Former Welsh Rugby International; TV Sports Producer

Career:
I took A levels in English, Welsh and Music at Llanhari Comprehensive. I auditioned and was invited to take the lead part in a film for S4C and went on to Nottingham Trent Polytechnic to do a degree in Creative Arts.

I acted in soaps like ‘Dinas’ and ‘Glan Hafren’ and also toured theatres which was very good for variety of work. I also worked as a presenter on rugby internationals and had my own show on Radio Cymru.

Getting into television:
I was spotted at school auditions and I’d advise anyone keen on this kind of work to get involved at school.

Later, I was playing rugby and was chosen for the National squad. I was capped in my first season. I played and trained with Wales for 7 years and it changed my life! I got work with BBC Sport, as a new pitch-side presenter was needed to interview during internationals. During my ‘downtime’ as an actress, I asked to do work experience on the production side of television. From there, I became an associate producer, which led to my current job as a producer in sport.

Why this:
I’m led by a need to achieve certain things. I want to change perceptions: my first documentary for BBC Choice went behind the scenes with the Welsh women’s rugby team in the European Championships in Italy. I wanted to put the record straight and show what the sport was really about. I’ve worked on a series about alternative sports, as we need to recognise different talents not often shown on television.

The job:
Currently, I produce and direct sports documentaries. Being out on location and actually filming, doing the job and putting the pictures on to tape, is a brilliant feeling. Even better is watching directors’ reactions when they return from filming and are absolutely delighted to have done something different. In rugby terms, it’s like giving someone space to score the winning try - I like to give the pass!

Highlight:
I feel great about all the new things I do. One highlight was probably getting an interview with Scott Gibbs! Best moments are watching the All Blacks go past me in the tunnel at Wembley, shaking hands with Francois Pienaar, witnessing the Americas Cup in Auckland….

Low:
Not getting an interview with Scott Gibbs for 5 years! A real low is when Wales lose and I have to stand in the tunnel and get the interview. It’s the pits! Getting up at 4am to do the bulletins on Radio Wales. Retiring from International rugby to take over as the Chairperson of the Welsh Women’s Rugby Union was very sad. It had to be done, but I didn’t smile for days!

Job experiences:
I was Chairperson of the Welsh Women’s Rugby Union and I’m now a member of the board of the Sports Council for Wales. I spent 10 years as a volunteer with women’s rugby as I wanted to be able to give the opportunity for girls to play. Rugby is so important to me. The injuries? A broken nose, 2 black eyes, ripped intercostal muscles… the injuries weren’t painful but the physiotherapy was awful!

Tips from the top:
Don’t give up. Take every possible experience - paid or voluntary. Knock on doors, ring people and keep ringing people until someone says yes. If you believe it’s the right thing, you’ll get there. Don’t get someone else to call for you. If you get someone else to ask, you don’t want it enough!