He's one of the quickest players in Welsh rugby... and he already has his own chant.
At just 22, Rio Dyer is a real cult figure with Dragons fans who have taken to singing “Rio, Rio, Rio” whenever he scorches the Rodney Parade turf.
We wait to see whether that chant will now be replicated by the Wales fans at the Principality Stadium after Dyer's shock selection for the autumn opener against New Zealand.
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But it's fair to say that with Louis Rees-Zammit on one wing, and fellow youngster Dyer on the other, Wales won't be short of genuine pace, and try-scoring ability, out wide when they look to break a 69-year New Zealand jinx on Saturday.
The former Wales U20s international made his debut for the Dragons in January 2018, having only just turned 18 the month before. He has gone on to make 36 appearances for them, scoring 11 tries. As well as being genuinely quick, he also has great feet and is a really balanced runner, while he is deceptively strong in contact.
The uncapped Dyer will wear No 11 for Wales in the absence of experienced duo Josh Adams and Alex Cuthbert who are not yet ready to return from injury.
He has been rewarded for his sparkling finishing exploits for the Dragons so far this season. There was a superb solo effort against Munster, where he burst between two defenders before putting on the afterburners to race outside the last man, and then a brace versus the Ospreys - a classic in-out finish at the corner and a victory sealing long-range interception.
“He’s a young man that’s in form,” said Wales coach Wayne Pivac. “He’s been playing well for the Dragons. He’s been training very well, so we think this is a great opportunity for him. We’ll learn a lot and he’ll learn a lot.
“The senior players are getting around him and supporting him. He’s genuinely really, really excited. He’s a confident young man, so I don’t think the occasion will get to him. He’s really looking forward to testing himself against some of the best players in the world.
“At the moment, he’s showing all the qualities to be a very, very good rugby player. He’s come in and it’s like he’s been here for a long, long time. As I say he’s confident, not over-confident. He knows what he’s good at, he knows what his work-ons are and he gets about his work really nicely, like a good pro."
Pivac explained that Adams (thumb) and Cuthbert (shoulder) were a week or two away from being available. He also outlined why he hadn’t gone down the route of shifting George North from centre to the wing.
“We wanted to build on South Africa and not make too many changes. There have been some enforced changes with injury obviously, but George and Nick (Tompkins) had three Test matches together in the midfield over the summer and as we get closer to the World Cup we want to try building some combinations and that’s a combination we are giving another opportunity to. We think George can be a powerhouse for us at 13.”
This isn’t Dyer’s first time in the Wales camp as he was one of a group of young players called up before this summer’s tour of South Africa to bolster training numbers and appear in a warm-up match, where he made his mark by scoring a well-taken try.
Speaking about that experience, the young speedster from Newport said: “That week and a half was definitely an eye opener. It gave me that little extra boost of thinking how I need to develop my game to be at that top level, to be able to be at the Principality Stadium and put in performances.
“I’ve watched a lot of the boys in the squad growing up, seen them on the TV when I was a kid in my teenage years. It’s a case of realising I am now in the situation I have been watching.
“When I went in there in the summer, it wasn’t like I felt uncomfortable. Everyone was welcoming. They were kind to me even though I was just a visitor. They are a good bunch of boys and make you feel welcome.”
As for his approach to the game of rugby, he said: “It’s about doing the little things well consistently. That’s what sets you apart. You can do it once or twice, but you have to keep doing it throughout the 80 minutes.
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“It’s all about becoming the best player I can. It’s just striving for that. I am still pretty young, so I have still got loads to learn.”
Being called up by Wales has meant Dyer putting his building work to one side for the time being. He had been busy renovating his house in Rogerstone, learning a whole new range of construction skills along the way.
“We have builders in the family, we have a company,” explained the former Basseleg pupil.
“I have been learning along the way. My whole family have been teaching me how to do it. I can build stud walls now, I have been doing insulation, I have been doing everything to be fair. I am a man of all trades now!”
Welsh rugby fans will certainly hope he's just building the start of a stellar Test career as he looks to make an impact in the red jersey this weekend. If things go well, we could soon be hearing 'Rio, Rio, Rio' booming around the iconic home of Welsh rugby, too.
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