Making a welcome return to his home county recently was Welsh international rugby player Dominic Day after a successful spell in Japan and before taking up a new challenge in Australia in the New Year.
 
Dom could now lay claim to being one of the most globe-trotting of Welsh players after almost a decade with Llanelli and then the Scarlets at regional level, a three-year stint at Bath in the English Premiership before joining Toyota Verblitz and enjoying further success there in the Japanese Top League - and now coming back to his home village of Lamphey before jetting off to play for the Melbourne Rebels in the southern hemisphere's Super Rugby campaign after Christmas!
 

25 age-group caps – and a World Cup appearance too!

 
Throw in the fact that he played for Wales in age group rugby on 25 occasions and also played three times as a second row for Wales, including a World Cup win over Uruguay, and at 31 years of age his wealth of experience is immense.
 
We caught up with Dom just hours before he flew off for a short holiday in Ireland having watched Wales' defeat against Australia with friends on television back home - and he was sorry to see us lose to the Aussies, but unwilling to offer any criticisms of his former colleagues!
 

Finding out about Japan

 
He had played nine games for Toyota Verblitz by the time he came home for a break and was then was returning to Japan to complete his contract.
 
“I have had a terrific time in the city of Nagoya and have also been to other places of amazing interest like Tokyo and Osaka.
 
“It was quite a culture shock at first but the people are very friendly, the supporters are really committed and play is extremely fast.
 
“We have a Japanese head coach but us forwards are coached by former South African prop Oz Du Rant, whilst Aussie Nick Scrivener looks after the backs.
 
“We have two interpreters with us at all times because as well as me there are two Kiwis, two Australians and a South African involved - and so far we have won 5 out of 8 league games to reach second spot in the table.”
 

Australia here Dom comes

 
Dom’s next challenge will see him as the only UK player in the Melbourne Rebels’ set-up that plays in front of up to 30,000 partisan supporters at the AAMI Park in the city where other ‘imports’ include Ruan Smith, Ben Lucas, Wycliffe Palu, Steven Yates, Robbie Robinson and Ben Lucas.
 
“The Rebels train at their superb facility at Princes Park Stadium where Tony McGahan is head coach and I know that this standard of rugby against the best from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina is going to be interesting to say the least.
 
“But I am already looking forward to playing second row there and it is nice to know that people back home are interested in how things are going for me!”