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Commitment is the thing everyone wants from a rugby player – commitment to the team, the game and even the tackle.

Tom Hughes has plenty of it on the field, with ball in hand making a break or being one of the last lines in defence during games this season.

That commitment is also seen off the field as he balances work and rugby life every week.

Living in Dolgellau he works in the family farm (well 3 farms actually) with 1300 sheep and 40 cattle.  This alongside 3 evenings at training, Friday night coach trips to away games and playing on a Saturday shows the other-side of commitment to the RGC cause.

“We are coming into the busy time with the lambing season, so the preparation means my working week on the farm is a manic one getting everything ready”

The RGC centre has been in impressive form this season, and has taken to life in the Principality Premiership -“My day is up and out before 7am, feeding the cattle and sheep before moving on the daily maintenance and upkeep on the farms.  I have to make sure everything is done by 4pm, as then I am straight in the car for the 90 minute drive to Eirias for training. Once training is done its back in the car and home late before starting all over again in the morning.  We train 3 times a week so I spend a lot of time on the road getting to and from Colwyn Bay.”

Like the rest of the squad the away game involves more time devoted to RGC preparation –“All the boys are used to the away games, but once again I have to fit work around it. We leave late afternoon on a Friday and won’t get back to late on a Saturday night”

 “On a Sunday I am up early doing the feeding, so recovery wise Sunday afternoons is the chance to relax and spend time with the better -half!  Of course when we win I am in better mood, but to be honest when I am working I have to forget about the rugby.  Once I am in the car on the way to training that is the time to focus on what is ahead at training, or the game at the weekend”

“With the summer months and the lighter nights it becomes more of a struggle as we work later, and that is when we are in pre-season and the demands in regards to training is far greater.  It means the days of non-rugby are spent working more to cover the hours missed due to rugby”

The perception of an RGC player is different to reality but the one thing that can’t be questions is that commitment not just on a Saturday, but 7 days a week.