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Preface
In the long dark months of a second Covid-19 induced lockdown, I finally decided to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard so to speak, and write a book that I’d been planning for a while. After 15 years of playing senior rugby union, I packed away my rugby boots a couple of years ago, although in all honesty, my retirement feels longer than just the two seasons. The temptation is to always go back, but so far, with the assistance of the pandemic, I’ve stayed away. As an English teacher, I’ve always been fond of my literature, so, following the old adage of ‘writing about what you know about’, penning a book about the idiosyncrasies of amateur Welsh rugby seemed like a good place to start and a decent way to relive some former glories, rather than lacing up the boots once more and chasing the shadows of the past.
Many past rugby players will attest that playing rugby offered them some of their most valuable and fondest memories and, for me, it’s no different. If you’ve played the game of rugby union, then you’ll know what I mean when I say that, whilst playing it, everyone has their day in the sun. Be it a whole season, a game, a try, a pass or a tackle, there will be individual moments that get replayed over and over in one’s mind for years afterwards and don’t seem to be diminished or dulled by time. Extending the metaphor of days in the sun, some players will have more sunny days than others, but, more significantly than moments of individual brilliance, there are also the collective experiences that shine brightly and bring players together and forge bonds between teammates that last long after the shrill of the ref’s whistle falls silent and the career curtains fall. It’s an amazing game, and one that has made and shaped the men and women who have played it.