Report as Swansea claim cup win

SRC Plate Final

RGC 13 – Swansea 29
Saturday 7 March 2026

RGC were unable to find the accuracy needed to secure victory in the SRC Plate Final, with handling errors proving costly against a clinical Swansea side.

The match started at a high tempo, with both teams looking to move the ball wide and attack down the edges.

Swansea opened the scoring through the boot of Josh Phillips, whose penalty gave the All Whites a 3–0 lead. From the restart, Swansea struck again. Building pressure immediately, they attacked from deep before Mat Protheroe crossed for the opening try to extend the lead to 8–0.

Momentum remained with the visitors as RGC were forced to defend for long periods. A strong scrum from the Gogs allowed them to clear from their own half, but handling errors prevented them from building sustained possession.

Swansea continued to apply pressure and were rewarded again when Protheroe ran a sharp line to take the pass and power over for his second try. Phillips added the conversion to push the lead to 15–0.

Around the 30-minute mark RGC entered the Swansea 22 for the first time. They worked close to the line but once again composure let them down, with a pass going to ground as the knock-on count continued to rise.

As half-time approached, the game began to open up with both sides using kicks to stretch the defence. RGC finally found a breakthrough when Billy McQueeny crossed the line after strong carries close to the try line. Billy McBryde converted to put the Gogs on the board.

McBryde then added a penalty right on the stroke of half-time, closing the gap to just five points at the break.

Early in the second half RGC were dealt a setback when Charlie Probert was shown a yellow card. Swansea started the half strongly and camped on the RGC line, but the home side managed to force a turnover to relieve the pressure.

RGC responded with a McBryde penalty, but Swansea soon struck again. Spotting space, Josh Phillips broke through the defensive line and raced away to score.

Despite moments of attacking promise, RGC struggled to build a consistent platform. Lineout issues and turnovers halted several promising moves, while handling errors continued to frustrate their efforts.

Phillips kept the scoreboard moving with another penalty as Swansea maintained control of the contest.

RGC continued to search for a way back into the match. Caio Parry chased his own kick down the wing, while a powerful break from Jessie Williams lifted the crowd as he stepped through defenders and surged into the Swansea half.

However, opportunities continued to slip away as possession was lost in contact or through knock-ons. Swansea capitalised on the pressure relief and added another Phillips penalty after RGC were caught offside.

Fittingly for much of the afternoon, the match ended with RGC attacking deep in the Swansea 22 before another knock-on halted the move just yards from the try line.

Despite their efforts and flashes of attacking intent, accuracy proved decisive as Swansea claimed the SRC Plate with a 29–13 victory.