“It took me five years to finish that law degree, thanks to rugby,” British Lions and Wales star, and recent Swansea University law graduate, Alun Wyn Jones told The Independent over the weekend.
Were those five years of graft worth it?
“Will I put it to use when I retire? Dunno, really. I might go into conveyancing, or maybe probate: land and death are two things that will always be with us. There again, I might do something else. The law’s an ass,” Wyn Jones added.
The path from professional rugby to practising law is a well-trodden one.
Rich Bryan, a former professional player at Leeds Rugby and Newport Gwent Dragons, joined Bristol firm Clarke Willmott after his playing days ended, while Brian Moore, the former England rugby player and current BBC commentator, combined a legal and sporting career.
Meanwhile, Matt King, a former London Broncos rugby player who was left paralysed from the neck down during a match, is currently completing his training contract at Stewarts Law, having graduated with a first from the University of Hertfordshire.
The full interview with Wyn Jones, who modestly refused to make a fuss about ‘LLB’ not being placed after his name in the match programme for last weekend’s Grand Slam game between Wales and France, is available here.