English: You won't believe this, Llywydd, but I was awful at sport in school. [ Laughter.] I recently played as a member of the Senedd team against the House of Commons/House of Lords, and we absolutely smashed them, and I rather feel it was my pass to Rhun ap Iorwerth that subsequently went to Andrew R.T. Davies, who went straight down in the ruck, and it went out on the left wing for a try, I think I contributed to that try. [ Laughter.] But in school, I was not interested in sport because I felt it was a team game, and the Chief Whip will know I'm not so good at team stuff sometimes. [ Laughter. ] And also, the focus was rugby and football - that was it. Our teacher was Huw Bevan who went on to great things as a coach, and is still going on to great things as a coach, but didn't encourage us. And I think what we need to remember is that sport isn't just about games and it isn't just about team games. I used to cycle to school over Gelligaer common and I used to go cycling regularly. None of that was part of the school activity, and I think in that sense, Heolddu Comprehensive School succeeded for me in so many different ways, but not in sporting activity. But it's worth remembering that Lauren Price, the boxer and former footballer - she's 26, so she's got 17 years on me - was a former pupil of Heolddu as well, so they must have been doing something right, and I suspect they've improved greatly in that time. I want to mention the fact that Welsh Government has a huge role to play in funding sport, not least through the funding of pitches. We've got, in my constituency, the Ystrad Mynach Centre for Sporting Excellence, which has 3G and 4G pitches, and it's where Cascade YC Ladies Football Club are currently playing. You fund also the FAW Trust, through Sport Wales, directly into football for men and women. Now, one of the things we did this morning - and I've been working cross-party with Delyth Jewell and Laura Anne Jones on this issue in our south-east Wales region - was we met with the FAW and Cascade ladies football club. We had quite a constructive meeting, and what the FAW conceded to me was that they were very poor at communicating their decision, which has already been mentioned by Tom Giffard, to relegate Cascade ladies, Abergavenny and Briton Ferry from the Welsh Premier Women's League. We are hugely disappointed by this in this Chamber. I believe that half the Members of the Senedd have signed our statement of opinion criticising that decision. We are not going to move from that position - we feel, still, it is the wrong decision to take - but what the FAW told us today is that they are unlikely to move from that position, although we ask you, Minister, to continue to put pressure. I know you've written to them, and I'd like some more information about that, but continue to put pressure on the FAW to reconsider the decision. What we need from the FAW in the future is communication with those clubs, because those clubs, particularly Cascade in the northern Valleys, is a club in a community that isn't blessed with huge sporting success. You can look to the Barry Towns and the - . I was going to call them 'Total Network Solutions'. What are they called, Jack? Yes, the New Saints. You can look at these clubs that are the marquee clubs in men's football. It is not acceptable, then, for them, because they've got those economies of scale, to become the women's clubs as well. We need to see clubs like Cascade succeed. So, what I've asked the FAW for is for them to open a very clear dialogue with Cascade, so that now they're in tier 2 south that they will be able to go back up again next season, if they're good enough, but based on sporting merit only. That is really important. And coming back to the motion, the way that this can be encouraged is by the Welsh Government continuing to invest in sporting facilities and the surrounding activities in our communities. As I say, Cascade are benefiting from that in the sporting centre of excellence. It is only fair that they continue to do so through sporting merit. So, that's the key point I want to make today, and if the FAW are watching, we are keeping our eye on this. We will continue to be working with our clubs in our communities, and we await constructive consultation and a response also to your letter, Minister.
Welsh: Ni fyddwch yn credu hyn, Lywydd, ond roeddwn yn ofnadwy mewn chwaraeon yn yr ysgol. [ Chwerthin.] Chwaraeais yn ddiweddar fel aelod o dîm y Senedd yn erbyn Tŷ'r Cyffredin/Tŷ'r Arglwyddi, a gwnaethom eu chwalu'n llwyr, ac rwy'n teimlo braidd mai fy mhàs i i Rhun ap Iorwerth a aeth wedyn at Andrew R.T. Davies, a aeth yn syth i lawr yn y ryc, cyn mynd allan i'r asgell chwith am gais, credaf imi gyfrannu at y cais hwnnw. [ Chwerthin.] Ond yn yr ysgol, nid oedd gennyf ddiddordeb mewn chwaraeon oherwydd roeddwn i'n teimlo mai gêm tîm ydoedd, a bydd y Prif Chwip yn gwybod nad wyf cystal gyda phethau tîm weithiau. [ Chwerthin. ] A hefyd, rygbi a phêl-droed oedd y ffocws - dyna ni. Ein hathro oedd Huw Bevan a aeth ymlaen i gyflawni pethau gwych fel hyfforddwr, ac sy'n dal i gyflawni pethau gwych fel hyfforddwr, ond ni wnaeth ein hannog ni. Ac rwy'n credu mai'r hyn sydd angen inni ei gofio yw nad gemau'n unig yw chwaraeon ac nid gemau tîm yn unig. Roeddwn i'n arfer beicio i'r ysgol dros gomin Gelligaer ac roeddwn i'n arfer mynd i feicio'n rheolaidd. Nid oedd dim o hynny'n rhan o weithgarwch yr ysgol, a chredaf yn yr ystyr honno, fod Ysgol Gyfun Heol-ddu wedi llwyddo i mi mewn cynifer o wahanol ffyrdd, ond nid mewn gweithgaredd chwaraeon. Ond mae'n werth cofio bod Lauren Price, y paffiwr a'r cyn-bêl-droediwr - mae hi'n 26 oed, felly mae ganddi fantais o 17 mlynedd arnaf - yn gyn-ddisgybl yn Heol-ddu hefyd, felly mae'n rhaid eu bod wedi gwneud rhywbeth yn iawn, ac rwy'n tybio eu bod wedi gwella'n fawr dros yr amser hwnnw. Hoffwn sôn bod gan Lywodraeth Cymru rôl enfawr i'w chwarae yn ariannu chwaraeon, yn enwedig drwy ariannu caeau. Yn fy etholaeth i, mae gennym Ganolfan Rhagoriaeth Chwaraeon Ystrad Mynach, sydd â chaeau 3G a 4G, a dyna lle mae Clwb Pêl-droed Cascade YC Ladies yn chwarae ar hyn o bryd. Rydych hefyd yn ariannu Ymddiriedolaeth Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru, drwy Chwaraeon Cymru, yn uniongyrchol i bêl-droed i ddynion a menywod. Nawr, un o'r pethau a wnaethom y bore yma - ac rwyf wedi bod yn gweithio'n drawsbleidiol gyda Delyth Jewell a Laura Anne Jones ar y mater hwn yn rhanbarth de-ddwyrain Cymru - oedd cyfarfod â Chymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru a chlwb pêl-droed menywod Cascade. Cawsom gyfarfod eithaf adeiladol, a'r hyn a gyfaddefodd Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru wrthyf oedd eu bod yn wael iawn am gyfleu eu penderfyniad, sydd eisoes wedi'i grybwyll gan Tom Giffard, i dynnu menywod Cascade, y Fenni a Llansawel o Uwch Gynghrair Merched Cymru. Mae hyn wedi ein siomi'n fawr yn y Siambr hon. Credaf fod hanner Aelodau'r Senedd wedi llofnodi ein datganiad barn yn beirniadu'r penderfyniad hwnnw. Nid ydym yn mynd i newid ein safbwynt ar hynny - teimlwn o hyd ei fod yn benderfyniad anghywir - ond yr hyn a ddywedodd Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru wrthym heddiw yw eu bod yn annhebygol o newid eu safbwynt hwy, er ein bod yn gofyn i chi barhau i roi pwysau, Weinidog. Rwy'n gwybod eich bod wedi ysgrifennu atynt, a hoffwn gael rhagor o wybodaeth am hynny, ond rwy'n parhau i roi pwysau ar Gymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru i ailystyried y penderfyniad. Yr hyn sydd ei angen arnom gan Gymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru yn y dyfodol yw cyfathrebu â'r clybiau, oherwydd mae'r clybiau hynny, yn enwedig Cascade yn y Cymoedd gogleddol, yn glwb mewn cymuned nad yw wedi ei bendithio gan lwyddiant chwaraeon enfawr. Gallwch edrych at Dref y Barri a'r - . Roeddwn i'n mynd i'w galw'n 'Total Network Solutions'. Beth yw eu henwau, Jack? Ie, y Seintiau Newydd. Gallwch edrych ar y clybiau sy'n glybiau marquee ym maes pêl-droed dynion. Nid yw'n dderbyniol felly eu bod yn dod yn glybiau menywod hefyd oherwydd bod ganddynt arbedion maint. Mae angen inni weld clybiau fel Cascade yn llwyddo. Felly, yr hyn y gofynnais i Gymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru ei wneud yw agor deialog glir iawn gyda Cascade, fel y byddant, a hwythau bellach yn haen 2 y de, yn cael mynd yn ôl i fyny eto y tymor nesaf os ydynt yn ddigon da, ond yn seiliedig ar safon eu chwarae'n unig. Mae hynny'n bwysig iawn. Ac i ddychwelyd at y cynnig, y ffordd y gellir annog hyn yw bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i fuddsoddi mewn cyfleusterau chwaraeon a'r gweithgareddau o'u cwmpas yn ein cymunedau. Fel y dywedais, mae Cascade yn elwa o hynny yn y ganolfan ragoriaeth chwaraeon. Nid yw ond yn deg eu bod yn parhau i wneud hynny drwy safon eu chwarae. Felly, dyna'r pwynt allweddol rwyf am ei wneud heddiw, ac os yw Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru yn gwylio, rydym yn cadw ein llygad ar hyn. Byddwn yn parhau i weithio gyda'n clybiau yn ein cymunedau, ac rydym yn aros am ymgynghoriad adeiladol ac ymateb hefyd i'ch llythyr, Weinidog.