Halifax Panthers and Wales forward Connor Davies can’t wait to get back to The Lextan Gnoll when Wales take on Jamaica on Tuesday 15th October (kick-off 7.30pm – buy tickets here).
The 27-year old played there a number of times as a youngster, all alongside his twin brother Curtis, when he grew up playing rugby league in South Wales for school, club and country.
“I’ve some really good memories of playing and watching rugby league at The Gnoll.” he said.
“I first played rugby league there in 2011 with my club Neath Port Talbot Steelers when we beat Bridgend Blue Bulls in the Welsh U14 Final. Then in 2012, I was there with Ystalyfera, my school, and we beat Cwm Rhymni in the Welsh Schools Rugby League Cup Final there – that was a mad game, it was back and forth but we ended up winning, and we then ended up going all the way to the British Schools final
“But even before that, I watched South Wales Scorpions and the Crusaders there and I remember watching Jarrad Sammut play for Crusaders at The Gnoll in Super League. I also watching the Wales v Cook Islands game there in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.
“In fact, I think the last time I actually played an international match in South Wales was in The Gnoll and that was ten years ago for Wales U16 when we nearly beat England.
“So it’s really nice to be going back to play at The Gnoll, especially as it’s only about 20 minutes from where I was brought up, so hopefully a lot of my friends and family will be there, it’ll certainly save my parents travelling five hours to watch me play when I’m with Halifax. It’ll be a pretty special evening against Jamaica.
“It’s not the biggest ground but that makes it special and back in 2014, it was extra special as a 16-year old boy playing for Wales there. It can be pretty hefty with the noise when people get going. When we played England there, the atmosphere was really good, especially when my mum starts screaming loudly. It’s a good ground, the pitch and facilities are nice and it’ll be great to get back there.”
Wales’ match against Jamaica is an important warm-up for the side before they take on Serbia a week later. A win there will give them a match against France or Ukraine for a place in 2025’s World Series alongside Jamaica, South Africa and Cook Islands, with the top two from that competition heading to Australia in 2026’s Rugby League World Cup.
“‘I’ve been to Australia with Wales twice, once with the Students and once in the World Cup 9s,” Davies remembers. “To go back again would be really special and that’s motivation for everyone. It’s going to be a tough task but that’s what we expect. But we’re a group who are capable and if anyone can coach us to the wins we need, it’s John Kear.”
Davies made his Wales men’s side debut in 2018 against France at the same Carcassonne ground where he hopes to run out again this month. He’s now won a total of eight caps, including playing in every game in the last World Cup in England in 2022.
“It’s always special playing for Wales, particularly with the group we have now,” Davies said. “We’re a pretty tight group and whoever we play against, we normally exceed expectations. There’s something different about playing for Wales that you can’t articulate. It means that much more and people who are new to the group see that quite quickly. Last year, when we played a testimonial match in Cumbria, there were a few new players and quickly we all gelled quickly.
“Playing in the World Cup in 2022 is the pinnacle of my career so far. I would hope there would be other opportunities but playing against the quality of players that we took on last time, being together in camp for a long time and the pure professionalism of it all was the best experience I’ve had in rugby league. Hopefully, if we get the results we want this year, I’ll be able to experience that again.”