Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

How Wales' Aaron Wainwright could have been playing League Two football this weekend at Colchester

Aaron Wainwright scoring for Wales against France in the RWC quarter-final. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Wales flanker Aaron Wainwright could have made it as a professional footballer had he not switched his focus to rugby, according to his former coach at Newport. Wainwright has been a World Cup sensation in Japan and will be a key figure when Wales meet South Africa in Sunday’s semi-final.

ADVERTISEMENT

But the 22-year-old began his sporting life as a footballer, spending several years at the Cardiff academy before being offered scholarship terms at League Two club Newport, who are away to Colchester United on Saturday. “We liked what we saw, but he’d just had a knock-back at Cardiff and was doing his A Levels,” said Danny Elliott, Newport under-23s development coach.

“He was hoping to become a dentist and his father was looking at the sensible option of Aaron going to university and getting his qualifications. Rugby was in the background and he was enjoying that, but he wasn’t taking it too seriously at the time.

“We told Aaron there was an opportunity for him here, but his dad was under no illusions that football was a very hard game to get into. What happened to him at Cardiff had a huge impact on him.”

Wainwright told Rugby World this month that he was a defensive midfielder who “moulded my game on Patrick Vieira and Claude Makelele”. But Elliott believes that Wainwright had more to his game than simply protecting the defence and that he possessed box-to-box qualities.

(Continue reading below…)

Video Spacer

“Physically he was built well and very athletic,” Elliott said. “He was good on the ball and had a good range of passing. He was a very powerful midfielder and similar to a player we’d had two or three years previously. He reminded me of (Wales international) Lee Evans, who is now playing in the Football League at Wigan. He could get around the pitch and get box-to-box.

“It was a shame he decided to stay at school because the current boss Michael Flynn was coming in as academy manager. He would have been great for Aaron as a central midfielder himself and taken him on further. Justin Edinburgh (then first-team manager) was also unbelievable for the young kids, and I’m sure he would have got a chance if he’d continued the progress he was making.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Wainwright’s rapid rugby rise began at Whiteheads RFC and he played for Premiership side Newport before Guinness PRO14 outfit Dragons gave him his debut in October 2017. The following summer, Wainwright made his international debut in Argentina and he has now established himself as one of Wales’ most important players with his performances in Japan.

Wainwright capped his man-of-the-match display in the 20-19 quarter-final victory over France with his first Wales try, showing the pace of a back in a sprint to the line. “I saw that try and I thought, yes, he could make those bursts from midfield,” Elliott said.

“I think that would have taken him a long way in football but he’s shown how adaptable he is. The attitude, level-headedness and good direction that he had from his father has helped him become a success in rugby.”

– Press Association 

WATCH: Warren Gatland is absolutely fine with some people writing off Wales’ chances against South Africa

ADVERTISEMENT
Video Spacer
ADVERTISEMENT

Kubota Spears vs Tokyo Sungoliath | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Quarter Final Replay

Australia vs USA | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

New Zealand vs Canada | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

South Africa vs New Zealand | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

Argentina vs Australia | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

The Game that Made Jonah Lomu

The gruelling reality behind one of the fastest sports in the world | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 40 | The Steven Kitshoff Special

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

S
Solenn Bonnet 8 days ago
Leinster cleanse palette with record URC scoreline against Zebre

My name is Solenn Bonnet, and I am a single mother navigating the challenges of raising my two-year-old child while trying to make ends meet. I came across a trading platform that promised astonishing daily profits of 18%. The allure of such a high return on investment was too tempting to resist, and I found myself drawn into cryptocurrency trading. Excited by the prospect of financial freedom, I invested a significant amount of my savings, totaling over 5.7 BTC. However, what started as a hopeful venture quickly turned into a nightmare. The platform was a scam, and I lost everything I had invested. The emotional toll of this loss was immense; I felt devastated and helpless, struggling to provide for my child and keep up with my bills. In my desperate attempt to recover my funds, I sought help from various recovery experts. Unfortunately, I encountered numerous fraudulent individuals who claimed they could help me retrieve my lost money. Each time I reached out, I was met with disappointment and further scams, which only deepened my despair. Last year was one of the most challenging periods of my life, filled with anxiety and uncertainty about my financial future. Feeling overwhelmed and at a loss, I confided in a close friend from church about my situation. She listened compassionately and shared her own experiences with financial difficulties. Understanding my plight, she introduced me to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, a group of skilled hackers known for their expertise in recovering lost funds. Skeptical yet hopeful, I decided to reach out to them as a last resort. Their services came at a higher cost, but my friend generously offered to help me with a partial payment. I was amazed by how quickly they responded and began the recovery process. Their team was professional, efficient, and incredibly supportive throughout the entire ordeal. To my relief, they successfully recovered more than I had lost to those heartless scammers. This was truly transformative, and I felt a sense of relief and gratitude that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I strongly encourage anyone who has faced similar challenges or fallen victim to scams to reach out to Tech Cyber Force Recovery. If you’ve invested in a fraudulent platform like I did, they are highly capable of helping you reclaim your hard-earned money. Don’t lose hope; there is a way to recover what you’ve lost.

CONSULT TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY

EMAIL.. support@techyforcecyberretrieval.com

WhatsApp.. +15617263697

website.. https://techyforcecyberretrieval.com

Telegram.. +15617263697

0 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Why Australian rugby pins its hopes on the Brumbies to wrest the Super Rugby crown from New Zealand hands Why Australian rugby pins its hopes on the Brumbies to wrest the Super Rugby crown from New Zealand hands
Search