Garyn Smith’s story is a tale for our times in Welsh rugby. A regional stalwart with more than 100 appearances for Cardiff under his belt, he was a player his coach Dai Young wanted to hold on to.
But, in the end, there just wasn’t the money available to offer the hard-running centre a new deal, amid the cost-cutting and squad trimming that’s going on across the pro game in Wales. So, with just a month to go before the end of the season, he was told he was being released.
After some eight years with the region, he suddenly found himself out of work and facing an uncertain future at the age of 26.
