For Taine Plumtree, moving to a new city or even country has been a part of his life since before he can remember.

Son of renowned coach John Plumtree, the international number eight has gone where ever his dad’s coaching career has taken him. Born in Swansea while his dad led the Whites to two Welsh Premier Division titles, Taine grew up in New Zealand, Ireland, and South Africa as a kid while is dad coached the likes of Wellington, Sharks, Ireland national team, Hurricanes, Japan national team, and New Zealand.

For Plumtree junior, though, it is clear that he has found a home in south Wales and the Scarlets.

The athletic back row has taken his form to another level this season, earning himself a spot on Wales’ summer tour to Japan, having not appeared during the 2025 Six Nations.

The 25-year-old was a recent guest on the Sportin Wales Podcast with teammate – and housemate – Blair Murray, and shared with Alex Cuthbert how much he has enjoyed his two seasons in west Wales.

Plumtree has also recently re-signed at Parc Y Scarlets, with the number eight staying at the club “for the foreseeable future.”

“I’m so settled in Cardiff,” Plumtree said.

“I love the club and the city. Scarlets have made a real nice home for me and the opportunity that they’ve given me.

“Paying back that faith is the reason why I wanted to re-sign and stay on here.”

For Murray, while he has not had as much of a nomadic childhood, the decision to move from New Zealand to the other side of the world was undoubtedly a brave one.

The 23-year-old back three player was long-tipped for big things in New Zealand, but took the opportunity presented to him by the Scarlets last summer, making the move.

His gamble has paid off massively, with a Wales call-up at the earliest possible opportunity in the autumn of 2024, before a scintillating Six Nations campaign this spring, along with mature performances for Scarlets, putting him in the frame for a British and Irish Lions call-up. If he had been selected, it would have been one of the most remarkable rises in recent memory.

“I grew up in New Zealand, on the North Island, and moved to Christchurch when I left school,” he revealed on the pod.

“I was studying there and got into the Crusaders academy and was lucky enough to be in preseason and training with them.”

During this time, Crusaders were back-to-back-to-back Super Rugby champions, with the likes of Will Jordan, Richie Mo’unga, Kieran Read, Codie Taylor, and Sam Whitelock.

“Yeah I was training with their dream team basically. It was unbelievable. So cool to be a part of that and being able to learn off such amazing players.”

Murray, though, was keen to make his own mark on the sport and the chance to join the Scarlets came at a perfect time for the fullback.

“The coach at the time said that they didn’t really see a spot for me in the next couple of years, so I looked somewhere else and Scarlets were interested,” Murray added.

“I got on a call with Peely [Dwayne Peel] and Cubby [James Davies] and they were amazing.”

Since Murray’s move, him and Plumtree have lived together in Cardiff, with a growing group of Scarlets lads in the capital.

“I think we’ve got nine or 10 boys at the moment living in Cardiff,” Murray said.

“We carpool together in three cars when everyone’s there. It’s nice, in our days off we’ll go for coffee and catch up.”

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