The matchday vibe in Bath was awesome
MY LIFEIN RUGBY
DOMINIC DAY
THE FORMER WALES, SCARLETS, BATH & SARACENS LOCK AND FOUNDER OF FOURFIVE
I DIDN'T play rugby until I was 16, I was swimmer for most of my childhood in Pembrokeshire and I played cricket but athletics was the big one for me – I threw the discus. I only got into rugby mainly because all my mates were playing. When I was 15/16, my PE teacher said to me, ‘you're tall, go for county trials'. I was no good but I was the tallest one there, so they pulled me in and I enjoyed it, the social aspect especially. But I never thought it would lead to where it did. It opened many doors and enabled me to travel the world. I ended up being the second Welshman after Shane Williams to play in Japan, the second Welshman after Gareth Delve to play in Super Rugby – with the Melbourne Rebels in Australia, and I was at Bath for four years, and that's a special place to call home.
There were a few sketchy moments at the beginning of my career but I managed to turn it around. I had some awesome coaches, some who were really hash and brutal, and some who would bring you in on the journey with you in different ways. But my first pro rugby coach could have been my last. I was having a conversation with my wife the other night, when Simone Biles was on the telly, about having a mental freeze and how at one point I felt as though my rugby career might be over before it had properly even began. When I was 19 I got picked to start the first game of the season for the Scarlets against the Dragons and I didn't have a great first half but it wasn't terrible. However, Phil Davies took me off at half-time and never spoke to me again for the remainder of his time there. As a youngster still feeling his way in the game, I found that really tough. He was let go halfway through the season, and that is terrible, I wouldn't wish for anyone to lose their job, but if that hadn't have happened I probably would never have been a professional rugby player to be honest. We had an Australian defence coach, John Muggleton, who was hard-nosed and straight talking and towards the end of that season he gave me another shot and that went well. And from that point on, I played professional rugby until I retired four years ago.
Scarlets was the foundation for me. I loved what Scarlets did in terms of setting me on my way in professional rugby and I made some amazing friends from my time there, but I have to admit I became super complacent. There wasn't much competition for places, and I think we just knew we weren't going to win anything so we were just going out week to week slogging away. That's why I ended up leaving, to challenge myself, and I wasn't getting any love from Wales at the time, either.
“Once, I thought I'd like to skipper super yachts or work in a Texas oil field”
Bath is definitely where I played my best rugby. I loved the city, the stadium, the vibe on matchdays, it was awesome. It was great to see them do so well last year. We made the Challenge Cup final in 2013/14 and the Premiership final the season after. Unfortunately, we lost both. We were a good team that year, really good, and played some amazing rugby. I tried to find a few highlights of the Prem final a few months ago because I have never watched it back, and I am annoyed Faz (Owen Farrell) didn't get a red card early on in that game. About 10 minutes in, he put a shot on Anthony Watson, which would definitely get him sent off today. We lost Ant and we only had (scrum-half) Peter Stringer to cover the back-three as we'd gone for a 6-2 bench split, so it was a struggle after that.
I got my three Wales caps while I was at Bath, including playing in the 2015 World Cup, but then Gatland's Law scuppered me. When my contract at Bath ended if I wanted to be eligible to play for Wales I needed to sign for one of the regions but that didn't appeal to me. I loved the Premiership and the crowds you got, and the fact every game was important. Whereas in Wales sometimes you would only get 4,000 people in a big stadium and it was just a bit dead. I actually ended up going to Japan rather than staying in Bath. It was more of a lifestyle choice, and financially it was great for me, too. I had a great time at Toyota and would've stayed but I'd signed a contract with the Rebels. I struggled with injury when I was at the Rebels, and the fast-paced style of rugby didn't suit me really, I am more of a structured rugby player – I love the set piece and defending. But, even so, I'm glad to say I was able to play Super Rugby and experience living in Australia.
My first interaction with Nigel Wray was when I was still over there. A big bunch of flowers arrived for my wife with a handwritten note saying, ‘Welcome to Saracens'. I arrived a bit late at the club, about a month into pre-season and the day after I arrived we went out to Bermuda for a month-long training camp, which was quite bizarre because it wasn't something I had ever done at any other club. I remember going on a boat trip, and I was still trying to suss out the vibe, and Al Sanderson was just handing me beers and asking me how it was going. The way the coaches talked to the players there you might as well have been on an equal footing. It was very much like one big family where everyone looked out for each other. Sarries were brilliant at celebrating moments. But I did find it quite funny that everyone in St Albans seemed oblivious to the fact that we won the double when we went out for a night and day on the town the time we won the double. Had that have been in Bath, we'd have been mobbed!
It was only towards the last few years of my rugby career that I knew what I wanted to do post-rugby, and I count myself one of the lucky ones that I have landed on my feet with fourfive, the wellness company that George Kruis and I founded. Like most players we probably had lots of conversations in changing rooms and physio rooms about how we should do this and that after rugby, and I had some crazy ones. For a time at Bath I had an idea that it would be really good to skipper super yachts and another was to go over to Texas to work in the oil fields. It was more by luck than judgment that we settled on what we're doing now which is why both of us are passionate about making players realise that you need to be planning for your post-rugby life throughout your whole rugby career. I've been retired for four years and it has gone in the blink of an eye. Your career is not long, it is a finite part of your whole life, and the majority is to come afterwards and you need to be ready.
George and I got on well as players even though we were competing for the same jersey, and I think it has definitely worked in our favour having that relationship in place before going into business together. We are very good at working through issues, we sit down and talk it through, and that's what you have to do in rugby – you can't panic and be hot headed about it. We have got so much more to do and so much to achieve. The focus is on getting better and learning every day. Our initial foray into business was CBD, which turned a lot of heads because of the connotations around cannabis and hemp so it pulled people in because they were interested in that side of the story. But at the minute CBD is probably not the biggest part of the business, it's now our hydration range and the importance of hydration. We are passionate about a real quality product and putting that in front of as many people out there as possible. Hopefully, we can get from where we are now in the National Leagues of business, into the Championship, Premiership and then the inter national class.
– as told to Jon Newcombe
