My Life in Rugby: Lloyd Burns – former Cross Keys, Dragons and Wales hooker
My rise to the Wales team happened so quickly I nearly missed it myself. I came into 2011 as an uncapped player, and I finished the year with seven Wales appearances – if I hadn’t picked up my injury who knows what would have happened.
I’ll never forget my debut – against the Baa-baas at the Millennium Stadium – every Welshman’s dream and at an incredible venue. I had goosebumps both times I played there in the red jersey.
I’d been on the Dragons‘ books for a season before that so I knew guys like Luke Charteris and Toby Faletau, and then to come into the side alongside guys like Sam Warburton was amazing.
Ryan Jones was one of the guys who took me under his wing in training. He’s a phenomenal player and to have a guy like that looking out for you is great. For me once I got the call I knew I could keep it, I’d always been one for seizing opportunity.
I’d come into rugby fairly late, I was a bricklayer and played for Pontypool before signing for Cross Keys in 2005. I was given the captaincy in my first season despite only being 21.
While there I was working with Rob Beale, and when he went to Newport Gwent Dragons he basically took me along with him.
I was still dual-registered with Cross Keys when called up to Wales in 2011 – the first international player they’d had in over half a century, which was a big honour.
The caps just kept coming after that. I played in the World Cup warm-up game against England at Twickenham, which was one of the greatest rugby experiences I ever had.
It was absolutely packed when we played them despite it just being a World Cup warm-up.
It’s rare I found the atmosphere at a stadium overpowering but that was as close as I came to it. I relished that environment and I remember thinking: “I can’t wait to come back here for the Six Nations.”
My only memory of being selected for the World Cup was finding out by text. We all found out that way. People were surprised by how Wales did but if you’d asked any of us at the start we’d have told you we could win it.
I played against Namibia, Fiji and Samoa in the pool and then the bronze medal match against Australia.
Sitting on the bench during the semi-final was one of the worst experiences of my life. Watching it slowly slip away was agonising – we all knew if we’d got to the final we could’ve beaten New Zealand, they were off-colour and there for the taking.
I found out about the neck injury on return from the World Cup. I was in hospital for a week and optimistic of making a full recovery but then the aorta problems started and they told me I couldn’t play again.
I found out in March 2012 during the Six Nations, which was a bitter feeling because I felt like I could have been playing.
The whole thing was devastating – rugby was all I’d ever wanted to do and just as I was establishing myself as an international it ended.
It’s been tough out of the game, but the birth of my first son Oscar has been a great distraction. I love being a father, and I’ve also been doing a spot of coaching on behalf of the Dragons at Pontypool School but it’s fair to say I’m still trying to find my feet post-retirement.
