Abercarn RFC said sewage flooding its pitch is becoming a problem every season
Abercarn RFC have been told they are unable to play at their home ground for the next three weeks (Image: Abercarn RFC)
A Welsh rugby club says it is “incredibly disappointed” after again being forced away from its home ground due to water and sewage flooding the pitch. Abercarn RFC said it won’t be able to play matches at Abercarn Welfare for at least the next three weeks due to the problem, which the club said it is forced to battle each winter.
Just last year the club’s pitch was rendered unusable for months following yet another sewage incident on the pitch. A previous incident in 2019 saw the pitch flooded with sewage and sanitary waste. Abercarn RFC secretary Craig Roch said the issue cropping up each winter is placing significant financial strain on the club, and called for more to be done to fix the issue.
Roch added that this year’s sewage incident has come at a particularly unfortunate time for the club, who are currently pushing for the top spot in Division Two East in the Admiral National League. “You lose that home advantage when you’re not actually playing on your home pitch,” he said.
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“There’s a sewer network running under the pitch and as more and more houses have been built up the valley, they haven’t upgraded the network underneath the pitch. What’s happening now is every winter it’s getting overloaded. My understanding is that the drains are shared sewage and fresh water, so when it rains it goes into the system and it blows.
“Welsh Water do some remedial work on the points where it has broken every year, but obviously then the following winter it just comes up at the next weakest point, so it’s just an endless cycle.”
He said Caerphilly Council, who are responsible for the pitch, have told the club that they’re off the pitch for three weeks. “That suggests there is sewage contamination on the pitch again,” Roch added.
The persistent problem is damaging the club’s finances, with revenue being lost for every game they’re unable to play at home. “Last year Llanhilleth were kind enough to let us play a lot of our games there, but then obviously spectators go back to Llanhilleth’s bar after the match, which is understandable, but that’s just a bit of the income we lose,” he said.
Roch said volunteers are also forced to fight for answers and action from Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and the council in their free time, something he said is like “wading through treacle”. He said Abercarn RFC has told authorities it is happy to move away from the Welfare ground for a season if it means full investigations and upgrades to the system can be made as a “long-term solution”.
A post on the club’s Facebook page read: “We are incredibly disappointed to confirm that The Welfare will be unplayable for at least the next three weeks following yet another period of heavy rainfall overwhelming the local sewer network.
“This is not a one-off. Season after season, the pitch at this council facility has been contaminated by a mixture of surface water and sewage because the drainage and sewer system simply cannot cope. Despite repeated requests for action to Caerphilly County Borough Council, Dŵr Cymru, and our elected representatives at both Senedd and UK Parliament level, the problem remains unresolved.
“The impact on our club is huge.
“While we do not maintain the ground itself, our volunteers and members do everything required to put teams on the pitch — organising fixtures, coaching, preparing players, and running the club week in, week out. All of that effort is now disrupted, and our players — currently pushing at the top of the league — face the prospect of playing ‘home’ fixtures away from home, at significant financial and logistical cost.
“Most importantly, this situation presents ongoing public health and environmental concerns, not just sporting inconvenience. Community clubs like ours exist for the benefit of local people of all ages. We should not have to face the same infrastructure failure every winter.
“We will continue to push for a long-term solution, not just temporary fixes. In the meantime, we thank our members, players, volunteers, and supporters for sticking with us — your backing means everything, especially in moments like this.”
Welsh Water and Caerphilly Council have been approached for comment. Welsh Water confirmed it was looking into the issue to provide an update.
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