The Welsh Rugby Union has recently set up a special Youth Rugby Board whose 15 teenage members are charged with the responsibility of reflecting the views of young participants from all over Wales - and one of those chosen is 18 year old Thomas George, who plays on the wing or in the centre for Fishguard & Goodwick RFC's youth team.
 
Thomas has already attended the inaugural meeting of the recently-formed board, comprising seven male and eight female members, which was held in one of the speciality boxes at the Principality Stadium.
 

Early start but a smashing debut day

 
He had to be up for the trek to Cardiff at 4.30am and was on the train at 6.10am so that he would reach the ground in time for the introductions, photo shoots which showed Thomas looking out over the iconic arena, plus a general group photograph which now has pride of place on the WRU's web-site.
 
Then it was on to the meeting and a chance to get to know his fellow board members from all over Wales, including Dan Evans, who has played for Whitland and St Clears, and sure to be another excellent representative.
 
It was chaired by new chief executive Martyn Phillips, with former international and now top administrator Gareth Davies as positive proof of the importance which the WRU are attaching to the board, whilst another former long-standing Welsh international and former captain in Ryan Jones has been appointed as Head of Participation and charged with the responsibility of liaising with the group.
 

School support for his new venture

 
So how did Thomas get involved with this exciting new venture?
 
"I saw a video on Facebook advertising applications for the Youth Rugby Board and I genuinely felt that I had something to offer so next morning I went in to Ysgol Bro Gwaun (where he is deputy head boy and taking part in working towards a Rugby Leaders' Award) and asked Chis Shousha, the school's rugby hub manager, if he thought it was worth me applying for membership..
 
"Chris was very enthusiastic and so was Declan Lynch, my IT teacher, and we decided together how I should approach the video. Emyr Hughes, my teacher in A Level PE, also supported my application and before long it was nicely polished up and I was able to send it off to the Welsh Rugby Union.
 

Nervous before meeting everybody

 
"I was delighted when I received an e-mail from Martyn Phillips telling me I had been chosen to be a member of the new board.
 
"I was nervous about attending my first meeting but it was clear from the start that although we were all from different parts of Wales we were all keen to do our best to represent the views of young rugby players on our country.
 
"Then there was the long journey home but I really felt it had been worthwhile and our next meeting is now in March, on the morning of the 'Judgement Day' matches involving the four regions so we have already been invited to stay to watch the Scarlets, Ospreys, Dragons and Blues as an extra treat!"
 

Terrific all-round family support

 
It goes without saying that Thomas's family were all delighted about his selection to the board because they are all sport-orientated and have given him total support.
 
His father Chris played football for Fishguard Sports, Goodwick United and Letterston whilst his mother Nicola not only played hockey for Fishguard Ladies but represented Pembrokeshire Schools, whilst sister Jessica (13) is also a keen player in the sport.
 
His auntie, Kate Hulse, represented Wales at hockey in the Commonwealth Games and great aunt, Angela Miles, has served disability sport and hockey in Pembrokeshire so well.
 
Not content with that little lot, he also has every support from grandparents Lynda and Colin George, who is a Fishguard Sports' stalwart, plus Margaret and Dai Thomas, who played football and coached at Goodwick.
 

Already putting something back into his club

 
Thomas has already started out in coaching rugby with the Seagulls under 10s team, where the family association continues because his coach is none other than his uncle, Gareth George!
 
"James Morgans also got me started out in refereeing and arranged for me to attend a course in The Barn at Parc y Scarlets,
"I passed that and now I take turns with my Uncle Gareth in taking charge of home matches with our under 10s, which is great fun!"
 

Early start to playing

 
Thomas started his own tag-rugby playing days as a seven year old at The Moors in a team coached by Tracy Lewis and he's been there ever since, using his pace on the wing and now playing more frequently as a centre.
 
"I was also coached at club level by Judith Torau (O'Connor) and more recently by Jonathan 'JJ' Jones and 'Big Al Phillips, where a swear box in the pre-match talks might have raised a few quid for charity.
 
"Fishguard is a great club with a terrific hwyl and a measure of how much we have improved can be gauged from the fact that this season we beat Aberystwyth, always one of the top teams in our year group."
 

Football success and county involvement

 
Thomas also played football as a nipper and appeared for Goodwick United in their age-group Pembrokeshire Cup Final as they beat Kilgetty at Monkton Swifts, despite suffering bus sickness on the long journey there and feeling so unwell that there was some doubt he would be able to play!
He started his county rugby days with Kenny Davies at under 11s and then moved on to play under the guidance of Jeff Clout and Mackie Dawes.
"We were also looked after later on by Jonathan Evans and Martin Edwards and I was lucky to have such good guidance at an early age," Thomas told us.
 
He was selected for the county squad from under 11s onwards and then moved up to the Scarlets (West) under 16s team coached by Johnny Llewhelin which trained regularly in Crymych.
"We had a good team with players of the calibre of Jake Jenkins, Kyle Hamer, Ifan Phillips and Elgan Roberts and so I was pleased to play in every game.
 

Preseli Seagulls – and county youth

 
I also had a season with a combined Fishguard/Crymych team which was named 'Preseli Seagulls' was merged because neither was able to field a full complement. We had great coaching from Kevin Phillips, Euros Edwards and Iwan Evans - and we did well to match other good teams like Haverfordwest Youth.
"From there I moved up to under 18 level with Pembrokeshire Youth, again coached by Johnny Llewellin, and as well as training with him on the pitch inside the running track at STP School we also worked very hard at conditioning with Simon Roach at the nearby SAW gym.
 
"We trained every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings, which needed lots of commitment and family support - and I really enjoyed it after sustaining an unusual injury near home in the summer when I decided to go for a jog on the Marine Walk and ran up and down some metal steps, only to slip. There were stitches galore and I had a damaged knee!"
 

And finally . . .

 
The next step for Thomas is a career one where he hopes to become a teacher or work in strength and conditioning as he hopes to attend Swansea University from next year.
 
But in the meanwhile he will continue to enjoy playing rugby and representing our county's views on the WRU Youth Board and having chatted to Thomas George for a while we are confident that he will fulfil his new role really well!