Llandovery scrum-half Lee Rees dedicated his team's Welsh Premiership victory to his late father, in what was an "emotional" day at the Cardiff Arms Park.
The Drovers defeated Cardiff 24-8 to secure their first ever Premiership title. Lee played a starring role, scoring two tries and picking up the man of the match award in the process.
Lee, from Penygroes in Carmarthenshire, posted a heartfelt message on Twitter alongside a picture of him kissing the trophy, saying: "That was for my old man who didn't miss a game. Hope he enjoyed that one up top."
Lee's father Gareth died just three days before Christmas at the age of 60 after suffering a heart attack. He was a huge supporter of his son and would come to watch him at every match.
"He had been unwell for a while, and his body had enough," Lee told WalesOnline. "It was a bit of a relief in a way because he has been struggling, but obviously devastating."
Dad Gareth was a 400-metre runner for Wales as a young man and boasted a Welsh best in the 400m hurdle. He had always encouraged his son to take part in track and field, which was where his athletic prowess was born. The pair used to do sprints at the local park together when Lee was a teenager.
Recalling when he was 11 years old, Lee said: "There is one funny story, I used to be quite good at the cross-country, because he was getting me in peak condition for it. There was one race where he was working in this one particular school and he wanted me to beat this one boy. I had a bit of a ding dong with this boy over the years as a youngster. He used to be a bit of a competitor, always at me. [Dad] pumped me up for it so much that I just couldn't get out of the car! I would have won that race comfortably but he drove me so badly I just couldn't do it! His heart was in the right place for it, to be fair."
Gareth was always standing on the sidelines at Llandovery, always in the same spot, and wouldn't miss a game. Even after Lee moved from Penygroes to St Clears, he would still have to take a detour to pick up his dad to take him to a match.
"I'd have to go and pick him up from Penygroes, which is a good half hour away, and then go out of my way then back to Llandovery! He was really driven to get me going, motivated me to train and just helped me out really, and kept me in good nick because of it."
It has been a crazy few days for the scrum-half and his team, but he wanted to give a special mention to Llandovery water boy 'JOC', who has been there for Lee throughout his rugby career and especially when his father died.
As for the result at the Arms Park on Sunday, he said: "Still buzzing, to be fair. Not much sleep either, good party afterwards! Plenty of beers! It was amazing. I've been there for such a long time now and I was just desperate. It was always something that I had wanted to win. It's an incredible feeling to finally do it. When we won the cup in 2016, I played in that, but I was on the bench that day. It didn't quite feel the same. It's nice to finally win it, and win the league, and win the trophy.
"When you think of the game, you're going over it in your head, and you're like 'what's the dream outcome? The dream is: score a couple of tries and have man of the match!' It's unreal when it happens."
Rees explained that the support from the Drovers has been incredible.
"The support we had on matchday, I don't think there was anyone left in Llandovery! Fair play, it felt a bit like a home game. We arrived back at 11pm at Llandovery and they were all just waiting there. It was awesome. You don't have a massive amount of supporters being a small place, but when they come out in numbers they are loud!
"You've got the loyal group, and they're really top people. That's one of the reasons I've always stayed there. It's such a good club."
Rees has lived in Penygroes all his life, and got into the Scarlets academy through Coleg Sir Gar. He played his first game for Llandovery aged 17.
"I was absolutely bricking myself," he recalls. "I was much smaller than I am now, and I was on the wing. All I heard when I came on was 'he's too small to play!' I came on for the last 20 minutes and that's how I started at Llandovery."
He then played every game the following season, and his contract went up from £30 per game to £300 per game.
"It was quite nice! I was quite lucky, you see boys coming in now, and because teams are so much stronger, they struggle to get a look in. I was lucky to play from day one."
Rees is a rugby development officer at Coleg Sir Gar and takes charge of the backs in the academy programme. He also works two days a week at Llanelli schools trying to increase participation.
The 32-year-old went through the age grades with the Scarlets, but his desire to play at scrum-half was made difficult. He was always a utility back, and couldn't get a game at nine ahead of Wales international Aled Davies so he kept getting selected at full-back instead. Rees believes he was "on fire" at the Urdd Sevens, and then progressed to playing for Wales Sevens. However, he really wanted that nine jersey at Scarlets.
"I was in the Scarlets academy at No. 15, but I just felt I was too small. I was much smaller then as well, and obviously I'm not tall. I did get into the first team, but I was on absolute peanuts: £200 a month if that. I was training full-time. I did it because I wanted to make it. It got to the stage where I was like, 'I can't continue with that' - my parents are having to chauffeur me everywhere and I'm skint. I knew deep down I wouldn't make it as a 15 and I was desperate to play nine. They wouldn't give me a crack at it."
He got a few minutes for the Scarlets in various matches, but the contract never came despite his good Premiership form with Llandovery. The nippy nine had offers to go to England and play at Rotherham in the Championship, but describes himself as "a bit of a homeboy", which meant he stayed with the Drovers.
"I would have loved a crack at nine just one season. A proper chance of it. Just to try and put my stamp on it to show what I can do, but it never arose really."
Mum Tracy was on hand to show her support at the Arms Park in the final, along with Lee's girlfriend and the rest of the family.
"It's quite emotional, really," he added. "My father would watch every game and he was always there. You want to win it even more then. It's like an extra. It's really emotional. Before the game, I was nearly in tears. After the game I was in tears. It was nice to do it, I think she [mum] felt the same.
"I love the club and have been very lucky to have played for them for all these years."
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