What happened next for Neath after big setback and the new special relationship they now have with Welsh club

It has been seven months since Neath RFC's application to join Super Rygbi Cymru got rejected but the Welsh All Blacks insist they have landed on their feet and are thriving.

Despite a fiery social media campaign which included support from the likes of Jonathan Davies, Zinzan Brooke, Xavier Rush and even comedian Russell Kane, the Welsh Rugby Union chose Cardiff ahead of Neath as the 10th club in the SRC. The Welsh All Blacks now ply their trade in the Welsh Premiership, which is now considered top of the community game in Wales, rather than part of the professional tier.

This Saturday Neath host Pontypridd at The Gnoll (2.30pm) in a top-of-the-table clash described as the "biggest game in Wales this weekend".

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"I think it's the biggest game in Wales at the weekend," said Neath CEO Matty Young.

"We are trying to grow the brand of this league and we consider this one of the biggest games we've played over the last three or four years. We knew we were unlikely to get into the SRC, even from the off, but when it was only 10 clubs we thought we had a chance.

"We thought, 'OK, Aberavon have got in so we are isolated here and are going to have to go for it'. Truthfully we see ourselves more as a community club.

"Yes, we want to bridge the gap to professional rugby but ultimately we want to follow our heart. There was a big part of us that didn't want to go into the league anyway because we thought we may lose our identity.

"We also didn't know whether we'd lose our control of the club. I think what you've seen in the SRC is the branding is a mistake for the clubs.

"One of the things this league has allowed is our culture to grow, our players to bond and really become one. That resonates then into the town with our players becoming local heroes for the kids to aspire to and people to talk to after the game.

"I think a lot of SRC clubs are in danger of losing their identities."

For the majority of their history Neath were one of the biggest clubs in the British game, let alone Wales.

The likes of Shane Williams, Adam Jones, Paul Thorburn, Duncan Jones, Paul James and Jonathan Davies, among many others, have represented the Welsh All Blacks. Since Welsh rugby went down to five - then four - professional clubs in 2003 Neath became semi-professional like so many other famous sides.

Having missed out on the SRC Neath remained in the Welsh Premiership, which is at the top of the community game playing against the likes of Bonymaen, Narberth and Newcastle Emlyn. Despite the drop in status Neath claim they still attract crowds between 1,000 to 1,300. "In a way we have fallen on our feet," said club secretary and board member Mike Price.

"This division is exceeding expectation and spectator interest continues to grow. We are giving people what they want.

"It's a highly competitive division and the rugby is a similar standard to what we were playing last season. The players are immensely proud to represent their community.

"Neath and Pontypridd were the most successful clubs in the Premiership since the game went regional. Clubs like Narberth and Newcastle Emlyn present unchartered territory for the game.

"Llangennech and Bonymaen are also rising to the challenge. It's important to point out that 13 out of 19 previous Premiership winners exist outside of the SRC. If you look at Welsh Cup winners, 55 per cent of those are outside the SRC.

"From what I can see there's a great link with some of our players. They work all week and train in the night.

"We look after them as best as we can. Supporters work alongside them, see them around town and the club really matters to the local community.

"There's an over-concentration on the professional end of the game but Welsh rugby ignores clubs at this end of the game at its peril. Welsh rugby has a very delicate eco-system."

When former WRU CEO David Moffett took the game regional in 2003 the Welsh All Blacks merged with bitter rivals Swansea to form what was originally known as the Neath Swansea Ospreys but both historic club names have long been dropped. In recent years Neath's relationship with the Ospreys has deteriorated and they have even struck up a new working relationship with the Scarlets.

"When I came in last year fresh faced I expected the Ospreys to be our best mates but what transpired was basically nothing," said Young. "We would have liked to have had a good relationship with them and some support but there was just nothing.

"It kind of came to a crescendo with the SRC application and we got given a zero rating which meant they had no relationship with us. That was the nail in the coffin for us.

"They asked for a third party person to come down to ask if we can give them the lease which of course we said no to. It was just a very distant relationship to the point where we could tell they weren't interested.

"We felt ostracised. Thankfully we just had so many amazing sponsors come into this club over the last year.

"Some of those sponsors are connected to the Scarlets who we have formed a strong and healthy relationship with. That's nothing as dramatic as changing regions but they are the only pro club who have actually said rugby needs Neath and we want to help.

"That starts with them giving advice and supporting our coaches. It's nice to have genuinely a great club with great people who care and want to help. They feel we are part of the rugby community.

"They have offered for our head coach Tim Ryan to go up there and speak with Dwayne Peel who has helped him a lot. We have built a good relationship.

"We have aspirations at Neath to contribute to the rugby development in this area and whether that's going to be setting up junior or youth sides, but in order for us to do that we are going to need a professional side to guide us through that process.

"Hopefully that will be the Scarlets who will give us that advice and structure."

Neath are confident they can thrive in the Welsh Premiership and have some ambitious plans for the future.

"The last 18 months has been about rebuilding the culture more than anything and trying to understands what we represent," said Young. "We have tried to get back into the hearts and minds of people.

"We want to continue with that and work closely with local clubs around here. We want to represent the whole Neath area.

"If we all start working together we can thrive and dominate the Welsh Premiership. Hopefully as a result we can help the businesses and local area to thrive.

"I'd like to see us offer a good matchday experience and I'd love it to be a family place where all the community meet. I want to see us winning and at the top but not secondary to the part we play in the local community.

"I genuinely believe the SRC league misses Neath more than we miss them. I think our brand has helped the league and that's also the same for Pontypridd and Merthyr.

"We've been able to use our brands to promote the community game. We want to champion the community game and lead the way. We've embraced it.

"I see the community game as the heart of Welsh rugby."