When I was a boy I would have given anything to get onto the Cardiff Arms Park pitch and play for Wales – now I’m doing the next best thing announcing games at the stadium and meeting legends of rugby and global superstars.
I’ve been lucky enough to interview people like Richie McCaw, Joe Calzaghe and even the Hoff!
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That happened when David Hasselhoff was at Principality Stadium for a game against New Zealand and he was watching the All Blacks do the Haka. He mentioned trying a version called ‘The Hoffa’ and he was great fun!
It’s a great job and something I’ve been doing for more than a decade now. I’m trained as an actor and had already been doing voiceovers, particularly for rugby, and then I was at the ground when Wales won the Grand Slam in 2005.
I was there as a fan and when Prince Charles presented the trophy to the team and squad, they asked me if I could help with the presentation of the event. That was my first job and it’s gone from there.
Since then I’ve only missed one home game, although unfortunately it was when Wales beat England in 2013. I was in hospital at the time, and if I could change one thing it would be to have been there for that game.
I grew up loving rugby, and played for my local team in Cwmllynfell. I was a stocky scrum-half and played quite seriously until I was about 18 – we played against Neath and Carmarthen and won a couple of league titles.
When I went to train as an actor at Trinity College in Carmarthen I started playing more socially.
When I moved to Cardiff I started playing for Clwb Rygbi Cymry Caerdydd where I’ve served as chairman, treasurer and even barman, and am still involved now.
I’m 41 years old now and I still play a little bit, even if it’s mainly touch rugby these days.
But when I was younger I grew up in a village just up the road from where Gareth Edwards was from, while Clive Rowlands was just a box-kick away.
Unfortunately for me I was just a little too late for the great Welsh team of the 1970s, and I remember watching the Five Nations at the start of the 80s.
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I first started to go to games at the start of the 90s. I remember going to the old Arms Park to see Wales play the USA, then a game at the 1991 World Cup when they played Argentina. My first Five Nations game was against Ireland in 1991 as well, a 21-21 draw.
I loved being able to go along as a fan, and my role these days is very different. We’re there about as long as anyone, so it makes for a busy day.
I like to get there nice and early to run through where I’m going to be at each moment with my producers and go through my cues.
Before that I’ll have liaised with the opposition to make sure I can pronounce every name correctly.
It’s not too bad during the RBS 6 Nations because you know lots of the players anyway. But when it’s the autumn internationals or the World Cup and you have Fiji, Tonga or Georgia, or sometimes even South Africa, you need to make sure you get them right.
If someone’s making their debut, you don’t want to be getting their name wrong and ruining a special moment. I love the job, even if you have to remain impartial, which isn’t always easy.
The other part to it is helping to ensure everything is presented in Welsh and English, which is quite a big priority for the WRU. Welsh was my first language at home so it’s completely natural to me and it’s something they want to build on.
Rhys ap William is the presenter and announcer at Principality Stadium. He was speaking to Sportsbeat’s Paul Eddison
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