Morgan Williams – dedicated to both his chosen sports

 
Like his father Gareth, who was featured on our site very recently, Morgan Williams loves his sport and at 15 really enjoys playing rugby in school and for Haverfordwest RFC at under 16 level – and we at PembrokeshireSport.co.uk are impressed by Williams Jnr’s attitude in both, because it is as much about taking part as winning, important as the latter is.
 
Since joining Haverfordwest RFC at 5 years old , Morgan really enjoyed his involvement in rugby but whilst he still enjoys competing in the oval ball game, he now has another compelling sporting love - and that is as a very keen boxer at Merlins Bridge ABC under the guidance of head coach Graham Brockway.
 
Someone else is also heavily involved in Morgan’s participation in The Noble Art is his father Gareth, who is a qualified assistant coach and travels to all his son’s bouts - and someone else from the Williams’ family who watches them all is his mum Melane, who Morgan says wasn’t too fussed on him entering the ring but still goes along to cheer him on, win or lose!
 

Totally committed to his boxing

 
Morgan attends the Merlins Bridge Amateur Boxing Club at least four times a week to develop his skills and fitness levels, which he sharpens even more by going on a two/three-mile run three times a week.
 
“I measure out a route and I time myself to keep pushing hard and reduce my times - and then when I get a bit bored, I alter the route and perhaps aim to make it a little harder, with a steeper hill included.
 
“I also enjoy the gym work because we have a good 20-minute warm up session and then do our ‘Ton-Up Challenge’, where we take ten different exercises which will strengthen different parts of the body, like press-ups, sit-ups, squat thrusts and burpees - and do ten of each exercise and see how long it takes.
 
“Then we work hard with a trainer on the pads or work on the heavy punch bags to build up our punching power - and then some sparring before a ‘cool-off’ period to end each session.”
 

Enjoyed his boxing from the very start

 
Morgan really enjoyed the training from the outset but it was about a year before he decided he wanted to try sparring and then it was on with the headgear and gloves - and he readily admits he enjoyed it from the outset.
 
It was still some time before Morgan felt ready to take his first step into his first bout and after the thorough medical (always vital) he received his medical card and his licence to box, where all future contests would be recorded, with all the appropriate details.
 

Understandably nervous at the outset

 
Then it was onto his first bout, on the club’s home show at Withybush Show Ground Arena, against a boxer named Riley Ford.
“There was a huge crowd,” Morgan told PembrokeshireSport.co.uk which somehow made me feel even more nervous than I might have been because I could hear them calling my name.
 
“Three two-minute rounds seem like a longish time for a first bout but believes me it was over almost before I realised and I was standing in the middle of the ring with the referee holding mine and Riley’s arm - and then my name was announced and he raised my arm.
 
“I felt so thrilled and to have a nice trophy to keep added to the occasion so it was a memorable evening.”
 

Harsh lessons learned in defeat

 
But if that was fantastic for Morgan, he then learned the disappointment of defeat as he suffered three defeats on the bounce, all by the narrowest of margins, a split decision with a couple of controversial decisions.
 
“I knew I had done my best though;” explained Morgan, “and they just made me even more determined to do well and a worked even harder in training.
 
“My fifth fight was in the Welsh Novices Championships and again I boxed Riley Ford, who had beaten me twice since our first meeting and I won on a split decision of the three judges so I knew I was guaranteed a medal and had the chance of winning a Welsh vest””
 

Runner-up in Welsh Finals – and a first bloody nose!

 
Morgan took on Jay Morgan, who was a little more experienced than he was, giving 16 months in age and around 4 inches in height and although finishing the stronger he lost on a unanimous decision so he had to settle for a runners-up trophy in his first Welsh Championship - and to go one better in next year’s competition.
 
He also took part in the West Wales Box Club event in Swansea was going well in the second round and he received just a glancing blow to his nose which caused it to bleed profusely.
 
“Wayne O’Sullivan was in my corner with my dad assisting for the first time, Wayne tried hard to stem the flow but it just carried on bleeding and so I had to accept a stoppage defeat but that was just one of the things you have to accept in boxing and I think it was part of my learning curve to keep my nose out of the way, if I can!”
 

Rugby at school – and a special tour to Toronto, Canada

 
Outside of his boxing, Morgan enjoys playing rugby for Ysgol Caer Elen and recently had to take a break from his sessions at Merlins Bridge ABC because he went on a tour to Toronto, in Canada, to play three games of rugby over a 10-day period.
 
“Mr Davies, Mr Lewis, Mr Thomas, Miss Davis and Miss Jenkins organised the tour and as well as our games we did a lot of sight-seeing - but the games were the main focus and we had two full-contact games and a touch—rugby match against an under-18 team, winning two of them and just missing out on the other.
 
I used to play second row for the club but we had loads in that position so I switched to loose-head prop and in our most recent match I started at prop as we beat Neyland – and finished up as hooker, which was a new experience!
 

Illness causes a break in both sports

 
That game marked a return to action after a spell out from both sports because he suffered glandular favour and was unable to do anything but rest and recuperate.
 
It meant that Morgan was unable to compete for Merlins Bridge in their packed programme against other clubs in South Wales but he was at least able to go along and give support to his boxing pals, which he typically wanted to do despite missing out himself.
 

And finally . . .

 
But he’s back in the gym now, building up his fitness again, having also started running around the area of his family home for a mile at a time and now gradually building through two miles to his regular three-mile runs.
 
It really was a pleasure to meet Morgan Williams for a chat in the Merlins Bridge Gym and we wish this modest and unassuming, yet committed young man, to further success because we found his attitude not only mature for someone his age, but refreshing too!