When Steff Hughes was released by the Scarlets at the end of last season he had two choices: Throw in the towel or stay in shape and hope somebody called.
Admirably, he opted for the latter. Over the summer months, using the plan that the Scarlets conditioning department had put together for him, he trained alone. Day after day, he woke up and headed to the pitches at Coleg Sir Gar in Llanelli, where he conditioned himself as if he were a professional rugby player.
But the reality was that he was unemployed. After playing some of the best rugby of his career, by his own assessment, he was given barely any game time by new head coach Dwayne Peel last term and it led to the club deciding not to renew his contract.
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He had played over 100 games for the Parc y Scarlets side, even captained them on occasions and was a popular member of the group away from the field. But, as he says, professional sport is 'cut-throat'.
“I think it would have been naive of me not to see it coming given how much game time I had during the last year," he says. "I’d heard whispers that the squad size was getting smaller, so I suppose I was probably prepared for it.
"I was in contact with different clubs but the market this year was really difficult – as you can see with what’s happening in England at the minute – and clubs are really tightening up on players.
“For me, it was just a case of training on my own. I had support from a few people I’d worked with in the past around programmes and things but it was basically just me running on my own at the local pitch every day for two or three months.
“The skills stuff was obviously a bit of a challenge on my own. I had a couple of friends and my brother helped me out, which was great."
There is no escaping that, financially, rugby has been a rewarding pursuit for Hughes. But there is also the reality that he has never earned the eye-watering sums of money that are on offer to the game's Test players.
And when he was without a contract, he had real-world problems just like anyone else would.
“I didn’t get paid for four or five months during the summer," he explains. "That’s obviously difficult because I had a mortgage and bills to pay, you’ve got to eat.
“It is tough, there’s no two ways about it.
“I’m in a very privileged position to play rugby for a living and I don’t take that for granted at any time. I’ve had some brilliant experiences over the years and met some great people. When you put it all into perspective, it’s not the be all and end all.
“But it is difficult because from the age of 15 I’ve been in a professional environment, everything I’ve known is rugby and I feel like I’ve been playing the best rugby of my career over the last couple of years. It’s difficult not having a job and waiting.
“Having to get up every morning and train on your own, knowing that other people are training in an environment [is tough]. But I think it makes you stronger mentally.
“You either make the most of it or you sit, dwell and feel sorry for yourself."
Happily, earlier this month, he signed a short-term contract with the Dragons to cover injury within the squad. Dragons boss Dai Flanagan, who worked with Hughes throughout his stint at the Scarlets, admitted he was surprised to see the centre in the free agency market.
"If Steff Hughes can't get a job, we've got some pretty good centres within the regions," he quipped.
But, owing to the tireless work the 28-year-old did when nobody was calling him in the summer, he was ready to hit the ground running and make an impression. He crossed for a try on his first appearance for the club against Benetton and will now have to prove his value to earn a more permanent deal.
"It was a really challenging summer but having come out the other end, I’m really glad I dug in and worked hard because hopefully it’s put me in a good place moving forward,” said Hughes.
"If I’d done that [felt sorry for myself], I probably wouldn’t have been in a good condition to come in here and make an impression."
And that, now, is Hughes' challenge. He has a limited time to land himself a new deal. The early signs are promising but chances may well be scarce, placing a premium on taking them when they arise.
He concludes: "I’m only 28. I only played three games last year, which was difficult. But I feel like I can offer a lot to a team. I’ve got a lot of experience.
“It’s been great, I’ve really enjoyed it. I obviously know a lot of people here having played against everyone for a long time.
“But they’ve all been fantastic, they’ve been welcoming here and it’s been nice to be back in a rugby environment.
“Hopefully I keep playing well, perform well in training and add to the environment on and off the field. Hopefully then I can stay a bit longer.”
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