He is a former Cardiff Rugby stalwart who gave his heart and soul to the Arms Park cause for 10 years.
When he left in 2020, the club dubbed Macauley Cook a great servant.
Covid meant he didn’t have a proper chance to say farewell to the supporters on the pitch.
But he has gone on to enjoy a strong stint with Jersey Reds in the Rugby Football Union Championship, one that has seen him involved in one of the most romantic stories in the history of the competition.
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On Saturday, the back-five man and three other Welshmen helped drive the Reds to the Championship title with a 43-15 win over Paul Turner’s Ampthill. Playing at lock, Cook was feted as man of the match after a strong display from gun to tape.
His countrymen Tomi Lewis, prop Huw Owen and back-rower Alun Lawrence were all prominent contributors as well.
Jersey’s tale is one to be savoured. Rewind to 2005 and the club were effectively playing parks rugby. “We were in the seventh tier,” said the club’s media officer Tom Innes. “We signed our first two professional players in 2006 and built gradually from there, winning promotions in 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012.
“Suddenly we’d climbed rather steeply.
“We were still part timers when we went into the Championship, with a mix of professional players and the other boys, and we survived by the skin of our teeth, but we strengthened year on year.”
Jersey finished the season two points clear of long-time leaders Ealing Trailfinders, who have the likes of Jonah Holmes and Steve Shingler on their books. The Welsh players in the Reds squad have been an integral part of the success.
Cook has been one of those leading the way.
The forward who led Wales U20 at the 2011 Junior World Championship and was voted into the Ultimate Cardiff Blues team picked in 2020, alongside the likes of Gethin Jenkins, Jamie Roberts, Martyn Williams and Josh Navidi, has been a tower of strength for the Reds.
“Macca has been fantastic,” said club chairman Mark Morgan.
“He’s been with us for three seasons and is a true professional. He provides great leadership for the younger guys around the club, he’s a warrior on the field and a good operator in all areas, whether at the lineout, the breakdown or wherever.
“He’s just a great guy to have in camp. His experience has been brilliant.
“Our normal method of operation is to bring young kids through and we’ve had a lot of success on that front, but you always need a few old heads among them, because for many of them it’s their first exposure to a full-time professional environment and they need role models.”
Ex-Wales U20s wing and Wales Sevens man Lewis is heading back to the Scarlets after relaunching his career during a season on the small island in the English Channel. A year ago he left the Scarlets, having just recovered from a long-term knee injury. He’ll return to west Wales a better and more rounded player, having benefited from a full campaign of rugby.
“Tomi’s been an example of what we’ve done really well, of signing young lads who obviously have talent but because of the structure in Wales and in England, because of the nonsense academy structures that they have, these guys don’t play enough rugby. I don’t care whether it’s rugby, or plastering or banking, if you are not doing your job, how do you learn it? " said Morgan.
“Tomi had been let go by Scarlets. We had no hesitation bringing him here and he has just gone from strength to strength. He’s one of the top try scorers in the Championship this season and he’s been outstanding."
Tom Innes said: “I sat with Tomi Lewis’ family on Saturday and they were so pleased with the experience he’d had at Jersey after he left the Scarlets. They felt he was a bit down after what had happened, but he’s regained his confidence through playing and doing well and has earned his opportunity to go back.
“I guess if you can follow in the Kieran Hardy and Callum Sheedy blueprint, two Welsh lads who enjoyed great success with us before flourishing later on, then you are doing well.”
Lewis and Owen, a talented prop from Kenfig Hill who played in New Zealand and also for Pontypridd before heading for Jersey, scored on Saturday, with Lawrence featuring off the bench for the final 25 minutes.
“Huw didn’t come from an academy background, but he’s taken his opportunity and has had plenty of rugby and plenty of great coaching. He has Rob Webber, former England international, as his forwards coach,” said Morgan.
Other Welsh players in the squad are Ben Burnell, Tim Grey and Luke Davies, while there’s also a Cymric flavour to the coaching team in the shape of Tom Williams, while former Scarlets strength and conditioning coach Sam Handy is also on board.
Like Dunvant in Wales in the build-up to the start of the Heineken League 30 or so years ago, Jersey have gone about their business in a model way. “We haven’t been reckless, we don’t go into debt, we have built slowly over a number of years, with our ambition being to win the championship by 2025. We just got a bit ahead of ourselves,” said Morgan.
“Winning the title probably came a bit quicker than we anticipated.
“We have lost only one game and we finished with a hundred points. The last time that was done was five seasons ago by Bristol. We’ve played a nice brand of rugby as well. I think we have five guys in the top 10 try scorers in the Championship, of whom three are wingers, including Tomi.
“We’re really pleased. It means a lot to people on the island. You had to be there on Saturday to really get a feel for what it meant to the club and everyone associated with it. I have never seen so many smiling faces.”
An island in the sun, indeed.
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