A father’s epic journey to support his son

In the summer of 2018, few outside of Newport were familiar with the name Aaron Wainwright. The then 20-year-old flanker had only made his Dragons debut the previous October, but now he was about to announce himself as one of the most exciting young talents in world rugby.

“I got called up very late as the Wales squad was preparing for the summer tour of the USA and Argentina,” says Aaron from the family home in Bassaleg. “I didn’t think I’d get any game time; I thought I was travelling with the team for a bit of experience as a young player to get into the groove of things.”

Except that when Warren Gatland revealed to the squad which players would face the Springboks at the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium – just a short drive from the White House – Aaron’s name was there on the bench. “I let my parents know just before the team was publicly announced and straight away my dad said, ‘Happy days! I’ll come over.’ There was no chance he was going to miss me possibly winning my first cap.”

Adrian, who works in the police force, hopped on the next flight to the US capital. “I met up with him the day before the game for a coffee. We had a good chat and he told me not to be nervous, that I should just enjoy the experience if I got on.” Aaron pauses. “Of course, I didn’t end up getting on…”

As disappointed as he was not to step onto the field that day (Wales won 22-20), it struck him in the changing room post-match that he felt worse for his father. “He’d come all the way out to Washington just to see me sit on the bench, and now he was going to be flying all the way home.

“When I saw him afterwards he assured me he’d had a good trip over and that it was just nice to see me in the team environment. That was good enough for him, but I felt gutted on his behalf.”

Wales then flew on to Argentina for the first of two matches, seeking their first series win there since 1999. Wainwright would be wearing the number 20 jersey once again. “Straight away dad told me he was coming over again,” says Aaron. “I didn’t really know what to say. I didn’t want to tell him ‘don’t come over in case I don’t get on again’, so before I knew it he’d booked time off work and his flights.”

Except this trip was going to make London to Washington DC seem like a five-minute stroll to the local post office. “The journey to Argentina was a bit more tricky,” explains Aaron with some understatement. “He had to take three flights: first to Brazil, then on to Argentina, before taking an internal flight to where we were staying. On top of all that, it was a three-hour bus journey between the airport and San Juan!”

Total travel time: a whopping 44 hours.

Yet the father’s empathy and support of his son’s burgeoning career becomes even more understandable when you learn of Adrian’s own playing days. He was once a rampaging back rower for Caerphilly and Newport, who was capped for Wales U21 in a star-studded side including Colin Charvis and Mark Taylor.

Aaron says: “I remember being very young and going down to Caerphilly to watch him play. I have visions of me running on the rugby field after the matches were over. I’ve heard from other people how good a player he was, but he’s quite modest so it’s been nice to see the rare video clips of him playing. He was a big old boy back then!”

It might have been a surprise for some, then, that Aaron – whose impressive footballing background has been widely covered – took until the age of 17 to take up rugby. “I think Dad was quietly pleased when that happened because it was a sport he could relate to,” he explains. “He’s not a hugely expressive guy, but if something needs to be said he’ll say it. He won’t smother me with praise or get stuck into me with criticism. He’s aware of how I feel a lot of the time so he knows how to play it after a game.”

Back in San Juan, the Wainwright men went through a similar routine as in DC. “We met up the day of the game for a coffee, and he reinforced the message: that I shouldn’t worry if I didn’t get on this time, just to enjoy the experience.” History wasn’t going to repeat itself this time, with Aaron appearing in the final quarter, “just throwing himself into everything and giving 100 per cent” as an impressed Gatland put it after Wales sealed a 23-10 win.

“I went up to him in the crowd after and he was delighted, standing there with his Welsh jersey on,” says Aaron. “Being young and new to the group, I had some of the Dragons boys there to help me settle into the Wales environment, but to have Dad to chat to the day of the game made me feel even more comfortable.

“It played a massive part in calming my nerves when the big moment came. Just knowing he’d travelled all that way to see me win my first cap was special.”

Adrian had little time to bask in the proud glow of his son’s achievement, with a repeat of that three-hour bus journey to endure just 40 minutes after the final whistle was blown, meaning he missed the cap presentation. There was only time for a quick photo together outside the stadium before he made the two-day trip home.

“Coming out to watch your son play rugby on the other side of the world is the sort of commitment I’d like to be able to show to my children one day,” says Aaron. It’s the kind of support that he and his three younger sisters, Siobhan, Bethan and Ellie-Mae, have grown up with thanks to Adrian and mum Rachel, a neurophysio. It’s no surprise that all four siblings have prospered in a range of sports, from football, rugby, gymnastics and athletics.

Today, Adrian will be content for the Father’s Day celebrations to be low-key. “He’s not one to celebrate too much,” says Aaron.

Despite that, Wainwright Jr will be keen to show his appreciation for the man who continues to encourage him, through the highs and the lows.