Player’s Blog – Lloyd Evans

Last season ended very abruptly however from a personal point of view was not all bad news as it gave me some time to recover from an ankle injury sustained in our last home game against Newport.

I began the lockdown working from home and then in hubs, as schools started to return before the six weeks holiday.

I was also working hard on my fitness, keeping in constant contact with the medical team at Ponty and thanks to their fantastic work, managed to make a full return to fitness.

I have spent a lot of time exploring our local communities – it goes without saying that the Valleys have some of the best scenery in Wales. This alongside the community spirit which has come to the fore especially during the first lockdown, is very special. This spirit is something I have always associated with Pontypridd RFC. It was typified in last season’s win over Cardiff at Sardis Road which was special to me and a game that I will not forget in a hurry.

Things have certainly got a lot busier for me over the past few weeks, starting my PGCE Secondary in Physical Education at Cardiff Metropolitan University at the end of September. Cardiff Met has provided a safe environment for learning, consisting of online learning, in person teaching and clinical practice thus far. I am looking forward to the rest of the academic year.

I am not sure when rugby will return, however I am sure that the dedicated coaching set-up we have at Pontypridd have been working tirelessly during this period, alongside our analysts, to ensure that we have the best possible chance of success when we return to play. As players we relish playing at Sardis Road, there is a huge amount of pride and responsibility that comes with this.

Last season our inconsistencies on the road were evident and something we must improve upon moving forward. We are an honest group of players and coaches. The current squad has a good balance of youth and experience with plenty of pace in our backline. We want to play a quick and attractive style of rugby however our main aim is to give everything, win games and bring trophies back to Sardis Road.

Finally, the health and well-being of all involved with Pontypridd, our families, friends and community is paramount. Hopefully in the near future we will be able to return safely to Sardis Road.

Ole.

Lloyd Evans