Glamorgan's David Lloyd Claims Promotion Heartbreak Is Driving Their Division One Ambitions
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
After returning to the cold weather in Wales from their Zimbabwean preseason tour, Glamorgan captain David Lloyd insists that his side is ready to warm up the Welsh capital, as they begin their promotion push for Division One in the LV= County Championship this month.
Glamorgan missed out on promotion to Division One last year by just nine points, with Middlesex CCC sealing promotion during the final game week.
Despite that disappointment, Glamorgan will certainly take plenty of positives from their campaign, having picked up six wins and recorded just three losses from their 14 games. And Lloyd believes his team has what it takes to go that extra step this season.
Since taking over the Glamorgan captaincy in the four-day and T20 formats last year, Lloyd has continued to impress with the bat. But the 30-year-old will be hoping he can continue to balance his roles as he aims to help his side compete across all formats this year.
Lloyd is the first Glamorgan cricketer born in North Wales to captain the side since Wilf Wooller back in 1947. Regarding the honour, he said: “It’s important for me, being from North Wales, to give girls and boys from across the North of the country belief, to show that it is possible to have a career.
“It’s a huge honour to captain the club again. It’s something when you’re a young boy you dream of, firstly playing for Glamorgan and then to captain the side now is beyond that.”
“Without my parents, I wouldn’t probably be here today in terms of what they gave up. Coming from North Wales, they would bring me down to Cardiff almost every weekend, so I’m very grateful to them for that.
“I am very lucky in terms of the number of leaders we have on the pitch here, especially in the slip cordon. Chris Cooke is keeping, then I’m at first slip, and Sam Northeast is at second slip.
“Kiran Carlson is always on hand, even though he is a young guy; he’s already got plenty of experience, and Marnus will be in my ear, mainly to get on to bowl, but it’s a really good mix.”
On his own game, Lloyd hopes to build on an impressive season last year, having scored 313* against Derbyshire, the highest total by a Glamorgan captain.
“It’s still a bit of a blur, to be honest. Looking back now, I have to think to myself, ‘Did that really happen?’ It’s great to have that blueprint to look back on, but I want to experience it again and keep scoring runs,” said Lloyd.
“Ahead of this year, it’s all about keeping grounded. I’ve probably worked harder than ever, and I’m still tinkering around with things because I’m always trying to improve.
“Opening the batting can be difficult, as you do get good balls, and things can be a bit harder, but it’s just trying to stick with that process.”
Impressive performances from Lloyd himself, Sam Northeast, Colin Ingram, and Michael Neser will give Glamorgan fans plenty of belief that their team can push on this season.
With Australia’s world-beating batsman Marnus Labuschagne returning to the Welsh county, there is certainly enough positivity to support the idea that another potential promotion push is possible in the red ball format.
Not only are the big-name players performing well, but the younger players who are coming through are hitting their stride at the right moment.
The 50-over captain Kiran Carlson continues to pile on the runs, while Daniel Douthwaite, Tom Bevan, and Alex Horton are all putting in performances that will have Maynard scratching his head regarding team selection.
Lloyd said, “It is important to see Welsh youngsters coming through the system, playing alongside the more experienced members of the squad. Last season shows there is an opportunity if you put in the hard work in.
“There are some really exciting lads coming through. It’s an exciting year for the likes of Tom Bevan, Alex Horton, and Daniel Douthwaite.
“There’s a good core group of young lads in the squad, and they are going to get chances with a squad being smaller.
“You always want to see young lads come into the squad, especially as a Welsh County, so yeah, it’s exciting times, and I’m sure they’ll all get opportunities at some point this year.”
Glamorgan have been boosted with the arrival of Australian internationals Labushagne and Neser and Lloyd hopes they can use their international experience to push the squad forward.
The 30-year-old said: “We had a great time in Zimbabwe during preseason, and the lads are really excited to get going. Marnus (Labuschagne) and (Michael) Neser arrived a couple of days ago, which is a huge boost for us.
“They have been in training and they’re ready to go, ahead of a really important summer for the pair, with the Ashes coming up. Just having those two in the squad lifts everyone.
“Obviously, they are two very good players who bring a lot to our dressing room. The standard rises as soon as they arrive, and they really drive training and performance through their leadership.
“We are obviously delighted to have them. I’ve spoken to the pair briefly and they are desperate to get going.”
With competition in Division Two of the Championship on the rise, Glamorgan will need to tap into the full potential of their younger players, as well as leaning on the experience of their more seasoned pros, if they are to secure promotion.
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Jonathan Phillips Targets Dream Farewell By Leading GB To World Championship
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
In Ice Hockey,
Jonathan Phillips, the captain of Great Britain, is hoping for the perfect ending to his career by leading his team to the highest tier of ice hockey’s World Championship.
The upcoming World Championship Division 1 Group A event, which begins on Saturday, will take place on GB’s home in Nottingham.
Phillips, who is the most experienced player on the Great Britain team, will be retiring at the age of 40 after their last game on May 5th.
With only the top two sides qualifying for the 2024 World Championship, Phillips’ side will face a tough challenge competing against Lithuania, Korea, Poland, and Romania. However, Phillips remains confident that his side can get the job done in Nottingham.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Phillips said, “Our main goal is to win gold and promotion. It’s a very tight, strong group, and GB has not often been one of the top seeds. So we really have to focus on ourselves and keep pushing the pace.”
In Squash,
Joel Makin and Tesni Evans lead Wales’ men’s and women’s teams into the European Team Championships in Helsinki this weekend.
The men’s team, is made up of Commonwealth Games silver medalist Joel Makin, Emyr Evans, Owain Taylor, Elliot Devred, Peter Creed, and Rhys Evans, will fancy their chances with a very strong squad.
The women’s side has also picked a strong lineup, with Evans, a Commonwealth Games bronze medalist, Em Whitlock, Lowri Roberts, and Stacey Gooding.
In Hockey, Wales’ Jacob Draper, Rupert Shipperley, and Toby Reynolds-Cotterill will be hoping that their Great British side can continue their excellent start to the FIH Pro League when they face New Zealand this weekend.
In the last match between the two sides, Great Britain sealed a dominant 5-2 victory, with Shipperly adding the fifth, which sealed an excellent win for his side. GB then edged past Australia with a 2-1 win, helping the side move up to third place in the Pro League table.
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Dwayne Peel Encourages His Side To Play Without Fear While Ioan Cunningham Seeks Progress
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
The Scarlets have been told to play without fear by Dwayne Peel as they welcome Glasgow Warriors to Parc y Scarlets this Saturday for their European Challenge Cup semi-final.
It is set to be a huge occasion in Llanelli this weekend, with a bumper crowd expected to urge on the Scarlets as they aim to book a spot in the final, which will be held in Dublin, Saturday May 19.
Head coach Peel knows all about the heartbreak of the European Cup, having played a part in Heineken Cup semi-final losses in 2002 and 2007 against Leicester Tigers on both occasions.
But the former scrum-half insists his side can build on their success in 2023 to reach their first European final.
Peel said: “You have to be bold and go and win the game in semi-finals, not sitting on or protecting leads.
“We have to try and go and play, and that’s what I will try and encourage the players to do. I am sure it will be a great occasion with a good crowd, so it will be fantastic for them.
“Results-wise, it’s been a good 2023 so far, but we want to finish strong, and we’ve got a big opportunity at home to do that.”
Ioan Cunningham’s Wales side will also be looking for an important win in Europe this weekend as they face a tough Italian side in Rome.
The women’s side will be looking to finish off their Six Nations campaign with a bang, where they will be seeking their third win of the tournament, having already beaten Ireland and Scotland.
Progress is key for Cunningham, who has helped to shape the rise in women’s rugby in Wales over the past two years as head coach.
Wales finished third in the Six Nations last year, and despite defeats against England and France, two of the leading nations in the women’s game, Cunningham believes backing up last year’s excellent Six Nations campaign would be more than enough progress from his side.
“Our goal at the start of the TikTok Six Nations was to have two wins heading into the final game against Italy,” said Cunningham.
“We have made no secret of the fact that we have targeted three wins in this tournament.
“The players, coaches, and staff have all worked extremely hard to get us to where we are now with the final game to play, and we know we have made significant strides during this tournament.
“Italy have won the last two games against us and are two places above us in the world rankings, but we are excited about the challenge ahead of us. We are where we wanted to be, facing Italy on their home turf.”
The Indigo Premiership continues to heat up after a nail-biting WRU Premiership cup final between Cardiff and Newport last weekend at the Principality Stadium.
The Rags snatched a 13-10 win in the closing moments of the game, with a stunning effort from Joe Goodchild in the corner.
Steve Law’s side will be hoping to continue their rich form with a win against Ebbw Vale at the Ciner Glass Community Stadium as they look to cement top spot ahead of the playoffs.
Elsewhere Newport secured fourth spot as they were awarded a 20-0 bonus point victory over Llanelli, while seventh-placed RGC host Swansea RFC, who have just one win from their last 10 games.
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Swansea Look To Keep Their Playoff Dreams Alive As Wrexham Hope To Continue Breaking Records
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
Swansea City will hope to continue their stunning run by defeating Hull this weekend, with Liam Cullen insisting his team must be ruthless.
The Swans are unbeaten in their last seven games, having earned 19 points from six wins and one draw, including a fantastic 3-0 victory over Norwich last week.
Although a late push for the Championship Play-Offs may seem unlikely, Swansea still remain in the hunt for a top-six spot, thanks to their excellent recent form.
Cullen said, “It may be the case that we get to the end of the season and wish there were another game or two to come.
But the focus for us has to be on keeping the momentum going, keeping this run going, and just seeing where it takes us.
There are two games to go, and we want to keep pushing all the way to the last minute of the last game, making sure we have plenty of positives to take forward into the summer.”
Cardiff will face Huddersfield this weekend, as both teams look to avoid relegation from the Championship.
The Bluebirds left it late but took a crucial step towards survival with a 2-1 win over Rotherham on Thursday. It was the second time Cardiff had travelled to the New York Stadium in recent weeks, but Sabri Lamouchi’s side held on to take a crucial win away from home.
Kion Etete put Cardiff ahead early on, but Chiedozie Ogbene equalized for Rotherham shortly after the half-hour mark.
Sory Kaba missed his second penalty in recent weeks, hitting the bar just before half-time, adding to Cardiff’s woes.
The game ended in a frantic fashion, with Etete’s late effort being denied, but Cedric Kirpe showed incredible composure to rifle in a half-volley, securing a well-earned victory for Cardiff and moving them six points away from the relegation zone.
Newport County and Gillingham are separated by only one point in 14th and 15th place in League Two, going into their weekend fixture at the Priestfield Stadium.
County’s inconsistent season continued as they fell to a 3-2 loss against Harrogate Town on Wednesday, despite an impressive 3-1 win over Doncaster the previous weekend.
Newport will take confidence into the game, having beaten Gillingham 2-0 in their last meeting at Rodney Parade. However, Gillingham head into the game unbeaten in their last three games, hoping to push for a top-half finish to the season.
Wrexham travel to Torquay for their final game of the season, having already secured the National League title and with the chance to extend their record points total to 113.
It remains to be seen whether manager Phil Parkinson will stick with his favoured starting eleven or give squad members a chance to impress. Wrexham could seal the fate of relegation-threatened Torquay with a win this weekend.
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Clive Brown Honoured With Lifetime Achievement Award
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
Clive Brown Honoured With Lifetime Achievement While Harriet Lockley Continues Her Fine Form
The Masters at Augusta is often dubbed as the showpiece event of the golf calendar, and this year’s action showed again just why the course is beloved by many.
Wales was not represented in the field, but the Welsh flag would have been waved passionately by Clive Brown, a former Wales and Great Britain captain.
Brown is currently the captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. As part of his role, the Welshman regularly attends the biggest events in the sport of golf.
After heavy winds and a deluge of rain halted play during round three of the tournament, the action quickly got back into life, with Spain’s Jon Rahm holding off Phil Mickelson, Bruce Koepka, and Jordan Spieth to claim the famous green blazer.
It has been an exciting few weeks for Brown, who has since been awarded Wales Golf’s lifetime achievement prize in Wales Golf’s annual award ceremony, staged at the 2010 Ryder Cup venue, the Celtic Manor.
The award recognised the 71-year-old’s long and successful amateur career, which saw him captain Wales and the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team in their 1995 victory against the USA at Royal Porthcawl.
Llanishen Golf Club picked up the Club of the Year accolade, and Matt Parsley of Conwy Golf Club received the Manager of the Year award.
Gracie Mayo from Royal Porthcawl and Archie Davies from Carlisle, who are both Welsh internationals currently enrolled in college in the United States, were honoured with the PING Female and Male Amateur Golfer of the Year awards, respectively.
The Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Brett Walker of Carmarthen Golf Club, while Gareth Howell of Pyle and Kenfig was recognised as the PGA Development Professional of the Year. In addition, Nefin was declared the Junior Club of the Year and awarded a £250 grant from The Golf Foundation.
Harriet Lockley has continued her fine form by winning the Comboy Scratch at Delamere Forest Golf Club in Cheshire. While in the same event, Wales’s Annabel Collis finished in third place and recorded the lowest round at the same event.
Lockley backed up that performance with her second tournament win just days later at the Leveret Trophy, held at the historic Formby Ladies Golf Club.
The young Welsh golfer now heads to France as she qualified for the last 32 of the French International Lady Juniors Amateur Championship.
Meanwhile, in Wales, the competition season has well and truly begun as the 2023 Ping Junior Tour got underway at Mold Golf Club.
Sam Matthews and Efan Rees were victorious in the under 14 and under 12 categories, respectively, while Sam Sheard and Rory Grocott picked up wins in the under 10 and under 8 fields.
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Sportin Reviews : The Toptracer Range At The Celtic Manor Resort’s Golf Academy
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
We spent the afternoon at The Celtic Manor Resort’s Toptracer Range with our co-founders Alex Cuthbert and Gareth Anscombe.
It is the ultimate practice tool, taking the guesswork out of range sessions by offering an engaging, data-driven experience that appeals to everyone. Technology and swing stats once considered exclusive to the pros are now accessible—and enjoyable—to all.
Highlights of what Sportin Wales loved about the tool
- Great tool for improving technique
- Complimentary to the Welsh weather – it allows rain-free practice in the winter months
- A great social activity, and something a bit different
- Food and drink to your table is super convenient and allows un-interrupted practice
What Alex said…
‘’It’s a great tool for noticing the inaccuracy of your swing and really spending time on working on improving it. Great for socializing with a mate too.’’
What Gareth said…
‘’A brilliant tool for practice, so many great courses to play, and perfect for a winter in wet Wales.’’
The technology allows you to play virtual games and plot your way around famous golf courses from around the world, adding variety to a solo practice session or creating fun experiences for a family or group of friends.
You can also order a range of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages to enjoy whilst you swing, as well as a bacon bap.
It’s a thumbs up from us.
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Golden Girl Gemma And Deeside Among Big Winners On Welsh Gymnastics Awards Night
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
Commonwealth Games gold medalist Gemma Frizelle and Deeside Gymnastics Academy were among the big winners on a night of celebration for Welsh Gymnastics.
After a three-year hiatus, Welsh Gymnastics’ National Awards made their long-awaited return with a formal dinner at the Vale Resort, Hensol. For the first time since January 2020, it gave the governing body the opportunity to recognise and celebrate the achievements of gymnasts and outstanding contributions of clubs and individuals to gymnastics in Wales – from January 2020 to December 2022. They were also able to toast the passion, dedication and commitment of all those who have contributed to the sport and the wider community in so many different ways.
The evening saw Gemma Frizelle crowned Gymnast of the Year. Gemma (Llanelli Rhythmic Academy) wrote her name into Welsh Gymnastics folklore last summer when she won a gold medal in the rhythmic gymnastics hoop final at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Competing at her second Commonwealths, it saw Gemma make history by becoming the first gymnast to win hoop gold for Team Wales at the Games. It was also only the second time a Welsh gymnast had won Commonwealth gold, following on from Frankie Jones’ ribbon gold at Glasgow 2014. Her gold medal winning routine was played again in full with Nessun Dorma reverberating around the Vale!
Deeside, meanwhile, were named Club of the Year and were presented with their award by Sport Wales CEO Brian Davies. The club’s world was turned upside down at the start of the pandemic when they had to move out of their leisure centre home, which was repurposed as a Covid Nightingale hospital, at short notice. Despite being left without a home and anxiously facing an uncertain future, the club still went above and beyond, putting on online training six days a week for all gymnasts, as well as other regular fun online events for gymnasts and their families. In the meantime, Deeside’s coaches and directors pulled together to raise funds to secure a new home and, in June 2021, moved into their new facility – which has had a massive positive impact in the local community.
There were also plenty of other awards on an evening full of celebration, which began with a look back to reflect on the past three years, right from the beginning of Covid, before moving on to recognise all those gymnasts who have earned international recognition for Wales during that time, through the disciplines.
Other award winners on the night included women’s artistic gymnast Ruby Evans (Clwb Cymru Caerdydd), who won Emerging Talent of the Year, while Paul Edwards from Olympus Gymnastics Club in Wrexham won the Performance Coach of the Year award.
Harrison Harris, from Valleys Gymnastics Academy, collected Young Leader of the Year while the Unsung Hero award went to Kathy Jefferies. Kathy has always been an advocate for Welsh Schools and promoting gymnastics. Hundreds of school children have participated in gymnastics competitions over the past couple of decades because of Kathy.
The Gym For All Award won by St Tydfils Gymnastics Club in Merthyr Tydfil while YMCA Barry’s Gareth Slocombe picked up Community Coach of the Year.
The evening also gave Welsh Gymnastics the opportunity to formally recognise some of those people who went above and beyond for the gymnastics community during the Covid-19 lockdowns – in the shape of a Lockdown Heroes award. The panel were unable to pick a winner from the four nominees so it was decided that Lauren Jones (Ruthin & Denbigh), Leah Whiffin (Cardiff Central Youth Club), Sharon Evans (Carmarthenshire School of Gymnastics) and Neath Afan Gymnastics Club would all be joint winners of the prize!
There was also a chance to look back to last summer and recognise the 13 gymnasts, along with the coaches and support staff, who represented Team Wales at Birmingham 2022 with three of them, Lauryn Carpenter, Poppy-Grace Stickler and Jacob Edwards then getting up on stage to re-live some of those memories.
However the final round of warm applause of the evening belonged in special recognition of outgoing Welsh Gymnastics Board member, Dr Lisa Gannon. There was a heartfelt video tribute played out on the big screen from Lisa’s long-time friend and former Welsh Gymnastics Chair, Helen Phillips, before a montage of images from Lisa’s life and in the sport before she then spoke to host Sam Lloyd about her life in gymnastics, as a broadcaster and as an academic. Current Chair Beverley Smith then offered a few words to Lisa as well as a gift before one final round of applause to finish the evening’s formalities.
Congratulations to all of the award winners, who were as follows:
Lockdown Heroes: Lauren Jones (Ruthin & Denbigh), Leah Whiffin (Cardiff Central), Sharon Evans (Carmarthenshire School of Gymnastics) and Neath Afan Gymnastics Club.
Gym For All: St Tydfils
Community Coach: Gareth Slocombe (YMCA Barry)
Young Leader: Harrison Harris (Valleys Gymnastics Academy)
Unsung Hero: Kathy Jefferies (Welsh Schools)
Emerging Talent: Ruby Evans (Clwb Cymru Caerdydd)
Performance Coach of the Year: Paul Edwards (Olympus Gymnastics Club)
Club of the Year: Deeside Gymnastics Academy
Gymnast of the Year: Gemma Frizelle (Llanelli Rhythmic Academy)
Special Recognition: Dr Lisa Gannon
Members of Deeside Gymnastics Academy with Sport Wales CEO Brian Davies.
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Wales Men And Women Crowned World Deaf Rugby Sevens World Cup Champions
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
Wales men and women completed the double by being crowned World Deaf Rugby Sevens World Cup champions in Cordoba, Argentina.
It is the first time Wales women had reached the final, beating England 32-0. Wales men successfully defended their title against Australia with a a 20-5 victory, sealing a third successive title.
The tournament was the third Deaf Rugby World Cup and Wales men had won both previous competitions.
Wales men beat Argentina 25-5 in the quarter-finals before seeing off last time’s finalists, England, 14-5 in the semis.
Wales women had already beaten England in the pool stage, 19-0, with a 36-0 win over Australia and a walkover against Barbarians making it a clean sweep.
Rhodri Garland, Assistant Branch Manager at TP Aberdare has just returned from the tournament. He formed part of the 12-man squad that defended their title.
Rhodri said:
“I have been wearing hearing aids for six years and have been into rugby since I was old enough to kick a ball.” While he plays both rugby league and rugby union, he came across Wales Deaf Rugby almost by accident when a friend persuaded him to put himself forward for trials. Wales Deaf Rugby offers deaf and hard-of-hearing rugby players the opportunity to play international rugby for Wales. And that’s exactly what Rhodri’s done.
“I had successful trials back in 2019 and was selected to play for the squad in 2020 where I got my first Welsh caps. My Regional Director and Branch Manager have been really supportive – they’ve arranged player sponsorship and helped me secure the time off I needed to take part in competitions,” Rhodri added.
Huge congratulations to Rhodri and the men and women of the World Deaf 7’s. What a fantastic achievement.
If you’d like to hear more about Rhodri and the World Deaf 7s you can catch up on the interview with S4C online on BBC iPlayer.
We wish Rhodri more luck in the future as he’s just received confirmation that he’ll be playing against England in the summer as well as being re-selected to play for Wales Rugby League in Home Nations matches later this year..
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Welsh Surfer Logan Nicol Takes On Europe’s Best Surfers In World Surf League
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
The 23-year-old from Cardiff has enjoyed an impressive few seasons since joining the WSF in 2017. Nicol is a two time Welsh Nationals Champion, having won the tournament in 2021 and 2022, and has represented both Wales Great Britain in senior Championships.
How did you get into surfing?
Coming from Cardiff, none of my mates surfed. It was my dad who was really keen on it. I remember the first time I surfed; my dad had just bought me my first board before we went down to Porthcawl. I was just trying it out, but I fell in love with it. For some reason, we had only one board for me and my dad. One of us would stand on the beach while the other went in.
Can you just tell me a little bit about your career?
I was never a great junior; I didn’t really stand out. I was probably a bit deluded at times, thinking that I would be good, but I just kept enjoying it, I kept going and one day things started to click.
I hadn’t won a contest before I was 18. Then I won the junior on the UK Pro Tour, and I won back-to-back Welsh Nationals titles in 2021 and 2022, which allowed me to represent Wales. Surfing for Wales has been a massive privilege.
The Welsh Nationals titles were a big goal for me when I was younger, but as I got older and my goals shifted, I now want to be one of the best surfers in Europe.
Last year, I represented Great Britain at the ISA World Games, which is part of the Olympic pathway. So I’ve kind of got my sights set on that route at the moment. There’s plenty of work to be done.
What do you do when you are not competing?
I work at the surf school in Porthcawl, on the same beach I got started. It’s nice to give back to the surfing community in Wales.
I know when I am competing that I get plenty of support, so it’s great to give back and help more people get involved in the sport.
I remember that feeling, becoming hooked on surfing. Teaching and looking back to those memories gives me plenty of motivation to continue to improve. I think back to those moments and remember why I got involved in surfing in the first place. Competition time can be draining sometimes, so being able to look back is important.
What motivates you?
My will to improve is pretty strong. I really love the feeling of getting better at something.
You get better every time you go surfing, so I really like that part about it. You get out as much as you put in. If you are training a lot, it makes a difference to your surfing, but also, I just love it. Surfing is my passion.
How do you reflect on your performances over the past few months?
It’s been a really exciting period. Patrick Langdon-Dark and I represented Great Britain at the World Games back in September.
There was a massive sense of pride that out of the surfing scene in the UK, two of the three members of that squad were Welsh, which is huge for Welsh surfing.
I am also currently competing against the best surfers in Europe and I’m aiming to qualify for the World Surf League (WSL) through the European Men’s Qualifying Series.
I’m competing around Europe, travelling to all the events that I can to acquire enough points to hopefully be within that top seven in Europe so I can compete against the world’s best.
What’s coming next for you?
My main focus is to be in the top seven in Europe, but I’ve got a series of little goals that I would like to achieve. Representing Britain again is a big goal. Becoming a full time professional would be huge for me. I could then travel as much as I can to improve myself and test myself against the world’s best.
What are your thoughts on the future of Welsh Surfing?
It’s a really exciting time for Welsh Surfing. We are seeing Welsh surfing businesses, surf shops and surf schools around Wales really growing at the moment. I think we are in a real growth period at the minute, which is great.
I work in a surf school, so I see the amount of people coming down for lessons and it’s ridiculous. It’s amazing to see, but we need to build on that interest to continue to develop top young surfers to compete.
As much support as possible needs to be given to those next juniors. There could be a risk of them being forgotten about if a structure isn’t put in place for them, but Welsh surfing is doing a really good job at the moment with the help of British surfing, and you can see the pathway becoming official, which will only help those coming through.
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Ones To Watch - Tobey Lee
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
We keep a watchful eye on Wales’ up and coming sports stars
Full Name: Tobey Lee
Sport: Rugby
Current Club: University of Mary Washington
Age: 20
Would you say playing several sports has helped you develop into the player you are today?
I think playing sports like touch rugby, football, squash, and cricket, as a grown up, has helped me see the pitch in a different way than someone who only plays rugby.
It has helped me develop skills such as scanning the pitch more effectively and improved my hand-eye coordination. By putting myself in so many different scenarios, I have built muscle memory and gained a better understanding of certain situations.
In sport, you have to constantly adapt to changing pictures and situations. Therefore, it is really important to have experiences in different sports.
When did you realize rugby was the sport for you?
I had been playing football since I was young, within the Manchester City system, and I was enjoying it. But I got to the stage where I had to choose between rugby or football as you cannot play both on a Saturday.
I had to make a decision around the ages of 11/12. It was a hard decision, especially at such a young age. I had just started playing at Sale Rugby FC, and I ended up choosing the rugby route.
It was all a learning curve, and I learned a lot from that time. Not getting into academies and dealing with disappointment can be difficult, but I have always thrown myself into the next thing, so I’ve never had much time to dwell on things.
How difficult was it to overcome injuries when you were younger?
2017 was a tough year for me as I had to sit on the side-lines due to injury for a long period. I broke the metatarsal in my right thumb after making a tackle in training, which was nothing out of the ordinary.
During that period, I did not want to touch a rugby ball. It was frustrating having to sit on the side-lines and watch, without being able to influence the game. The journey to recovery was incredibly long, painful, and frustrating.
As I started to return, I got involved with some touch rugby training sessions without knowing they were trial sessions for the U18’s Wales Touch Rugby team! But to get my first cap made up for all that hard work and pain that went into getting back to fitness.
Where does your motivation come from to overcome setbacks?
It has to be from my mum and my family. It’s down to the eye-opening talks that we’ve had for hours on end about whether rugby is something I want to keep doing, how much I love the sport, and if it is something I can see myself doing until I’m 30/35. Having that supportive network around you is huge. Things can get tough when you pick up little niggles or injuries, but being able to keep a level head and finding balance is hugely important.
How have you been enjoying the move to America?
In August 2021, I flew to Virginia to start the next chapter of my life at the University of Mary Washington (UMW) as a freshman and rugby player. It was never a plan.
I had never thought about going to America, let alone to university while playing rugby. It all came about by chance. During lockdown, I had a lot of free time, and I edited some of my highlights from my college games and created a YouTube video to send out.
The video was found by Ian Brown, who is a recruiter for the University of Mary Washington (UMW) rugby program, and he got in touch.
It was a crazy time from June until August trying to get all the paperwork done, but it was a really exciting step for me.
How have you adjusted to life in America?
Playing rugby in America has been a different experience. Our team comprises players from various countries, such as Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, France, Scotland, Ireland, England, and Wales. There’s a lot to learn from their different approaches to the game.
What is your proudest moment in your rugby career so far?
One of my proudest moments was getting a scholarship to attend university in America and play rugby here. However, I believe that the best is yet to come. I have set personal goals for myself, and I am focused on achieving them in the coming months.
What are your goals for the next few years?
My long-term goal is to play rugby in Australia or New Zealand. Southern hemisphere rugby is a different breed altogether, and I would love to experience it first-hand.
However, my main objective for now is to play in a team in the Gallagher Premiership. Currently, I am working on regaining full fitness before the start of the new season in August/September.
I am planning to put my name into the MLR draft, either next summer or the summer after I graduate from school, hopefully I can secure a professional contract, but there’s plenty of work to be done before that.
