Female Focus: Brengain Fflur (Football and Netball)

Brengain is a member of the new Llanfairfechan ladies recreational football team, but also has a strong background in netball, having played the sport for more than 10 years and been manager for CLŴB PÊL-RWYD TAWE at Swansea University.

Before the sport a personal question. Please tell us about your unusual but charming name. Not heard of it before, what’s the story behind it, I guess you get asked a lot?

It’s an old Celtic name, and there’s an old Welsh tale called Trystan ac Esyllt with a similar story to that of Romeo and Juliet. And there’s argument that the maid that helped Trystan and Esyllt be together was called Brengain!

Llanfairfechan ladies are part of the new North Wales Ladies Recreational Football League. Do you feel this is a good thing for the community and how much are you looking forward to being involved?

I think it’s a fantastic thing! It’s brilliant that there is something available for the ladies of Llanfairfechan to do sport-wise and it’s a brilliant way of getting the women of the community together as well as strengthening the bond with the men’s football team. I’m very much looking forward to the next few months being a part of the club.

Llanfairfechan is well-known for its men’s football teams who have enjoyed plenty of success over the years. Have you as a ladies squad had good support from the guys in what you are starting up?

We’ve definitely had a lot of support. I only started the end of September and can already see the support we get from many of the men’s football team. A lot come along to support our matches.

What’s your best position? How much football experience do you have?

So far I’ve been a defender, a position I’m comfortable with as this was my position in netball too! I’d like to try as a midfield or on the wing but there’s so many amazing players in those positions already so I’m very happy being in defence. I haven’t had much experience playing football, I played a few matches in primary and high school but nothing major.

Do you have any favourite footballers – male or female – what do you admire about them?

Since the success of the women’s World Cup I really liked watching Lucy Bronze play, I thought she was admirable and a big part of the England team throughout their campaign. I do watch more of the men’s football matches and think that Daniel James has so much potential.

Now for some netball. How long have you been playing netball? What attracted you to the sport?

I’ve been playing netball since I was 10 so more than 10 years now! I only got into it because it was the main sport offered to girls in my primary school but as soon as I played a match I loved it.

How did you come to manage Clŵb Pêl-Rwyd Tawe? How’s the experience been? Have you enjoyed any success as a team?

In my third year at university the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol approached me asking if I’d be interested in being a part of a Welsh netball team. I jumped at the chance, then volunteered as a coach as they couldn’t find someone. In my Masters year I decided to make the club an official society within the university so carried on coaching and organised kits and matches etc. As a new team we concentrated on training new players and we came second in a tournament between Bangor, Aberystwyth and Cardiff universities which I was very proud of.

Who are your netball idols? Do you watch a lot of the sport on TV? What did you think of the recent World Cup?

My first time watching netball on TV was the Commonwealth Games and I enjoyed watching both Wales and England play I though they were both fantastic teams. I watch more rugby and tennis on TV than any other sport, they are both entertaining sports. I didn’t get much chance to watch the recent netball World Cup due to my university workload but from what I heard and read it was a fantastic competition.

What sort of a sport is netball? What skills do you need to be good at it? Is it physically demanding?

It’s definitely competitive but a non-contact sport at the end of the day. There are a lot of skills needed but to me the most important are being able to read the game, move the ball quickly, team work and communication. Similar to football. It can be physically demanding but depends on the competition. If they are slow and no energy your team are going to be the same but if it’s quick paced and full of energy it’s definitely physically demanding! It’s a long game, 4 quarters each varying 12-15 mins with a couple minutes break in between.

Do you feel media coverage of netball has improved? We see plenty of it now on Sky TV with the Superleague – and the internationals seem to be well-covered….

It definitely has improved but I think it could be covered better. One of the reasons I didn’t watch the World Cup was because I didn’t have access to Sky whereas the Commonwealth Games were on the BBC. It’s easier with other sports if they’re on Sky as most local pubs show them. It’s not the same with netball, therefore we should have easier access at home

As you have finished university now, will you be continuing your association with Clŵb Pêl-Rwyd Tawe? What are your career plans? Will you stay involved in the game if the Swansea experience is over?

It’s difficult to say as I won’t be down in Swansea but I said at the end of the season whenever they need help, be it drill ideas, coaching tips or games tips I’d always be happy to help. If I’m down for the weekend and they have a match I’d be happy to stand in if need be. I am planning on working within either the media or marketing industry (depending what jobs are available) so a bit different from netball and football. Yes I will definitely still be involved in the game, I’ve already joined a club in Llandudno and hopefully can be a member of one of the league teams by December.

What are your future ambitions as a sportswoman?

I want to increase my fitness definitely, carry on playing netball and work on my football skill to become a vital member of the team. I’ve always liked playing team sports and I plan to continue doing this.

RANDOM FUN QUESTIONS……

Best country visited

Cape Verde although Italy is a close second.

Favourite chocolate

Dairy Milk whole nut

Best film seen this year

Bohemian Rhapsody but might change after watching Downton Abbey

Current favourite song

Higher Love – Kygo and Whitney Houston

Are you typical of your zodiac sign

Don’t really follow them so couldn’t say!

Favourite TV show

Game of Thrones but I also love Great British Bake Off

TV show you dislike most

TOWIE

Best quality as a person

Kind and dependable

Worst fault

Try to please everyone

Best live show/concert seen

BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Swansea May 2018

Favourite sportsperson

Roger Federer (down to earth and a great tennis player)

Tell us something about you we might not know

I’ve had cataracts since I was born, so if I do something wrong in a match blame that hahaha.