Welshman ready to fly out if team make final

Multimedia journalist·NZ Herald·

1 Oct, 2015 04:00 PM3 mins to read

Ben Thomson was ready to fly to NZ in 2011 but Wales narrowly lost the semifinal to France. Photo / Jason Oxenham

Ben Thomson is considering flying home to Wales if his team reaches the final of the Rugby World Cup.

The 31-year-old lawyer - who grew up in the town of Barry near Cardiff and now lives in the Auckland suburb of Mt Albert - has done it before and, permission from his boss pending, said he would probably do it again.

He also almost flew to New Zealand during the 2011 Rugby World Cup but Wales narrowly lost its semifinal to France. He and his dad had the flights all ready to go.

He moved to New Zealand in March 2013 with his Kiwi girlfriend and now works at the Auckland District Law Society.

The 2m former lock, who used to weigh in at 118kg, played for the Wales schoolboys side as well as the Welsh under 19 and under 21 sides.

He played in a junior world cup for his country and against a New Zealand schoolboys side that included the likes of Joe Rokocoko and Liam Messam.

Thomson's career was cut short at the age of 22 when he tore the ACL in his knee three times.

That has not diminished his love of rugby, however. It runs in the family after all.

His dad, a huge fan of the oval-ball game, has guaranteed lifetime seats at the home of Welsh rugby in Cardiff.

"So I've been lucky enough to go to test matches in Cardiff Arms Park, or National Stadium, or Millennium Stadium since a very young age," Thomson said.

His old man was at the England and Wales game at Twickenham on the weekend and phoned him straight after, while still at the stadium.

"They were very happy, all I could hear was a lot of noise. He was crying I think ... at the final whistle."

He watched the Wales and England game at home with friends, including with another Welshman and an Englishman.

"It was pretty intense ... the English boy was reasonably confident - which you would be 10 minutes to go - and he's pretty shell shocked [after the game] and me and the Welsh lad, we didn't know what to do."

As for watching rugby in the Welsh capital, Thomson said it was a "pretty special" experience.

"When Wales win, there's nowhere else better really."