Can Ringer realise his potential after move to London?

HE has a famous Welsh rugby name and a few seasons ago Joel Ringer couldn’t have joined a much more famous rugby club when he put pen to paper for then European champions Toulon – Bryan Habana, Carl Hayman, Matt Giteau and all.

OK, it was only an academy contract. But, still, someone on the Cote d’Azur clearly had faith in the 6ft 3in, 19st 12lb tight-head.

“Toulon is the rugby equivalent of Real Madrid, so it’s a fantastic opportunity that I’ve been given,” enthused an 18-year-old Ringer at the time.

“It was a stroke of luck. I was playing for Cardiff Blues Under-18s against Leicester Tigers and Toulon had scouts out.

“They liked what they saw in terms of my scrummaging ability.

“I ended up going down there. It was a fantastic experience and it’s a demanding place.

“I took part in a series of a strength and fitness tests and, more importantly, scrummaging challenges.

“It went well and the training they had me doing was right up my street.

“When I was offered the deal it was a no-brainer.”

So Paul Ringer’s son headed for France seemingly with opportunities opening up for him.

Four years on, he is joining London Welsh to play in London 2 North West.

In between, he has had stints with Vannes and last term he signed for RGC 1404.

But the big-scrummaging tighthead with soft hands and an appetite for ball carrying didn’t push through as many expected him to.

Maybe the Exiles will offer him a chance to find once more the potential that was obvious as a teenager.

Once one of the great clubs in world rugby, boasting the likes of John Dawes, Gerald Davies, JPR Williams, John Taylor and Mervyn Davies, they are an amateur operation these days, having relaunched after their previous incarnation went into liquidation.

But two successive promotions have put them back on the right track.

They play in front of crowds of 800 for some games and two seasons ago set themselves the target of four promotions in five seasons.

Former Ospreys prop Cai Griffiths, player-coach at Old Deer Park, is the man leading the revival and he insists Ringer junior will enjoy himself in his new surroundings.

“Joel will have a great time,” said Griffiths.

“He is starting a new career in estate agency and working for Chestertons, one of our sponsors.

“One of their directors, Dan Killick, is involved in the London Welsh hub, a careers-advising operation which helps guys to transition into work or support internally anything they want to do in their careers away from rugby.

“Dan asked Joel if he wanted to come along to train with us, and Joel said he’d be up for it.”

Ringer’s father was a ‘tough as teak’ flanker who won eight Wales caps in a Test career played out during the late 1970s and early 1980s. History remembers him as the player singled out and sent off in the stormy England-Wales clash at Twickenham in 1980, but many Welsh fans of that era will also recall his speed and presence on a pitch: he was an outstanding openside.

So what of his 22-year-old son? Asked if junior had given up professional rugby, Griffiths said: “My understanding is he wants to go into the big, bad world of work and life beyond professional rugby.

“I don’t know if he’s just looking to play the game for fun while having a career outside sport.

“Can we help him reignite his career? Like I say, I’m not sure what he wants to do. He is a quality player.

“But he’ll enjoy it here. Everyone enjoys it when they come to play for us.

“We are able to support players who come into London by opening doors and offering advice and that can be priceless, because if you are arriving in London it’s easy to get lost when trying to further your career.

“We don’t pay players but if we can support people in other ways we will.”

The Exiles are rediscovering that a rugby club doesn’t need to shell out on weekly pay cheques to thrive.

They re-formed in English rugby’s