Jets Crash and Burn Amidst Irish Fire

Aberavon Fighting Irish RLFC 44-14 South Wales Jets

Former JES Group Rugby Ltd League Conference winners South Wales Jets were brought crashing down to earth at the Lextan Gnoll on Saturday by a dominant performance from the Aberavon Fighting Irish Rugby League Club.

In the culmination to the 2025 open age season, this was the second consecutive Grand Final win by the Fighting Irish, consigning their fierce rivals from the Jets, to their 4th back-to-back defeat at the hands of the men in green.

Having made every Grand Final since their reformation and with an unbeaten season behind them, the Irish were reluctant favourites but earned that mantle by dominating events from the start. With Most Valuable Player (MVP) loose forward Conor O’Callaghan, along with forwards McLachlan, Price, Pope, Hines and captain Jackson punching holes in an overworked Jets defence, mercurial hooker Rees and half backs Evans & Pugh, sent the outstanding backline of Meaclem, Williams-Jones, Morgan, Francis and outstanding wing Jay Baker over for 6 of the Irish’s 8 tries.

With Baker collecting a personal haul of 4 tries and Pugh expertly converting 6 out of the 8 goal attempts, in what was considered a ‘needle’ encounter, the Irish completely controlled events from start to finish, only allowing former champions South Wales Jets in for consolation scores in a 44-14 final

The future is now bright for the Irish with entry into the RFL Betfred Challenge Cup Competition in January

Team: FIGHTING IRISH

1 Isaac Morgan

23 Lewis Francis

3 Iestyn Williams-Jones

4 Morgan Meaclem

5 Jay Baker

6 Ryan Pugh

7 Ioan Evans

8 Alan Pope

9 Cody Rees

10 Dylan Mclachlan