The Carmarthenshire farmer is locking down scrums for Wales U20s
Jac Pritchard is the latest in a long and distinguished line of farmers to represent Wales.
Rural life has long been intertwined with Welsh rugby. From former Neath RFC hooker Kevin Phillips to the revered Brian Williams, as well as British & Irish Lions prop Wyn Jones, John Davies and the formidable flanker Dan Lydiate, a farming background has shaped many of the country’s most respected internationals.
Wales U20s tighthead Pritchard hails from the rural village of Llandybie in Carmarthenshire, where he grew up on the family’s dairy farm.
JOIN OUR WALES RUGBY FACEBOOK PAGE Latest news, analysis and much more
The holding on the edge of the village has been in the Pritchard family for three generations, though their ties to farming in the area stretch back considerably further.
“I live on a dairy farm so I help out with milking, feeding the calves, cleaning and maintenance,” said Pritchard. “Every day has the same sort of stuff but we all split it amongst ourselves to do the different jobs.
“Helping out with calves is what I normally do. I do as much as I can to help out. I’ve been lucky that my family understand and they’ve sacrificed a lot for me.
“They’ve worked early mornings and late nights just to help me get to training, especially when I was little, but also coming to watch my games now. I’m really glad to have that background.”
For a tighthead prop, strength is non-negotiable when it comes to the demands of the scrum. While most players build that power in the gym, Pritchard combines traditional weight training with the daily graft of farm work.
He believes the physical demands of life on the farm will serve him well as his career develops, particularly when it comes to the unforgiving task of anchoring and locking out the scrum.
“I feel like it’s a different type of training from gym training,” he said. “I think that has shaped me as a player and a person.
“I play for myself and also my family back on the farm. From a young age my family has said if I work I don’t need to train because it is a manual job. I feel like it has helped me out with my rugby, especially doing hard jobs, during the clamp and silage season.
“They are tough jobs to do especially in the heat. It does give me an edge because I’ve done different training other people might not have done in their lives.
“It’s pushed me harder. As players I feel it is important we have a background we can be proud of. I feel privileged to wear the jersey and represent the farm.”
Pritchard’s rugby journey began at his local club, Llandybie RFC, before he moved to nearby Llandeilo RFC — a club that is fast becoming a fertile breeding ground for emerging Welsh talent. It was there that he first caught the attention of the Scarlets academy.
He has also benefitted from working closely with the highly regarded coach Euros Evans at Coleg Sir Gâr, while gaining valuable senior experience with Cardiff Met, Narberth RFC in the Welsh Premiership and Llandovery in Super Rygbi Cymru.
The 19-year-old has been a key figure for Wales U20s this season who have been dominant at the scrum.
Tighthead is an area of concern at senior level but Pritchard is a powerful scrummager who puts a huge emphasis on the set-piece and has been compared to Samson Lee in some quarters.
“My bread and butter is the scrum,” he said. “I’m not the fastest prop in the world but my goal has always been the scrum. If the scrum is going well then good things can come from that.
“I think the team needs a good scrum to have a good chance of winning the game. Many teams who have a good scrum the game most likely goes their way. That’s my point of difference.”
Pritchard’s long-term goal is to break into the Scarlets first team but first there is the small matter of a trip to Musgrave Park in Cork to take on an Ireland U20s side who took the prized scalp of England U20s in Bath last time out.
Wales narrowly lost to England U20s and France U20s in the opening two rounds before beating Scotland at the Arms Park but want a statement victory of their own.
“I think going into every game you want to be better than your opposite pack,” he said. “We’ve looked at Ireland who have got a good pack and a good scrum and when they get a chance they do dominate. It’s the same at lineout time.
“I think every pack is a different threat depending on their goals but if we just trust our processes, trust what we can do and what we have done. I think we all know how much playing for Wales means.
“Going away is always going to be tough on the international stage but we are a tight group on and off the pitch which helps because they are going to be feisty and fierce especially at home. I think we need to stick together on the pitch no matter where we play.”
Pritchard’s journey from a farm in Llandybie to the Wales U20s side highlights the hard work put in behind the scenes. Strong in the scrum and grounded in his roots, he combines natural power with the discipline of a farming life; a mix that could see him make an impact at senior level in the years ahead.
Follow all of our channels to ensure you stay up to date with the latest Welsh rugby news. Sign up to our free daily newsletter here and our WhatsApp channel here for all the breaking news.