a completely different experience to what I was used too.

There were several obstacles that I had to overcome when reporting on the matches, firstly was dealing with players names while doing live updates and in my match report, as there was a range of European countries competing. Having never reported on a game of hockey properly I was unsure with every rule, especially with the professional level having different rules to the university standard. This was something that I had to overcome quickly in order to produce quality work. After watching the first game of the tournament and producing live updates on my Twitter, I was comfortable with how the game worked.

I also interviewed players after every match to post on my social media channels, to show the different work I was doing at the tournament. Doing these interviews taught me a lot about using the correct tone and how important clear pronunciation is, as I interviewed, French, Polish, Austrian, Scottish, Russian and Italian players. Therefore, I had to ensure that the players from different countries understood my questions properly in order to gather a good interview. This also taught me to slow down when talking and interviewing different people, naturally I talk quite quickly. However, being able to slow down and tone my accent down will help me if I decide to go into broadcasting or radio opportunities in the future.

27th October, 2021

I started working with Bridgend Ravens in the November of 2019, writing a couple of match reports for their website as I was learning how to write reports to the correct structure. Three years later I have just finished my third season of working for the club. I’m a completely different sports journalist now to the one I was when I started, I remember being very shy and nervous when first starting, I didn’t do anything other than match reports. Over the lockdown I started to write news pieces and ‘Where are they now’ pieces on the club.

However, over the course of my third-year placement with the club, it’s helped me develop my all-round skills as a sports journalist. I’ve had the opportunity to run the club’s social media channels on match day, providing live score updates from the games. This is something that most semi-professional clubs have started to develop, therefore, it was only right that I helped the Ravens develop this too. I’ve also produced several video content/packages for the club’s social media, which is something that they haven’t been able to do before due to personnel and resources. However, I was able to do video interviews with coaches and players and share them across Bridgend’s social media channels. The club gave me the freedom of posting whatever content I wanted on their social media channels, so I decided to do some video interviews to get some more interaction with fans, the feedback we received from these were brilliant. I gained plenty of confidence from the club allowing me the freedom and the pressure of handling the social media accounts, the tireless work I’ve put in for the club this year has been worthwhile, with the messages and feedback we’ve received from supporters. My time at the club has also given me the opportunity to improve my writing skills as well as my interviewing skills. By producing regular content for the website, it’s given me tight deadlines to work too, while still producing content of the highest quality. If it wasn’t for the club giving me the opportunity over the three years, my student sports journalism career could’ve turned out differently. However, I feel hat I’ve made the most out of all the experiences I’ve been offered this year and developed my traits to help me become successful in this industry.

25th April, 2022

I worked very closely with the marketing team at Scarlets Rugby, which was something that I’ve not done before, especially in that sort of environment. Seeing how the marketing team was run within the club and the different strategies used taught me a lot about other options I could consider in this industry and broaden my horizons.

The first initiative we did was ‘Paint the town Scarlet’, which we did in the lead up to face the Dragons in the URC that weekend. To engage the fans, we scheduled a meet the players in Elli town shopping centre, with Ioan Nicholas, Kemsley Mathia, Marc Jones, and Tom Phillips attending, as well as Cochyn the mascot. When we got to the shopping centre, I handed out flyers with links to tickets for the upcoming game, by the time I had got back to the offices we had a message to say that there had been several people buy tickets for the game in those few hours. Therefore, the marketing ploy worked to gain more ticket sales for the upcoming match. This taught me a low about how important little marketing campaigns are for the clubs’ finances and sustainability. I also learnt how effective it can be with fan engagement as well, it was the school holidays, so the timings worked well as there was a very good turn out of supporters at the hopping centre. From this marketing campaign the club could’ve earned several new followers and supporters who would sign up for season tickets and memberships.

I also helped create a video for the marketing team to promote season tickets for next season. We asked fans to come in the video so we could record them saying “Yma O Hyd” which is the Scarlets slogan, translated to, “We’re here forever”. This taught me how important fan engagement is when working within a club’s media team. The video wouldn’t be as engaging to fans if didn’t already include fans that attended matches already and showed their passion for the club. It also taught me how to position objects while filming people in this sort of scenario, for example I was tasked with holding the big microphone on a pole but had to make sure that it wasn’t in the camera shot and there was no shadow of it either. A little part like not having the shadow of the mic in the camera is something very little that I wouldn’t have though about immediately. However, after this being pointed out to me, it will be something I remember when shooting video packages again. These slight things could be the difference between a good video and an excellent video.

17th April, 2022

A valuable lesson I learnt while on placement in Media Wales was the importance of SEO (Sports Engine Optimization) articles. By seeing the amount of views SEO articles get it surprised me how many people look for basic information about big sporting events. In this article I published, I included all the games from the Autumn Nations Series that weekend. I pointed out all the basic information about the matches, for example, kick off times, previous history, team’s form and tv channels. These are all very basic but are important and are always top of the search engines when people want to know about matches.

I also learnt and was taught the importance of headlines in this industry from Jon Doel. One standout example of this was a piece I did on Wales international centre Nick Tompkins. Rugby pundit David Flatman made comments saying that a number of Tompkins opponents this season had said that he was a nightmare to play against. However, in this comment there were expletive words, therefore, in my headline I didn’t include any quotes. However, I learnt that headlines are that vital to whether readers click on an article or not. Therefore, the headline I used in the end was “Wales star Nick Tompkins takes delight in opponent’s ‘f***ing Tompkins’ verdict”. This headline entices the reader to click on the article and see what exactly the comments were about Tompkins.

Another skill that I developed while on placement was my time management, especially when it came down to transcribing press conferences. I was tasked with transcribing the press conference with Australia head coach Dave Rennie, which was a 30-minute-long presser. I then had to produce an article from Rennie’s comments, highlighting Wales’s main threat, Aaron Wainwright. I had to ensure that the transcribe was thorough so that I could analyse it and pick the best points and quotes to include in the article I wrote.

I was also tasked with creating a feature piece using my own contacts, I learnt a lot while developing this piece for publishing, as it’s completely different to the usual news or story pieces. In this piece I concentrated on the rebrand of the famous ground, Pontypool Park. However, I researched into previous feature articles that Wales Online have published before and the way wrote them, I tried to structure my piece in a similar way. I looked back on some of the famous history of Pontypool, from hosting Australia and New Zealand at the park to having the famous ‘Viet Gwent’ Pontypool front row at their disposal. I decided to interview club CEO, Ben Jeffreys, who’s family injected large amounts of money into the club to help their turnaround.

Throughout my time in the Media Wales office, I gained a great amount of experience through seeing how the professional environment works. It also helped me develop my journalistic traits, working in a vibrant newsroom with other journalists who can share ideas and bounce off each other with you. I’ve learnt the importance of headlines, which something that I have always given special attention too since, and I’ve learnt how to be a journalist and how to conduct yourself in the correct manner in this industry. Additionally, the use of time management and contacts are both vital parts of the job that I development over my week in the office.

Date: 19th November 2021

SEREN Hughes, a 20-year-old cricketer made history back in the summer of 2021, becoming the first female player to score a century at club level in the South Wales Cricket Association.

Back in August Hughes was playing for her local side Britton Ferry Steel second XI against Kidwelly, the only female on either side she scored 105 with the bat.

The achievement was a standout moment in Welsh cricket last year, Hughes summed up the feeling of achieving the feat, “I was surprised to find out that I was the first female given the fact that there are many previous and current females playing.

“But it feels amazing to be part of this, it just shows the growth in the women’s game over the years, and I know that this won’t be the last with the current and future talent from female cricketers in Wales playing in the men’s teams.

“It is more than just a personal achievement; it highlights the development of women’s cricket. It just shows that if you have the ability, and are given the opportunities, anything could happen. I am always grateful for these opportunities.”

Fantastic to see @SerenHughes21 on the honours board 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/oYbEHLMWZ3

— 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐂𝐂 🐝 (@BFSteelCC) September 1, 2021

The 20-year-old recalled that she didn’t know she was nearing a century at the time, “I didn’t know what I was on, so I was just batting and looking to score as many runs to add onto the team’s total.

“I remember everyone on the side on the edge of their seats, so I guessed I was getting close, then I ran a single and everyone started clapping and I didn’t know what to do. I was very shocked, and I think it hit me when I came off the pitch that I had scored 100 for the men.”

Her performances have warranted her several first team appearances for Britton Ferry Steel, albeit being a surprise to her, “When the teams were selected, I was very shocked to be playing in the firsts. It was a great opportunity to play with some of the best players in the club and experience the standard of first team cricket. These opportunities helped me grow and develop as a player which I am very grateful for.”

“The club means everything to me; it is a big part of my family history with many of my family members playing important roles in the club. I always love the atmosphere and camaraderie down there, from playing since I was nine and coaching.”

Hughes, who currently studies sports coaching and development at USW was also awarded the Chairman’s award at the SWCA annual dinner, previously won by the likes of Amir Ikram for taking 1,000 league wickets.

by Tobias Hunt

Music is used in various sports these days, from pre-game music at a football or Rugby game to a walk-in song for the Darts or Boxing and it has a massive impact.

It is with such great sadness that we hear of Gerry Marsden’s passing.

Gerry’s words will live on forever with us. You’ll Never Walk Alone ❤️ pic.twitter.com/5W4yspmLRV

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 3, 2021

Obviously the most common is Jerry and the Pacemakers’ anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone which is now sung before every Liverpool game at Anfield. It started when the late Gerry Marsden proposed it to Liverpool manager Bill Shankly before Liverpool’s 1965 FA Cup final at Leeds, where the reds fans sung it at Wembley. It really puts shivers down your spine listening to it, famously after Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final victory over Barcelona two years ago, where the players and staff stood in front of the Kop to sing it with the fans.

Stoke City sing Tom Jones’ iconic anthem Delilah at every home game also which has been a tradition since 1987. These footballing anthems really bring the fans together before a game to set a tremendous atmosphere which will certainly pump the players up before a game.

The author Karageorghis states ‘Based on his research, music can be like a performance enhancing drug. It’s just that intoxicating’. I know that before players step foot on the pitch when they’re sat in the changing rooms every team/individual will have one song which is always the last one they listen to before they play. Liverpool players Trent Alexander Arnold and Andy Roberston revealed that Liverpool listen to All of the lights by Kanye West.

Music is also big for individual sports such as Boxing and their walk-in songs. One that sticks out to me is Josh Warrington who’s from Leeds, he’s fought a lot of his fights at Elland Road. He always plays the song ‘Marching on Together’ which is a Leeds United song, followed up by Kaizer Chiefs ‘I predict a riot’. For an individual sport music will be so important to rally you especially for a sport like boxing to get you in the right state mentally.

Darts is also another individual sport which likes to put a show on with a walk in song. The players know how to work a noisy crowd which there always is in the darts.

The atmosphere this creates for fans in incredible and it inspires the players on the pitch.

International Women’s Day is an important day in society. This year the theme is “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world”.

According to the UN Women website “Women are Heads of State or Government in 22 countries, and only 24.9% of national parliamentarians are women. Women are also at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19, as front-line and health sector workers, as scientists, doctors and caregivers, yet they get paid 11% less globally than their male counterparts.” The Big Issue stated that “Women are paid on average 24 per cent less than men.”

This day is celebrated to support equality. This year it’s rallying for generation equality, to act for an equal future for all. British Athlete Morgan Lake summed this up perfectly by saying, “International Women’s Day plays a valuable role in changing the perception of girls in sport, and this year, following the pandemic, it’s message of female empowerment is more important than ever.

“I was fortunate in that I could look at athletes like Jess Ennis-Hill and Christine Ohuruogu as role models.

“With more women’s sport on the television, there are more opportunities for girls to discover their own role models, and this is absolutely crucial in inspiring the next generation of female athletes to keep going.

BT Sport’s Sarra Elgan spoke about her role working in a male environment. “I feel like I have to do a little more… make sure all bases are covered, that if somebody asks me something then I know the answer to that question.”

“I don’t know if that’s because of my personality – that I like to be thorough – or whether it’s subconsciously because I’m a woman working in a male environment.

“But I think I’m really fortunate in rugby. I’ve never experienced any discrimination because of my gender. It sounds a bit cliché to say a rugby family, but it genuinely is.”

Elgan also mentioned how the perspective on Women in Sport has changed, “Female athletes and female broadcasters are seen more – for our daughters to see them and want to be them. That’s down to putting more female sports on TV and brands with campaigns with female athletes in them and this is so important. I hope it gets even better in the years to come.”

Sir Bobby Charlton, part of England’s 1966 World cup winning team has been diagnosed with dementia.

The England and Manchester United icon who the Ballon d’Or in 1966 played over 600 games for Manchester United. He won three league titles, a European Cup and an FA Cup during his time at Old Trafford. Sir Bobby was a survivor of the 1958 Munich air crash, in which 23 people died. He also won the BBC Sports Personality lifetime achievement award in 2008.

Manchester United released a statement ‘Everyone at Manchester United is saddened that this terrible disease has afflicted Sir Bobby Charlton and we continue to offer our love and support to Sir Bobby and his family.’

Charlton’s Brother Jack passed away in July of this year after suffering with lymphoma and dementia. Also, fellow World Cup Winner Nobby Styles who passed away earlier this week, was also diagnosed with dementia.

Sir Bobby’s wife Lady Norma Charlton made the news public in order to help others with dementia, reported by the Telegraph.

Dementia is a term for a range of progressive conditions that affect the brain, with the most common type of dementia being Alzheimer’s disease.

A study by Glasgow University in 2019 found that former professional footballers are three and a half times more likely to die of dementia than people of the same age in the general population.

Former pro footballers had an approx 3.5 times higher rate of death due to neurodegenerative disease, but were less likely to die of diseases such as heart disease and some cancers, says new @UofGMVLS study led by @WillSTEWNeuro in @NEJM
👉 https://t.co/3RlEtHoZx6 pic.twitter.com/imTDKhNyNo

— University of Glasgow (@UofGlasgow) October 21, 2019

Consultant Neuropathologist Dr Willie Stewart who’s a professor at the university of Glasgow said, “This is the largest study to date looking in this detail at the incidence of neurodegenerative disease in any sport, not just professional footballers.”

In February the FA released an updated heading guidance for youth training sessions, which restricts the amount that young players can head the ball. The new guidelines include:

• Heading guidance in training for all age groups between under-six and under-18
• No heading in training in the foundation phase (primary school children)
• Graduated approach to heading training for children in the development phase between under-12 to under-16
• Required ball sizes for training and matches for each age group
• No changes to heading in matches, taking into consideration the limited number of headers in youth games 

Tennis star Serena Williams recently opened up in a Ted talk with Gayle King about racist comments she received about at the time her unborn child.  Former Romanian World number one Ilie Năstase made comments in the media about the skin colour of Williams’ baby.

Williams is a black woman and her partner and father of the child is a white man, Reddit co-founder, Alexis Ohanian. Williams also called Năstase out for making sexist comments about other players on the tour.

In a statement released by Williams she said, “It disappoints me to know we live in a society where people like Ilie Năstase can make such racist comments towards myself and an unborn child, and sexist comments against my peers.”

During the Ted talk Williams really concentrated on the comments about her peers saying, “It’s really important to hold women up. I want to be a good leader and a good example for them.”

Williams made it clear how she felt about her and her fellow female players to stand up for each other. Serena described how younger players would come into the locker room and want to take photos with her, but she wanted to make sure she was there for them and standing up for them.

Serna also talked about coming back to tennis after having her baby. Saying she’s “always trying to defy the odds” and she’s “really inspired by my sister Venus.” Serena spoke about how her older sister Venus is still playing at a high level and that Men’s great Roger Federer is still winning stuff at the age of 39.

She has now won her first singles title since her comeback from having her daughter at the 2020 ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand.