The Kiwi coach and his World Cup players spent a lunchtime serving Christmas shoppers in the busy Cardiff store.
Llanelli Scarlets outside-half Stephen Jones admitted it was a nice change for his day off, but he wouldn’t be swapping his rugby career for more shop work Blues player Rhys Williams said “It’s just a bit of fun, although Dafydd’s not yet mastered the art of folding.”
Passers by got a surprise when they saw Martyn Williams joining the mannequins and giving the window display some Christmas spirit.
The Store, Eden Park, is the official supplier of WRU’s formal wear for the recent World Cup in Austrailia. The squad will continue to be dressed head to toe by Eden Park for the forthcoming 6 Nations and beyond.
Players are very pleased with how they look and feel in their Eden Park clothes, as was shopper Alison Phillips, a 52-year-old insurance manager from Caerau, who was served by Rhys Williams and Dafydd Jones.
“It was nice to be served by two such good looking men” she said.
Team member Iestyn Harris, highlighted the formal wear’s practicality for this Welsh squad, “They have been heavily involved in rugby and the clothes are quite hard-wearing which is what we need in our line of work!”
It wasn’t only Christmas shopping that was on the minds of these players. Now very much back into their club rugby, a few Christmas wishes were revealed, Iestyn said, “I’d take a good win for Cardiff on Friday, it’s one of the only Christmas presents I want”. Stephen Jones is also keeping his fingers crossed for a Christmas and New Year bonanza of European points!
Hansen, however is looking forward to a festive family Christmas, starting yesterday with some Christmas shopping with his eldest daughter before she had to return back to New Zealand.
