His father played for Swansea RFC at the age of 17 amid suggestions the big and powerful wing might just turn out to be Welsh rugby’s next big thing. But Adrian Cambriani didn’t last long in rugby union.
Just four months after his debut, when he scored three tries in four games, he had been snaffled by rugby league, with Fulham tempting him to take the 13-a-side-code shilling. Cambriani senior was lost to union for good in those distant amateur days. Just a year after his switch he was playing for the Wales rugby league team.
Now, his son Ben is making an impact in 15-a-side with English Championship side Ampthill. The 22-year-old, who featured for Wales U18s in their win over England U18s at Ebbw Vale in 2017 (read more about that Welsh win here ), has been named in the Championship team of the season.
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It is reward for a strong campaign which has seen the quick and strong youngster perform consistently well. Assessing the four-strong shortlist for the outside centre position, one of the judges on the Championship Clubs Podcast said: “My vote goes to Ben Cambriani. When I was penning my prospective team of the season, he was someone I wanted in it before I saw the shortlist. He’s versatile enough to play on the wing and has that pace and guile at 13. He always causes problems. He compliments the nuggety side of Ampthill with a bit of X factor.”
Another judge said: “Ben Cambriani is the one that jumps out. He plays in a team that is forward-dominated, but he can do something out of the box. With the tries he scored and the opportunities he’s given to others to score tries, he stands out. I want someone a bit leftfield in this team who’s under the radar a bit, and I think he’s my man.”
Cambriani junior left the Ospreys last summer, but he has fitted in superbly at Ampthill, using his winger’s pace and evasive skills to trouble opposition defences.
Ampthill head coach and former Wales fly-half Paul Turner said: “We’re really pleased to see Ben inducted into the team of the season at 13 against some strong competition. He’s had a great first season for us since joining from Ospreys. He always works hard in training, is a leader on the pitch, and has weighed in with some important tries.”
