Aberavon Fighting Irish opened their defence of the JES Group Welsh Conference title with a 15-try display away at Rhondda Outlaws as they eventually cruised to a 78-24 win, after being 40-16 up at half-time.
However, it was the Outlaws who struck first, as Ollie Owens scored the first try of the 2026 Rugby League Conference season, going over after just two minutes. He ended up with a hat-trick of tries in this match.
Outlaws were in the lead for nine minutes before a Lewis Francis try levelled things, and it was nip and tuck for a while. Cody Rees scored Aberavon’s second try, again going unconverted.
Outlaws then led 10-8 on 19 minutes, thanks to a Mackenzie Williams try and goal, only for a Jack Davies try to give Aberavon the lead again, one that they wouldn’t lose during the rest of the game.
Three players went over for hat-tricks for the Irish, Cody Rees, captain Jack Davies and Dylan Jones, with Davies also kicking three goals.
Rhys Evans and Lewis Francis each contributed ten points, Evans with two tries and a goal, and Francis with his try and three goals. Alan Pope and Kai Carnell each added a try and a goal, whilst Rhys Curtis completed the scoring with a solitary try.
Mason Williams also went over for Outlaws, scoring the first of their two second half tries.
South Wales Jets also didn’t have it all their own way against Bridgend Blue Bulls, but they eventually won 60-22 after being 34-10 up at the break.
It took until 16 minutes for the first score of the game to be recorded, that from Bridgend’s Llewellyn Hawkes who went over for the try and kicked the first of his three goals.
A Ross Price try, and the first of Jamie Marsh’s five goals, levelled the scores, but Bridgend were soon ahead again thanks to an unconverted try from debutant Dylan Morgan.
But after that, the Jets went into cruise control. Madoc Lane and Aaron Owen each scored two tries, with Ben Pinnock, Johnathan Reid, David Hooper, Jack Hodder and Michael Ryan all scoring once.
However, the score of the match came from winger Aaron Harrison, who scored an acrobatic try in the corner in a move normally reserved for Super League or NRL (pictured). He also kicked Jets’ final three goals.
Bridgend’s second half tries came from Nathan Morgan and Lewis Ingram.
