Unsung hero: Peter Davies.

Peter Davies is now approaching what is undoubtedly the busiest time of the year for him because over the last 20 years his name has become synonymous with the Neyland Junior Rugby Festival.

The festival has grown to such an extent that it now takes place over three separate weekends. Although Peter is always quick to play down his part there is no doubt that he plays a key role due to his wealth of experience in the local game at senior level, and as a junior coach of long standing, he has close links with local referees and the community of Neyland.

Known to all as Jack because of his Swansea connections, he is Bonymaen born and bred, and proud of it. He still looks at the results each week and takes a fair bit of stick from the Neyland lads.

But Neyland is his home now and he's been there for over two decades after originally moving in to work for a couple of years, but falling in love with the place, especially the rugby club, and staying there.

Marriage to local girl Jill, from the well-known Morris sporting family, certainly helped to cement his belonging to the All Blacks and he would unhesitatingly nominate Mrs Davies as a great help throughout the Neyland junior festival with her calm approach and willingness to get things done.

Peter played hooker all his life and the odd game at prop for the All Blacks late in a Neyland career which spanned from 1984 to last year, where he finally vowed never to don his boots again after being called out of retirement so often.

At just under five feet six inches on a good day he started out with Bonymaen as a junior and progressed to the first team in the old West Wales League. He also played hooker for Swansea a few times but laughingly says: "It was usually on wet Wednesday evenings under floodlights at far flung places like Ebbw Vale, Newbridge or Abertillery, but it was an honour to wear the All Whites' shirt."

He also enjoyed his taking part at Neyland alongside real characters like Mathew and Andrew Williams, Chris Busby and Steve Evans, plus Martin Rees as an administrator, and has served as coach, team manager and sponge man on various occasions.

He stepped down from the coaching set-up alongside Steve Evans because he needs a knee operation and if he can't give one-hundred percent to a job then he doesn't want to be involved at all.

The Neyland Junior Festival was founded by Robert Johns, the late John Preece and Dennis Stolliday, and Peter gave a hand the year after since he started coaching the junior teams.

He's seen almost all the club's current senior squad pass through his hands and would nominate Mathew Williams as the best player in that time.

Junior games are played on Sunday mornings and Peter is up at the Athletic Ground by 8am to mark the pitches, put out the flags and post pads, plus all the other jobs that need doing, assisted by Steve Evans and Dickie from the Foresters, who is 63, but does a great deal of work.

It is even busier for the festival because this year it takes place on a Friday and two Sundays, with visitors from as far afield as Munster in Ireland, England and Cardiff, with the possibility of Killarney also bringing a team across from the Emerald Isle to compete in age groups that range from under-eight tag rugby to under-16s matches.

Peter is full of praise for everyone involved, and the only person he forgets to mention is himself, but all at Neyland Rugby Club would agree that Peter Davies is the very acceptable face of their junior rugby festival and long may those legs run around to make sure that a huge number of youngsters have a wonderful time in pursuit of the game that Peter really loves.

3:33pm Tuesday 8th April 2008

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