For Guto Edwards the 2017/18 rugby season won't come quickly enough for the talented Crymych Youth player because he hopes he will be able to return to action after a serious leg injury, ironically sustained in his very final match of last season.
 
It happened when the Preseli Men were entertaining some junior teams from Aberdare and the day ended with a mixture of veterans and young players taking on a 'Golden Oldies' team from Aberdare.
 

Injury a pure accident

 
"It was a purely a one-off game after a long season and I was pleased when John Davies asked me to play in it at Parc Lloyd Thomas," Guto told us, "and all was going really well until I came off a lineout and was about to pick up a loose ball when one of the Aberdare props caught me awkwardly and I went down in a heap.
 
"I knew something serious had happened because of the pain in my left leg and I had to be carried off the pitch, into an ambulance and taken to Glangwili Hospital - and after waiting for over one and a half hours an X-ray revealed that I had broken my tibia and dislocated my ankle!"
 
Guto then had his left leg put into a plaster cast and he was in hospital for three days before returning home and getting used to a slower method of movement as he hobbled around on crutches.
 
He was told that he would need about eight weeks of immobilisation for his leg, followed by lots of physio and then be ready to start work on regaining his match fitness.
 
"I know it will be hard work," admitted Guto, "but at least I will still be able to work at building my upper body strength as something to keep me occupied for a while!"
 

Huge family involvement

 
That Guto should play rugby for Crymych should be no surprise because his father Dylan used to play as a centre for the club and is the current chairman of the Preseli Men. Mum Eleri is also a great supporter and terrific taxi driver for her sons, with Guto's older brother Llyr (now 20) playing for both the first and second teams during the season.
 
Both mum and dad were busy helping out at the recent Junior Finals Day at their club, with Guto watching all ten matches but making sure that he stayed fairly close to a chair in the relative warmth and dryness of the changing rooms area!
 

Other sports

 
Outside of his rugby, Guto enjoys most sports and plays cricket for Crymych at Glandy Cross as a useful batsman and good fielder, but accepts that there won't be a great deal played this summer in his present predicament but is determined to get out and watch a few games at Glandy Cross.
 
He also enjoyed playing football as a hard-tackling right back in his days with Boncath junior section but eventually the fixtures clashed with rugby matches and there was only going to be one winner there!
 

School success aplenty

 
Back in the oval ball game, Guto enjoyed five wonderful seasons in a school team at Ysgol y Preseli coached by teachers Gethin Vobe and Marc Lloyd which remained undefeated for several seasons.
 
He started out at Crymych RFC after watching games on television and asking dad if he could start playing - and Guto took to it like a duck to water with Gareth Wilson as his coach there for the next five years.
 
"I played alongside some very good players like Gethin Davies, John Hill, Llew Bevan and Iwan Toft," said Guto, "and after two seasons of learning the skills of the game through tag rugby we got into full contact mode and I enjoyed it even more."
 
From under 12 to under 16 levels Guto and Co won the Pembrokeshire Junior Final for their age group for the five seasons and as a measure of their strength outside our county the Young Preseli Men also won the district finals at Parc y Scarlets on four of these occasions as they beat off the challenge of top Carmarthenshire teams every season bar one.
 
"I also played county rugby at under 11 level and we had a good team there, too," said Guto.
 

Moving on to more wins at youth level

 
Last season saw Guto doing well as part of a very strong team with Crymych Youth and readily admitting that the greatest difference from junior rugby was the physicality of games.
 
"It was played at a quick pace but we soon adapted and came close to an appearance in the Welsh Youth Cup Final but just missed out on the big day at the Principality Stadium when we met Rhymney in the semi-final at Loughor and lost 26-23 when they scored a last-minute penalty!"
 
Guto will also remember the quarter final match at home to Abergavenny because it was only when he turned up at the Parc Lloyd Thomas changing rooms that he realised he had left his boots, plus post-match shirt and club tie, at home.

"I had my leg pulled by the other boys but mum was brilliant as a quick phone call home saw her act as delivery driver this time!"
 

Tremendous support appreciated

 
Guto has also appreciated the support provided by the club and says that former Welsh international forwards Kevin Phillips and John Davies have been inspirational because they have done so much in their own playing days but also with work off the field for the club.
 
The appreciation is reciprocated because when asked about Guto’s rugby prospects they both were very positive, with Kevin saying that he could turn out to be an excellent second row once he regains fitness, and John adding that he could also play in the back row if he works hard at his mobility and handling skills – high praise from two former stars who never go over the top when talking about young players at their club!
 

And finally . . .

 
Ask Guto for his rugby ambitions and his initial response is that eventually he would love to stake a claim for a first-team place with Crymych and then see where his play takes him from there on – and once his current recuperation period is over he will soon be back in harness.
 
There’s one thing for sure and that is if hard work, dedication and skill levels are anything to go by then we will hear lots more about Guto Edwards – and we wish this eager young feller a speedy recovery and a return to the rugby pitches at Parc Lloyd Thomas!