Wales find Aaron just Wright on

WALES’ post-world Cup era under Wayne Pivac is filled with unknowns but one certainty is that Aaron Wainwright will be a big part of it.

The former Cardiff City and Newport County youth footballer has proved himself on the biggest stage of all at Japan 2019 and, at 22, he looks to be in for the long haul with Wales.

Man of the match against France in the World Cup quarter-final, Wainwright has looked to the manor born in the Wales back row.

But it has been a whirlwind rise for a player who once dreamed of making it big in football and who, two years ago, was only playing beer rugby as a Cardiff student.

Wainwright said: “Things have worked out pretty well. I guess when you hear of things going on in the football world you think that things could have been different – but I think I’m happy with the way things worked out which is the main thing and I’m enjoying my rugby at the moment.

“I was a CDM – probably more of a Roy Keane type.

“I loved to get stuck in, just protecting the back four, doing a lot of the hard work, passing to the blokes who were more skilful than me I guess.

“From the age of 10 to 16 I was at Cardiff academy and played there for a couple of years but when it came to academy contracts and signing scholarships I got dropped. I went to Newport County and got offered another scholarship but I turned that down and went to rugby then.

“The biggest difference is that rugby is more team-oriented. In football you can get a lot of individuals and people trying to do their own thing. In rugby you need your mate there beside you.

DRAGONS

“The serious side of it I guess started when I was at Cardiff Met and I had a phone call from (then Dragons coach) Bernard Jackman to say I was going to be on the bench for the Dragons.

“Playing that year then and getting the call for Wales’s summer tour – those two jumps were massive for me.

“Obviously that was when I realised it was going to be a lot more serious than I thought it would be when I first started out.”

Off the field, with his glasses and comedy moustache, there is still a touch of the student about Wainwright but playing in the World Cup in Japan his performances have marked him as a special talent.

Even in an area of such depth for Wales at back row, he has stood out.

Wainwright added:“i’m still very friendly with a lot of the boys from uni and they can’t believe how far I’ve come.

“A lot of them have wanted to come over but obviously student loans have been an issue.“