90-719: Bridgend Ravens ( Welsh : Cigfrain Pen-y-bont ) (formerly Bridgend RFC ) are a semi-professional rugby union club based in Bridgend , South Wales . They currently play in Super Rygbi Cymru and are a feeder club to the Ospreys regional team. Bridgend RFC first formed a team in 1878, playing and losing to Newport RFC in the final of the South Wales Challenge Cup. However, the club
180-441: A Welsh Language Scheme, which indicates its commitment to the equality of treatment principle. This is sent out in draft form for public consultation for a three-month period, whereupon comments on it may be incorporated into a final version. It requires the final approval of the now defunct Welsh Language Board ( Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg ). Thereafter, the public body is charged with implementing and fulfilling its obligations under
270-594: A Welsh-language edge inscription was used on pound coins dated 1985, 1990 and 1995, which circulated in all parts of the UK prior to their 2017 withdrawal. The wording is Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad (Welsh for 'True am I to my country'), and derives from the national anthem of Wales, " Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau ". UK banknotes are in English only. Some shops employ bilingual signage. Welsh sometimes appears on product packaging or instructions. The UK government has ratified
360-663: A census glossary of terms to support the release of results from the census, including their definition of "main language" as referring to "first or preferred language" (though that wording was not in the census questionnaire itself). The wards in England with the most people giving Welsh as their main language were the Liverpool wards of Central and Greenbank ; and Oswestry South in Shropshire . The wards of Oswestry South (1.15%), Oswestry East (0.86%) and St Oswald (0.71%) had
450-435: A change in coaching personal, Steve Tandy left the club during the second half of the previous season to become the new head coach of the Ospreys , with player Ben Rose named as his replacement, initially on an interim basis, but then was handed the job on a permanent basis. Daniel Griffiths retired from playing to become backs coach, whilst ex-Cardiff hooker Paul Young joined as forwards coach. The club also made its debut in
540-405: A fair amount. 56 per cent of Welsh speakers speak the language daily, and 19 per cent speak the language weekly. The Welsh Government plans to increase the number of Welsh-language speakers to one million by 2050. Since 1980, the number of children attending Welsh-medium schools has increased, while the number going to Welsh bilingual and dual-medium schools has decreased. Welsh is considered
630-508: A greyhound racing syndicate. They moved to Uxilla Fields, where Jubilee Crescent now stands, it had been the home of the old Bridgend Town AFC which had gone out of business by that time. The first match at their new base was a 16–4 victory over Newport RFC. The club did not remain at the ground for very long, as they returned to the Brewery Field in 1935, however, a second exile would begin 14 years later which had serious implications for
720-541: A last minute try against basement side Neath. Impressive wins against Cardiff (a) and Carmarthen Quins (h) saw the Ravens finish the season in tenth place, the club confirmed shortly after that Head Coach Mike Hook had left the club along with Assistant Dean Ronan. In the summer of 2016, Bridgend confirmed the appointment of Matt Silva as head coach and who endured a slow start to the Premiership campaign, just one win in
810-399: A new language altogether. The argued dates for the period of "Primitive Welsh" are widely debated, with some historians' suggestions differing by hundreds of years. The next main period is Old Welsh ( Hen Gymraeg , 9th to 11th centuries); poetry from both Wales and Scotland has been preserved in this form of the language. As Germanic and Gaelic colonisation of Britain proceeded,
900-515: A pavilion was erected by the club right next to the ground, which is still being used by Bridgend Sports RFC to this day. When the Bridgend Urban District Council eventually proceeded towards purchase of the Brewery Field by the way of a Compulsory Purchase Order, the club was granted a 21-year lease, with an option of renew for another 21 years. The club knew they were going back to the Brewery Field in 1957, following
990-479: A single discourse (known in linguistics as code-switching ). Welsh speakers are largely concentrated in the north and west of Wales, principally Gwynedd , Conwy County Borough , Denbighshire , Anglesey , Carmarthenshire , north Pembrokeshire , Ceredigion , parts of Glamorgan , and north-west and extreme south-west Powys . However, first-language and other fluent speakers can be found throughout Wales. Welsh-speaking communities persisted well into
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#17327906554111080-562: A terrible start to the campaign, suffering 6 straight defeats in the Principality Premiership. However, the corner was well and truly turned with an important 20–34 win at the Gnoll against Neath. Bridgend then went on to beat Cardiff, Bedwas and Pontypridd as part of a four match winning streak in the division. A long winless run in the Premiership saw Bridgend go until March without tasting victory before they won at home with
1170-495: A two-year absence from the top flight. Bridgend's return to the Premier Division surpassed expectations. The club finished 8th. Initially, however, just a week into the start of the 2011–12 season, Bridgend, along with 3 other Premiership clubs, were delivered news that they would not be included in the new 10-team premiership for 2012–13 onwards. This was because the club had come 11th on league finishing positions over
1260-651: Is available throughout Europe on satellite and online throughout the UK. Since the digital switchover was completed in South Wales on 31 March 2010, S4C Digidol became the main broadcasting channel and fully in Welsh. The main evening television news provided by the BBC in Welsh is available for download. There is also a Welsh-language radio station, BBC Radio Cymru , which was launched in 1977. Welsh Premier Division Too Many Requests If you report this error to
1350-420: Is evidenced by the dropping of final syllables from Brittonic: * bardos 'poet' became bardd , and * abona 'river' became afon . Though both Davies and Jackson cite minor changes in syllable structure and sounds as evidence for the creation of Old Welsh, Davies suggests it may be more appropriate to refer to this derivative language as Lingua Britannica rather than characterising it as
1440-638: Is spoken by smaller numbers of people in Canada and the United States descended from Welsh immigrants, within their households (especially in Nova Scotia ). Historically, it has also been known in English as "British", "Cambrian", "Cambric" and "Cymric". The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 gave the Welsh language official status in Wales. Welsh and English are de jure official languages of
1530-500: The 2016 Australian census , 1,688 people noted that they spoke Welsh. In the 2011 Canadian census , 3,885 people reported Welsh as their first language . According to the 2021 Canadian census , 1,130 people noted that Welsh was their mother tongue. The 2018 New Zealand census noted that 1,083 people in New Zealand spoke Welsh. The American Community Survey 2009–2013 noted that 2,235 people aged five years and over in
1620-466: The 2021 census , 7,349 people in England recorded Welsh to be their "main language". In the 2011 census, 1,189 people aged three and over in Scotland noted that Welsh was a language (other than English) that they used at home. It is believed that there are as many as 5,000 speakers of Patagonian Welsh . In response to the question 'Does the person speak a language other than English at home?' in
1710-683: The Battle of Dyrham , a military battle between the West Saxons and the Britons in 577 AD, which split the South Western British from direct overland contact with the Welsh. Four periods are identified in the history of Welsh, with rather indistinct boundaries: Primitive Welsh, Old Welsh, Middle Welsh, and Modern Welsh. The period immediately following the language's emergence is sometimes referred to as Primitive Welsh, followed by
1800-510: The British and Irish Cup , battling with rivals Cardiff, as well as English championship powerhouse Bristol RFC and Ulster Ravens , a team composed of academy and local players from the Ulster province. At the end of the 2012–13 season Head Coach Ben Rose decided to step down from his role. Backs coach Dan Griffiths was appointed an Ospreys coach and leaving coaching vacancies at the club. For
1890-771: The Celtic Warriors article. See also Category:Bridgend RFC players Welsh language Welsh ( Cymraeg [kəmˈraːiɡ] or y Gymraeg [ə ɡəmˈraːiɡ] ) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people . Welsh is spoken natively in Wales , by some in England , and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province , Argentina ). It
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#17327906554111980-538: The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in respect of Welsh. The language has greatly increased its prominence since the creation of the television channel S4C in November 1982, which until digital switchover in 2010 broadcast 70 per cent of Channel 4's programming along with a majority of Welsh language shows during peak viewing hours. The all-Welsh-language digital station S4C Digidol
2070-519: The Old Welsh period – which is generally considered to stretch from the beginning of the 9th century to sometime during the 12th century. The Middle Welsh period is considered to have lasted from then until the 14th century, when the Modern Welsh period began, which in turn is divided into Early and Late Modern Welsh. The word Welsh is a descendant, via Old English wealh, wielisc , of
2160-686: The Proto-Germanic word * Walhaz , which was derived from the name of the Celtic people known to the Romans as Volcae and which came to refer to speakers of Celtic languages, and then indiscriminately to the people of the Western Roman Empire . In Old English the term went through semantic narrowing , coming to refer to either Britons in particular or, in some contexts, slaves. The plural form Wēalas evolved into
2250-640: The United States spoke Welsh at home. The highest number of those (255) lived in Florida . Sources: Calls for the Welsh language to be granted official status grew with the establishment of the nationalist political party Plaid Cymru in 1925, the establishment of the Welsh Language Society in 1962 and the rise of Welsh nationalism in the later 20th century. Of the six living Celtic languages (including two revived), Welsh has
2340-554: The WRU Division One West title with 4 games to spare, tries from Gareth Howells, Steve Tandy and Luke Morgan, plus 10 points from the boot of Daniel Griffiths gave them a 25–19 victory over Bonymaen RFC to take the title. The club won a play-off final against Glamorgan Wanderers RFC with the scoreline of 38–19, meaning that they returned to the Welsh Premier Division for 2011–12 season after
2430-471: The Welsh Premier Division title, in what was the last season before regional rugby became the top tier of Welsh rugby. The team secured the title after a 22–13 win over Neath RFC at the Brewery Field with two games to spare, tries from Sililo Martens , Jon Thiel and Gareth Cull , with the latter scoring a drop goal from 35 meters to seal the victory and the first title in over 20 years. They had won 14 out of 16 league games that season. Season 2010–11 saw
2520-542: The "hugely important role", adding, "I look forward to working with the Welsh Government and organisations in Wales in developing the new system of standards. I will look to build on the good work that has been done by the Welsh Language Board and others to strengthen the Welsh language and ensure that it continues to thrive." First Minister Carwyn Jones said that Huws would act as a champion for
2610-473: The 12th to 14th centuries, of which much more remains than for any earlier period. This is the language of nearly all surviving early manuscripts of the Mabinogion , although the tales themselves are certainly much older. It is also the language of the existing Welsh law manuscripts. Middle Welsh is reasonably intelligible to a modern-day Welsh speaker. The Bible translations into Welsh helped maintain
2700-596: The 1880s identified a small part of Shropshire as still then speaking Welsh, with the "Celtic Border" passing from Llanymynech through Oswestry to Chirk . The number of Welsh-speaking people in the rest of Britain has not yet been counted for statistical purposes. In 1993, the Welsh-language television channel S4C published the results of a survey into the numbers of people who spoke or understood Welsh, which estimated that there were around 133,000 Welsh-speaking people living in England, about 50,000 of them in
2790-536: The 1993 Act nor secondary legislation made under it covers the private sector, although some organisations, notably banks and some railway companies, provide some of their information in Welsh. On 7 December 2010, the Welsh Assembly unanimously approved a set of measures to develop the use of the Welsh language within Wales. On 9 February 2011 this measure, the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 ,
Bridgend Ravens - Misplaced Pages Continue
2880-402: The 2013–14 season Mike Hook (formerly Pontypool RFC head coach) was employed as backs coach to work alongside Paul Young with no head coach in place. Ravens coaching team announced The new coaching duo selected Ashleigh James as captain and James Dixon as Vice Captain. Ravens captain for 2013–14 season Despite a poor league campaign during the 2014–15 season, the club were to be successful in
2970-486: The Assembly which confirms the official status of the Welsh language; which creates a strong advocate for Welsh speakers and will improve the quality and quantity of services available through the medium of Welsh. I believe that everyone who wants to access services in the Welsh language should be able to do so, and that is what this government has worked towards. This legislation is an important and historic step forward for
3060-488: The Brewery Field and were renting to play there which cut out a chunk of potential income streams. The club eventually had some control of their home back, going into partnership with Bridgend Town F.C. to take 50% ownership of the ground. Despite this, a series of disastrous results during season 2008–09 saw the club finish bottom of the Welsh Premier Division and were relegated out of the top flight for
3150-523: The Bridgend and Pontypridd clubs, famous Welsh international players including Neil Jenkins and Gareth Thomas donned the Warriors shirt. They were, however, not without their problems on the field; despite not being able to field their international players for long periods during the season (due to 2003 Rugby World Cup and 2004 Six Nations Championship ), the side were competitive, finishing 4th in
3240-517: The Brittonic speakers in Wales were split off from those in northern England, speaking Cumbric, and those in the southwest, speaking what would become Cornish , so the languages diverged. Both the works of Aneirin ( Canu Aneirin , c. 600 ) and the Book of Taliesin ( Canu Taliesin ) were written during this era. Middle Welsh ( Cymraeg Canol ) is the label attached to the Welsh of
3330-543: The Celtic League and going very close to making the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup. Following an incredible 14–9 away victory at London Wasps in the Heineken Cup a crowd of 10,000 crammed into the Brewery Field for the return clash 5 days later (which the team lost 17–12) with the gate giving hope and optimism for the future of the region. Unfortunately, a series of problems throughout the season ended with
3420-737: The Celtic language spoken by the ancient Celtic Britons . Classified as Insular Celtic , the British language probably arrived in Britain during the Bronze Age or Iron Age and was probably spoken throughout the island south of the Firth of Forth . During the Early Middle Ages the British language began to fragment due to increased dialect differentiation, thus evolving into Welsh and
3510-550: The Greater London area. The Welsh Language Board , on the basis of an analysis of the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study, estimated there were 110,000 Welsh-speaking people in England, and another thousand in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the 2011 census , 8,248 people in England gave Welsh in answer to the question "What is your main language?" The Office for National Statistics subsequently published
3600-593: The Swalec Cup competition lifting the cup for the first time in 35 years. Bridgend accounted for Cardiff (22–12), Llanharan (20–10), Merthyr (20–17) and Carmarthen Quins (22–20) on the way to facing Pontypridd in the final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, with 14 points from the boot of Owen Howe and a try by Tom O'Flaherty securing a 19–15 victory. 2015–16 was a season of change for Bridgend. After
3690-496: The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, all new signs have Welsh displayed first. There have been incidents of one of the languages being vandalised, which may be considered a hate crime . Since 2000, the teaching of Welsh has been compulsory in all schools in Wales up to age 16; this has had an effect in stabilising and reversing the decline in the language. Text on UK coins tends to be in English and Latin. However,
Bridgend Ravens - Misplaced Pages Continue
3780-704: The Welsh Language Scheme. The list of other public bodies which have to prepare Schemes could be added to by initially the Secretary of State for Wales, from 1993 to 1997, by way of statutory instrument . Subsequent to the forming of the National Assembly for Wales in 1997, the Government Minister responsible for the Welsh language can and has passed statutory instruments naming public bodies who have to prepare Schemes. Neither
3870-895: The Welsh Parliament, the Senedd , with Welsh being the only de jure official language in any part of the United Kingdom, with English being merely de facto official. According to the 2021 census , the Welsh-speaking population of Wales aged three or older was 538,300 (17.8%) and nearly three quarters of the population in Wales said they had no Welsh language skills. Other estimates suggest that 862,700 people (28.0%) aged three or older in Wales could speak Welsh in March 2024. Almost half of all Welsh speakers consider themselves fluent, while 20 per cent are able to speak
3960-526: The Welsh language, though some had concerns over her appointment: Plaid Cymru spokeswoman Bethan Jenkins said, "I have concerns about the transition from Meri Huws's role from the Welsh Language Board to the language commissioner, and I will be asking the Welsh government how this will be successfully managed. We must be sure that there is no conflict of interest, and that the Welsh Language Commissioner can demonstrate how she will offer
4050-487: The Welsh of the 16th century, but they are similar enough for a fluent Welsh speaker to have little trouble understanding it. During the Modern Welsh period, there has been a decline in the popularity of the Welsh language: the number of Welsh speakers declined to the point at which there was concern that the language would become extinct. During industrialisation in the late 19th century, immigrants from England led to
4140-630: The Welsh-speaking heartlands, with the number dropping to under 50 per cent in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire for the first time. However, according to the Welsh Language Use Survey in 2019–20, 22 per cent of people aged three and over were able to speak Welsh. The Annual Population Survey (APS) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that as of March 2024, approximately 862,700, or 28.0 per cent of
4230-579: The ancestor of Cumbric as well as Welsh. Jackson, however, believed that the two varieties were already distinct by that time. The earliest Welsh poetry – that attributed to the Cynfeirdd or "Early Poets" – is generally considered to date to the Primitive Welsh period. However, much of this poetry was supposedly composed in the Hen Ogledd , raising further questions about the dating of
4320-486: The captaincy of Marsden Young, playing a total of 49 games, with 39 wins, 5 drawn matches and losing just 5, it was also the first season that the club didn't lose a home game. In fact, between 26 April 1963 and 3 January 1966, the club went 70 successive home game without defeat. The club won the titles again in 1966, 1970 and 1971. Bridgend have appeared in the WRU Challenge Cup final on five occasions since
4410-408: The census. In terms of usage, ONS also reported that 14.4 per cent (443,800) of people aged three or older in Wales reported that they spoke Welsh daily in March 2024, with 5.4 per cent (165,500) speaking it weekly and 6.5 per cent (201,200) less often. Approximately 1.7 per cent (51,700) reported that they never spoke Welsh despite being able to speak the language, with the remaining 72.0 per cent of
4500-533: The century saw an upturn in fortunes for the Bridgend club, they qualified for Heineken Cup and in 2003 won the Welsh Premiership title. It was around that time that the WRU could no longer sustain funding a 9-team premier league, under the then new chief executive David Moffett, he proposed cutting in the number of top-flight teams down to 4, with clubs joining forces to create new identities. Eventually it
4590-478: The closure of the region at the end of the season. Pontypridd RFC's half of the region had to be sold during the early days of the season due their financial problems, with their half being given to the Welsh Rugby Union . The other 50% was also sold at the end of the season and the WRU decided to close the team down due to financial problems. For Bridgend RFC, their defence of the title during 2003–04
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#17327906554114680-497: The club finish 13th out of 16 teams prior to the league split. With the club placed in the second tier of the Premiership results were to improve, wins against Llanelli, Swansea, Cardiff and Bargoed put the Ravens in with a chance of finishing in a play-off spot, however, they were to miss out on the final game of the season, going down 21–10 to Neath. Despite the league struggles, Bridgend did win their Foster's Challenge Cup group, winning five out of six matches, but were knocked out of
4770-510: The club lift the Division One West crown with 4 games to spare after beating title rivals Bonymaen RFC 25–19. Bridgend RFC have hosted a number of touring teams throughout their history, the first being against Wolfhounds in season 1966–67, losing 11–5. The first game against international opposition was Italy in season 1971–72 with Bridgend running out 57–0 winners. New Zealand paid a visit in 1978 to help celebrate 100 years of
4860-604: The club return to the 'raven on the bridge' logo which is synonymous with the club's famous history. Season 2018/19 saw Bridgend Ravens almost relegated to the Welsh Championship. Bridgend won four of their last five games to avoid relegation. Prior to the 2019/20 season, coach Matt Silva left his role and Bridgend handed Steve Jones the Head Coach role. Bridgend also introduced a successful early bird membership scheme, securing almost 500 committed supporters for
4950-430: The club was Ben Gronow , winning the first of his four union caps in 1910. Prior to the First World War, the club were mainly based at the Quarella ground, but were forced to move out when it was taken over for building purposes. The club obtained the Brewery Field in 1920, which has been their home on and off ever since. The club's first exile from the Brewery Field began in 1928, when the ground had been taken over by
5040-409: The club's existence, the visitors winning 17–6. Australia arrived in 1981 with Bridgend winning 12–9, one of the most historic matches in the club's history. Wins against Western Samoa and a Wales XV occurred later in the 1980s. Tonga arrived in Bridgend in 1997 and won 21–18. The Brewery Field has hosted a number of Wales age-grade and Wales women's international matches. Until 1995 rugby union
5130-451: The club. Season 1948–49 saw a newly created Bridgend Rugby League step in and acquire a three-year lease of the Brewery Field, which saw Bridgend RFC homeless. The club were on the verge of going out of existence, but help came from the Bridgend Urban District Council who offered the club the Bandstand Field on their Newbridge Fields recreation grounds. Initially, teams had to use Island Farm prisoner of war camp for changing facilities until
5220-440: The competition's formation in 1971–72 season. 1979 saw the club beat Pontypridd RFC 18–12 in the final, lifting the trophy for the first time, retaining it a season later by beating Swansea RFC 15–9 in 1980. This was followed by being beaten finalists the next two seasons and both times losing to Cardiff RFC , one of which was lost on try count. Bridgend played in the 1990 final but were beaten 16–10 by Neath RFC. The club are
5310-403: The course of six seasons, the time spent outside the top flight hit them considerably. However, some months later they were given a reprieve, along with fellow club Carmarthen Quins, after a decision to increase to 12 teams. For 2012–13 season, the club changed playing personnel. New signings include Alex Jones (Newport), Ashleigh James (Neath), Scott Hicks (Tonmawr) among others. There was also
5400-414: The course of the 20th century this monolingual population all but disappeared, but a small percentage remained at the time of the 1981 census. Most Welsh-speaking people in Wales also speak English. However, many Welsh-speaking people are more comfortable expressing themselves in Welsh than in English. A speaker's choice of language can vary according to the subject domain and the social context, even within
5490-411: The current holders of the cup after beating Pontypridd RFC 19–15 on 3 May 2015 The winning cup finals were: The Snelling Sevens was a WRU seven-a-side tournament that ran from 1954 until 1995, with Bridgend RFC appearing in the final on twelve occasions, winning six. The six wins in the final were: The club hadn't been very successful since the advert of professional rugby, but 2003 saw the club lift
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#17327906554115580-408: The decline in Welsh speakers particularly in the South Wales Valleys. Welsh government processes and legislation have worked to increase the proliferation of the Welsh language, for example through education. Welsh has been spoken continuously in Wales throughout history; however, by 1911, it had become a minority language, spoken by 43.5 per cent of the population. While this decline continued over
5670-423: The elation of winning the SWALEC Cup in May 2015, the club saw a number of its leading players depart the club including captain Ashleigh James (who left for Pontypridd), Andrew Waite (who left for Bedwas), Owen Howe & Gary Carpenter (who both left for Cross Keys) amongst the 11 key squad members who left. Mike Hook took sole charge of the team as Head Coach and was to be assisted by Dean Ronan. Bridgend got off to
5760-477: The end of the season and finished 9th out of 12 and 9 points clear of the final relegation spot, ensuring survival with a 59–27 victory at relegated Cwmllynfell RFC . The future of the club looks brighter now since significant investment is being made by a company called Llandarcy Park Ltd which is believed to have secured the long-term future of the club. In addition, the club appointed Steve Tandy as their new head coach from season 2010–11. In 2011, Bridgend won
5850-431: The first five games was then followed by a three-match winning streak which saw the ravens account for eventual league winners Merthyr RFC by a 40–10 scoreline. The surprise victory against Merthyr took Bridgend into the top half of the league and hopes were boosted that they could finish there before the league splits in half for the second half of the season, unfortunately Bridgend went on nine match losing streak which saw
5940-444: The first time in their history. Many expected Bridgend to bounce straight back up from WRU Division One West in 2009–10, but a title challenge never got going, with many of the squad from the previous season having defected elsewhere and a change of coaching staff, the club found life very difficult and a terrible start to the season ensured that they were in a relegation battle throughout the season. The team did pick up some form by
6030-431: The following decades, the language did not die out. The smallest number of speakers was recorded in 1981 with 503,000 although the lowest percentage was recorded in the most recent census in 2021 at 17.8 per cent. By the start of the 21st century, numbers began to increase once more, at least partly as a result of the increase in Welsh-medium education . The 2004 Welsh Language Use Survey showed that 21.7 per cent of
6120-411: The highest number of native speakers who use the language on a daily basis, and it is the Celtic language which is considered the least endangered by UNESCO . The Welsh Language Act 1993 and the Government of Wales Act 1998 provide that the Welsh and English languages be treated equally in the public sector, as far as is reasonable and practicable. Each public body is required to prepare for approval
6210-413: The highest percentage of residents giving Welsh as their main language. The census also revealed that 3,528 wards in England, or 46% of the total number, contained at least one resident whose main language is Welsh. In terms of the regions of England , North West England (1,945), London (1,310) and the West Midlands (1,265) had the highest number of people noting Welsh as their main language. According to
6300-477: The issue of the lease, finding the ground in a poor state of repair. Most of the outside fencing was laid to the ground, essential services including water, heating, lighting and drainage were wrecked and needed to be completely re-installed. Other repairs and building work took place over several months and just in time for the 1957–58 season and the club have remained there ever since. Bridgend RFC won their first unofficial Welsh Championship in season 1963–64 under
6390-431: The language, its speakers and for the nation." The measure was not welcomed warmly by all supporters: Bethan Williams, chairman of the Welsh Language Society, gave a mixed response to the move, saying, "Through this measure we have won official status for the language and that has been warmly welcomed. But there was a core principle missing in the law passed by the Assembly before Christmas. It doesn't give language rights to
6480-402: The least endangered Celtic language by UNESCO . The language of the Welsh developed from the language of Britons . The emergence of Welsh was not instantaneous and clearly identifiable. Instead, the shift occurred over a long period, with some historians claiming that it had happened by as late as the 9th century , with a watershed moment being that proposed by linguist Kenneth H. Jackson ,
6570-673: The material and language in which it was originally composed. This discretion stems from the fact that Cumbric was widely believed to have been the language used in Hen Ogledd. An 8th-century inscription in Tywyn shows the language already dropping inflections in the declension of nouns. Janet Davies proposed that the origins of the Welsh language were much less definite; in The Welsh Language: A History , she proposes that Welsh may have been around even earlier than 600 AD. This
6660-622: The modern period across the border in England. Archenfield was still Welsh enough in the time of Elizabeth I for the Bishop of Hereford to be made responsible, together with the four Welsh bishops, for the translation of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer into Welsh. Welsh was still commonly spoken there in the first half of the 19th century, and churchwardens' notices were put up in both Welsh and English until about 1860. Alexander John Ellis in
6750-609: The name for their territory, Wales. The modern names for various Romance-speaking people in Continental Europe (e.g. Walloons , Valaisans , Vlachs / Wallachians , and Włosi , the Polish name for Italians) have a similar etymology. The Welsh term for the language, Cymraeg , descends from the Brythonic word combrogi , meaning 'compatriots' or 'fellow countrymen'. Welsh evolved from Common Brittonic ,
6840-570: The new season. Bridgend also launched a new website, with an online shop to be also launched. The online shop will be a way of purchasing the new Bridgend home and alternate kits, which retain Bridgend's traditional colours of white and blue for the home kit and yellow, navy blue and white for the away strip. Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality. Note: The following players play(ed) for Bridgend RFC or Bridgend Ravens. For Celtic Warriors players, please see
6930-468: The nickname of the former Bridgend RFC club, who were known as the Ravens. After the Celtic Warriors folded, Bridgend Ravens had two superb seasons on the pitch, finishing 3rd in 2004–05 and 2nd in 2005–06 in the Welsh Premier Division. From then on financial problems had affected the club, eventually the only income streams came from WRU funding, sponsorship and gate receipts, the club didn't own
7020-627: The other Brittonic languages. It is not clear when Welsh became distinct. Linguist Kenneth H. Jackson has suggested that the evolution in syllabic structure and sound pattern was complete by around AD 550, and labelled the period between then and about AD 800 "Primitive Welsh". This Primitive Welsh may have been spoken in both Wales and the Hen Ogledd ('Old North') – the Brittonic-speaking areas of what are now northern England and southern Scotland – and therefore may have been
7110-473: The people of Wales in every aspect of their lives. Despite that, an amendment to that effect was supported by 18 Assembly Members from three different parties, and that was a significant step forward." On 5 October 2011, Meri Huws , Chair of the Welsh Language Board , was appointed the new Welsh Language Commissioner. She released a statement that she was "delighted" to have been appointed to
7200-471: The population not being able to speak it. The National Survey for Wales, conducted by Welsh Government, has also tended to report a higher percentage of Welsh speakers than the census, with the most recent results for 2022–2023 suggesting that 18 per cent of the population aged 3 and over were able to speak Welsh, with an additional 16 per cent noting that they had some Welsh-speaking ability. Historically, large numbers of Welsh people spoke only Welsh. Over
7290-502: The population of Wales aged 3 and over, were able to speak the language. Children and young people aged three to 15 years old were more likely to report that they could speak Welsh than any other age group (48.4 per cent, 241,300). Around 1,001,500 people, or 32.5 per cent, reported that they could understand spoken Welsh. 24.7 per cent (759,200) could read and 22.2 per cent (684,500) could write in Welsh. The APS estimates of Welsh language ability are historically higher than those produced by
7380-407: The population of Wales spoke Welsh, compared with 20.8 per cent in the 2001 census , and 18.5 per cent in the 1991 census . Since 2001, however, the number of Welsh speakers has declined in both the 2011 and 2021 censuses to about 538,300 or 17.8 per cent in 2021, lower than 1991, although it is still higher in absolute terms. The 2011 census also showed a "big drop" in the number of speakers in
7470-409: The required fresh approach to this new role." Huws started her role as the Welsh Language Commissioner on 1 April 2012. Local councils and the Senedd use Welsh, issuing Welsh versions of their literature, to varying degrees. Road signs in Wales are in Welsh and English. Prior to 2016, the choice of which language to display first was the responsibility of the local council. Since then, as part of
7560-614: The tournament at the semi-final stage, losing 55–13 to eventual winners Bedwas. For season 2017/18, the club has retained the services of head coach Matt Silva and much of the previous season's squad. There have been some notable signings including centre Nathan Edwards who joins for a second stint from Llanelli. The Premiership top try scorer from the previous season Aaron Grabham who touched down 28 times for Neath in season 2016/17 joins Bridgend from Neath. Local talents Jacob Lloyd and Chris John are further additions reinforcing Bridgend's commitment to development. Season 2017/18 has also seen
7650-526: The use of Welsh in daily life, and standardised spelling. The New Testament was translated by William Salesbury in 1567, and the complete Bible by William Morgan in 1588. Modern Welsh is subdivided into Early Modern Welsh and Late Modern Welsh. Early Modern Welsh ran from the 15th century through to the end of the 16th century, and the Late Modern Welsh period roughly dates from the 16th century onwards. Contemporary Welsh differs greatly from
7740-480: Was a strictly amateur sport, when the switch to professional status occurred Wales struggled to come to grips with it. Masses of foreign players and generally poor results by Welsh clubs in European competition inevitably affected the national sides fortunes. During the early years of professional rugby, Bridgend struggled on and off the pitch and at one point in 1998 the club was on the verge of closure. The turn of
7830-465: Was agreed that five regional teams would be created to play in the Celtic League and Heineken Cup competitions, with Bridgend joining forces with Pontypridd RFC to create the Celtic Warriors . Following this, Bridgend become a semi-professional team and play in the Welsh Premier Division , which now become the second tier of Welsh rugby. The Celtic Warriors contained the best players from
7920-433: Was never realised, they recruited players from their old academy and from local clubs and remained competitive throughout. The name Bridgend RFC is owned by the former owner of the Celtic Warriors, Leighton Samuel . In order to concentrate on the Celtic Warriors, Samuel decided to withdraw his financial backing of Bridgend RFC. Fans and businessmen of the area resurrected the team, naming it Bridgend Ravens. The name comes from
8010-461: Was only established de facto after the first general meeting of the club was held at the York Hotel, Bridgend on 11 April 1880. The first AGM confirmed the first full season's results for 1879–80: the club played 11 matches with six wins, three defeats and two draws. A profit of £3.9s.3d. was recorded. The first captain of the club was F. Sadler. The first international cap won by a player from
8100-518: Was passed and received Royal Assent, thus making the Welsh language an officially recognised language within Wales. The measure: The measure required public bodies and some private companies to provide services in Welsh. The Welsh government's Minister for Heritage at the time, Alun Ffred Jones , said, "The Welsh language is a source of great pride for the people of Wales, whether they speak it or not, and I am delighted that this measure has now become law. I am very proud to have steered legislation through
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