anna southgate

Cardiff Rugby players Ellis Jenkins, Theo Cabango and Teddy Williams got together at the Arms Park recently to discuss healthy relationships, what men can do to help women feel safe, and the importance of having open conversations with male friends and colleagues.

The athletes were speaking as ambassadors for the Sound Campaign, a project which looks to raise awareness of early red flags in relationships by sounding out concerns with friends, getting sound advice from trusted sources, and being ‘sound as’, by modelling positive behaviours in day-to-day life.

The overall aim is to end all violence against women and girls across Wales.

Speaking about his involvement, Cabango said, “it can be hard sometimes, especially when you’re young. There’s lots of kids worried about their girlfriends or boyfriends, where they’re going and what they’re doing. I think a healthy relationship must have trust, and I think you need quite a lot of self-reflection too.”

Williams picked up on self-reflection, adding, “sometimes when emotions are high, in the heat of the moment, you might behave in a certain way and when you reflect you think, oh I could have dealt with that better.”

Jenkins, who married West End star Sophie Evans last year and recently became a father, wanted to address outdated ideas around masculinity.

“There are a lot of perceptions around ‘what it is to be a man.’ Challenging those stereotypes is important. It’s all about looking at how you’ve handled certain situations and accepting that perhaps you could’ve handled it better. It’s the realisation that none of us are going to be perfect all the time.”

Cabango highlighted the importance of men talking about relationships and asking one another for help.

“The rugby team, we’re like a family, you’re not going to agree on everything, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to take it in, take it onboard, and listen.”

Jenkins agreed. “Rugby has been a huge teacher for me really. I hear the young boys having conversations now that certainly would not have happened back when I was first coming through. People asking ‘how’s your head’ if someone has gone through a break-up or has an illness in the family or anything like that. It’s so encouraging to see the boys checking in on each other and making it so much more apparent that stuff might be going on, and that it’s ok.

The full conversation between the players, and more relationship advice and support can be found on the Sound Cymru YouTube page and social channels.

www.youtube.com/@SoundCymru

www.instagram.com/soundcymru

www.tiktok.com/@soundcymru

SW7 . . . The Company That has Sam Warburton’s Name and Number

For a player who always seemed so clear in his decision-making, Sam Warburton admits he was clueless after his rugby career ended.

He may have captained Wales to Six Nations titles, guided his country into two World Cups, twice led the Lions on tour, and always appeared to know which ruck to hit and which to guard.

But when it came to life after rugby at the age of 29, five years ago, that clear mindedness got lost in a fog.

“When I finished playing, I had no idea what I wanted to do,” he says. “I kind of took on four part-time jobs, but they quickly became more than part-time, and I was busy, really busy.

“I was coaching, doing TV work, a lot of public speaking, and running this business with the fitness app. But I also had a family with kids, and I realised I was trying to do too much.

“I was actually in a loo and saw a quote on the wall from Steve Jobs that urged people to get involved in things they feel passionate about. I thought, that’s true. It worked for me when I played rugby and I should do what I enjoy now, too.

“I realised, that what I was passionate about was fitness, and working with people to help get them fitter, healthier, and active. One of the things that convinced me was knowing I knew so much about this area because I’d been living it since I was 15.

“I knew how I wanted to help people and what myths I wanted to bust.”

The result was the SW7 Academy – a fitness, conditioning and nutritional programme delivered online, and in-person aimed at varying performance levels.

As well as general fitness programmes, Cardiff-based SW7 also offer specific rugby development programmes for both clubs and individual players.

Like many a business that began in 2020, the unseen impact of Covid lockdowns provided a huge challenge for Warburton and his colleagues, but also offered them lessons in how to adapt to changing circumstances.

“At one point, myself and my business partner were up all night into the early hours uploading the email addresses of 5,000 people because we didn’t have the proper technology.”

But the former Cardiff back row forward was convinced if he could get the technology right, then the business would grow.

“I knew we would be attractive to people because we want to help people succeed and feel good about themselves.

“I’d seen and heard about so many personal fitness instructors who thought their role was to break people, to crush their clients in order to improve them, but that always seemed a wrong approach to me.

“Who wants to be miserable just because they want to get fit? Training should make you feel good, not miserable. Short-term fixes that make you unhappy are not sustainable.”

Warburton and business partner Josh Davies now boast a five-strong team of trainers and currently have around 1,200 individual clients who are using their app.

Having moved into the area of clubs and schools, their client list is up to around 1,500 in total.

They also have ambitious plans to develop into the USA, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

“I like to think we are still only at the bottom of an upward curve,” says the man who was so persuasive on the rugby field, he famously once convinced a referee to change a penalty decision that turned a likely series loss for the Lions into a draw.

So, all that captaincy, all those years of experience of dressing room relationships and codes – how valuable has that background been in the cut-and-thrust of business?

“I remember asking this question to Ryan Jones after he went into the real world from rugby,” says Warburton.

“He told me the massive difference he noticed was that in the workplace, people are really scared about making mistakes. Whereas, on the rugby field, you accept you will make mistakes, but you do your best to fix them when they happen.

“We are now on our third app with this business. We quickly realised after 12 months we had outgrown the first one, the second one we thought would be good for the long term, until we knew it wouldn’t be.

“So, some business people can be cautious, but I think it’s about pushing the boat out and seeing how far you can go.

“I stick to my playing principles – be as accurate and efficient as possible, and always remain professional. But don’t be afraid of mistakes and embrace the opportunity to fix them as you go along.”

It’s a strategy he hopes will be as effective as it once was for him at Cardiff Arms Park and the Principality Stadium.

By Sportin Wales’ Co Founder and Welsh international rugby union player; Alex Cuthbert

Away From Rugby, it’s Racing That Really Gets my Blood Pumping

I’ve had a number of sporting ambitions over the years – some I’ve managed to fulfill, while others are destined to remain fantasy.

In the second category was my dream of being a jockey.

But at 6ft 6in and 110kg, it was always a long shot.

I don’t know whether or not you watch much horse racing, but the guys on board are not really shaped like me. There was always more chance of the horse getting around the racecourse on me, rather than the other way around.

Still, not being the next AP McCoy or Frankie Dettori has never dampened my enthusiasm for the sport and as November arrives and we go deep into the jumps season, my passion for racing is as strong as ever.

I rode as a show jumper for years as a kid, and my mum – who was also a very good horse rider – was a big influence in that.

I didn’t really get serious about rugby until I was around 17-years-old and before that riding dominated, including a love of racing.

As someone who lived near Cheltenham, I used to go to the races from a young age and I’ve even galloped around the place myself.

I did some pony racing as a kid, but as I grew taller and heavier my ambition to be a jockey sadly had to be shelved.

Not my love of horses and racing, though. I am lucky to have had ownership in a couple of horses, trained by the brilliant Welsh trainer Christian Williams, and then my interest continued when I played for Exeter.

Together with Jonny Hill, I own a mare which has had a foal by Schiaparelli, and another foal to Golden Horn. Former jockey Tom Scudamore is also involved with those, so it’s all pretty exciting.

Jonny, who I played with at Exeter, shares my love of racing and together we thought we would move into breeding.

Within a couple of years, we’ll have two yearlings, which will be very exciting as they are long term projects since we’re hoping they’ll be jumpers.

The horse Jonny and I had at Exeter was called Cottonvale. It used to finish second quite a lot, which was a bit like the team at the Chiefs at the time.

I really enjoy the whole day of going to a race meeting. Everyone is there to have a good time and the atmosphere at a place like Cheltenham is amazing.

But I also enjoy the smaller meetings, where you can go and watch the horses in the parade ring and appreciate what amazing animals they are.

If you have a little bet, then that gets the blood pumping a little more, but I also enjoy just going to meetings to catch up with friends. It’s a great place to socialise.

The more you get into the breeding side of things, the more you learn how fascinating the racing industry is.

You might not think it, but there’s quite a bit of symmetry between horse racing and rugby.

You are dealing with athletic performance, recovery, the onus is on peaking over a season and having certain big targets in mind.

That’s the process for a racehorse trainer or someone training a squad of rugby players. It’s about hitting those occasional high points.

With the Ospreys at present, the target is peaking through this next season with what is a very young squad.

When I first went back into training after my stint with Wales this summer, there must have been around 50 per cent of the squad who I didn’t really know.

Some of them are 13 years younger than me, so it’s a bit scary. It reminded me of when I first started out with Cardiff, except now I’m the old guy.

But we’ve all blended together and there are new developments to get excited about, like playing a home game against the Sharks at the Twickenham Stoop.

There is a sense of optimism around, and I think it stems from the fact that the game in Wales has moved on from the lows and all the uncertainty we had last season.

There are bound to be a few struggles over the next couple of years with a very young squad, but there are going to be big benefits for these young players in the long run.

There are huge games against the likes of Leinster and Munster, the South African teams, plus the Welsh derbies, so although the learning on the job has to be rapid, the progress will be there, too.

It’s not how you take the first fence. It’s whether you’re still there in the final furlong.

By Sportin Wales Co Founder and Wales Rugby Union Player GARETH ANSCOMBE

Life goes on, but I’ll admit here and now I was devastated to go out of the World Cup at the quarter-final stage.

That feeling was there for every Wales player out in France.

Losing to Argentina was a big, huge, missed opportunity. We knew it at the time, and we’ll all be feeling it for a while.

Had we made the semi-finals, it would have felt like a positive reflection of our efforts out in France. But to go out at the first knockout stage – especially to those opponents – felt an under-achievement.

No disrespect to the Pumas, they’re a decent team. But when you looked at the qualities of some of the teams we could have been playing in the last eight, you realise it was a chance that needed seizing.

I missed the match because I wasn’t fit after suffering a groin injury. It would have been touch-and-go to make the semi-final for me, but I felt my rehab was progressing.

So, that makes the defeat even more disappointing and frustrating.

My wife is pretty good at guiding me towards a positive outlook and so I have to look at the tournament as a whole and what I feel I achieved, personally.

That emphatic victory over Australia in the key pool game will always be memorable for me, a match I’ll always be proud of.

Walking around afterwards, sharing that moment with the fans and my kids, was pretty special. I’ll never forget it.

To be there in that euphoria, and experience it with my daughter and my son in my arms, was incredible.

If I had to pick one moment on the field to savour, it would probably be my chip kick to create the try for Nick Tompkins. It was a play that worked perfectly.

It also felt like the decisive blow against the Aussies at the time, when we had fully burst their bubble.

There was also another lovely family moment before the Georgia game, when I did a sit-down interview with S4C.

I was asked to do it at short notice the night before and I’ll admit I got a little grumpy with our media manager, Verity.

What I didn’t know was that it had been set up so my wife and kids could come in and surprise me. I had to give Verity a big hug of apology after that one.

It means a lot to every player when they can experience those special family moments. Our partners and children make sacrifices, so it’s right they should be able to share those memories.

But within a couple of days after losing to Argentina, we were back home and you’re left wondering: how did that happen?

Those are things all sports people find tough – the times when you put everything into an objective and it doesn’t work out.

These are the lows to go with the highs, and it can be a difficult thing to then pick up the threads with the regular week-by-week matches.

It will take every player time to adjust from the high of the Rugby World Cup, to going back into regional rugby. What’s fortunate for me is that I’ve now got something new and exciting to look forward to – my spell playing in Japan that is just about to begin.

I’ll be heading out there around the start of November, with the idea that I meet up with my new Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath teammates on November 6.

I aim to play some pre-season games and then be ready for the first match, which just happens to be against Liam Williams’ new team – Kubota Spears – on December 10.

Hopefully, I can the get ball out early to Cheslin Kolbe on the wing and he can do some damage against Liam’s team.

I won’t be available for the Six Nations this season, but as I’ve said before, I’m certainly not retiring from international rugby.

I’ve had initial conversations with Warren Gatland about my availability for the summer tour to Australia and we’ll see how that pans out.

But for the immediate future, with Dan Biggar retiring from Test rugby that means there is a Wales No.10 shirt up for grabs in the Six Nations in a few weeks’ time.

Sam Costello has shown a little bit of the huge potential he has, and I think it’s going to now do him the world of good to get a few Tests in the jersey.

He still has a lot to learn, but he’s a good kid with a good head on his shoulders and there are others who can come forward to challenge him.

The future’s bright. . . bright red.