Rugby News:

 
 
When Latvia played Finland in a recent international rugby internation there was an unusual Pembrokeshire connection because Tom Kaijaks, who played in the season just ending for Narberth, was one of the props for Latvia - and the Finnish coach was Andy Barlow, who is assistant coach at Tenby United!

 
It was Tom’s debut for Latvia but unfortunately, he was unable to celebrate victory because Andy enjoyed the bragging rights as The Finns took the lead at 20-19 in the 75^th minute with a converted try and Latvia missed a last-minute penalty so lost to this opposition for the first time ever.


Finland also had Stuart Edwards, of Bonymaen RFC as a coach, whom Tom had played against a decade ago, so they were able to chat about old times over a pint about their rugby playing of that time.


 

So how did Tom manage to be wearing the distinctive blue kit of Latvia?

 

Tom’s grandfather Paul Kaijaks, who played a little rugby but was a far better sports photographer, arrived in this country as a young boy with his mother and sister when The Russians invaded their country at that time and they were evacuated here. Tom’s father Colin was also an expert photographer, a very good local cricketer and a rugby referee for a decade, whilst his older brother Jamie played for Pembroke and Llandovery, also as a prop.
 
So when Tom saw that Latvia welcomed players who had links with the country to join them, he wrote off because he felt it was a nice way to acknowledge his grandfather’s part in his own life - and he was made very welcome, as he flew out on the Monday before the game, played in Riga, had all week training, and then played the game.
 
“There wasn’t really a language problem,” Tom told us, “because most of my team had a smattering of English and we became good at sign language of a sort!”
 
“It was far more physical than I would have imagined,” he admitted, “and with quite good skill levels, and we were trailing 6-5 after a very tight first half and fortunes ebbed and flowed afterwards until those defining last few minutes.”



 

Already a rugby globe-trotter

 
For Tom, the decision to go was enhanced by the fact that he has been a bit of a rugby globe-trotter in his time, after starting out as a nipper with Pembroke Dock Harlequins and then attending Coleg Sir Gar and playing for Llanelli Youth.
 
When he worked in Cardiff, he played for Felinfoel, Llanelli and Bridgend Ravens and then took the decision to play in Australia.

“I had a brilliant time there, playing in good quality rugby, but Covid struck and home I had to come – and I played for Narberth until I caught the wanderlust again and joined the UBC Old Boy Ravens in Vancouver, on the West Coast of Canada.
 
“I was semi-professional in a team that had Canadians playing alongside New Zealanders, South Africans, Australians, French and Kenyans (two of their famous sevens’ players!) and we reached the finals of an international tournament in Colorado where we played against teams from Uraguay and Argentina before losing in the final.
 
“But then I badly broke my leg and was on crutches for seven months but the club was brilliant-  but then I decided it was time to come home again and it was nice to break into the Narberth team as we played well at the end to avoid relegation from the Premier Division.”




 

So will Tom be a ‘one-cap wonder’ with Latvia?

 

Not if he has anything to do with it because whilst out there (and he was watched by mum Debbie and dad Colin) alongside a number of Latvian relatives he had never met before, he forged lasting links with the coaching staff.

 

“It was brilliant to meet my Latvian relatives for the first time and they were in the crowd encouraging me and waving national flags. Latvia tend to play groups of international matches in the spring and autumn and I’ve already told them I will be available from September on – and they have promised to call me out there to train and play.


 
“I am very proud that I have my Latvian kit to keep as a memento and I am aiming to add to that one international appearance with as many more as possible before I retire from the game, perhaps after a little bit more rugby globe-trotting as a bonus!”