Читать книгу Gavin Henson: My Grand Slam Year - Gavin Henson - Страница 9

I had dreamed about playing rugby for Wales ever since I was little kid and part of that dream was winning the Grand Slam. The dream became reality on 19 March 2005 when I was 23 years old. It was the first Welsh Grand Slam since 1978 and although many of the supporters in Cardiff on the day of the Ireland game could remember 1978, for me it was something I had only read about, or seen the clips on TV. When Phil Bennett led Wales to that previous Slam, my father, Alan, was 20 years old and my mother, Audrey, would have been 21. I was born four years later on 1 February 1982 at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend.

I was their first child and two years later my sister, Sarah, arrived. Dad has always led a very active life. He played rugby and since he left school he has worked as a felt roofer. It’s his own business but he began working for my grandfather, Glyn, until my grandpa’s knees went and forced him to pack up. That allowed me to have a go when I left school. I managed to stick it for six months but that was long enough. Rugby’s a breeze compared to laying felt roofs which is proper work. One of my main aims in being a professional rugby player is to earn enough money to allow my dad to retire, in order to save his knees from giving way as my grandpa’s did.