The Cardiff hooker balancing an extra job with pro rugby
Liam Belcher is a man who lights things up wherever he goes.
On the pitch, he’s been an illuminating presence for Cardiff Rugby this season, shining brightly with his endeavours at hooker and he will be a key figure once more in Saturday’s BKT URC clash with Connacht at the Arms Park.
Then, away from rugby, he’s a sparky character in a different sense, working part-time as an electrician.
Given the uncertain nature of the sport as a profession, the 27-year-old feels it’s important to have an alternate career to fall back on.
“It’s something I have got there and I know, if I had to finish tomorrow, that would be my first port of call, to go down that route,” he says.
“It’s nice to have that in place already. I am quite fortunate.
“When I work on my days off, I get a grasp of what it’s like to be in work. I wouldn’t call this work. I never do. I always say it’s training and it’s fun.
“When I go on the tools, it’s 8-5 or something. It gives me a different perspective on life, how lucky we are here. Our longest day here is sometimes 3pm. In for 8, done by 3. It’s not as hard as a physical day on the tools.
“Working as an electrician literally does keep me grounded. I like it because it gives me a nice break from rugby. I can’t be thinking about lineouts and stuff like that when I’m doing wiring or fixing a light socket!
“I try to do one day a week in pre-season and then at least a couple of days a month in the busier times of the campaign. Then I am doing my exams and courses as well.
“I have got most of my qualifications now and I’m going to do my renewable energy courses next.
“I want to keep as many doors open as I can and then, when the time comes, pick and choose.”
On the sporting front, Rhondda-product Belcher actually started out in football.
“I played as a striker first, then I went to defender and then I got too heavy, so I had to go play rugby when I was about 10 or 11,” he recalls.
So does he show off his skills if a football is ever brought out in training?
“I am awful, I am really bad. You don’t need to worry about that. There was no future in that for me!”
Coming up through the junior ranks at Treorchy RFC, he started out at prop, then had a stint in the centre, before settling on hooker from about 14 onwards.
Called up to the Cardiff Rugby academy, he went on to gain experience with Pontypridd RFC, before making his regional debut in 2014, with Wales U20s honours to follow, notably a try-scoring contribution to a win over England in February 2015.
After a season-long spell with the Dragons, he returned to the Arms Park in 2018 and steadily established himself in the senior squad.
With Kristian Dacey and Kirby Myhill having moved on at the end of last season, he is now very much the most experienced hooker in the squad, his tally of appearances standing at 74.
“It’s a bit of a weird one. You go from still being relatively young within the group and I’m now one of the oldest,” he says.
Belcher has started all but three of Cardiff’s matches this season and has captained the side on a number of occasions, his value being recognised with the awarding of a new long-term contract last month.
One of the real unsung heroes of Welsh rugby, he is now starting to get the plaudits he deserves for his set-piece solidity, game intelligence and ability with ball in hand.
“I just do my thing on the field and hopefully that speaks for itself. I love the game,” he says.
“It’s a team-first mentality here. That’s the big thing we are driving.”
Cardiff lie 12th in the BKT URC table with three wins and a draw from their nine league matches, while they lost all four group fixtures in the Investec Champions Cup.
“We haven’t got the results we wanted, but we have been very competitive and shown we can throw punches with the best,” said Belcher.
“When you think back to last summer, we had just eight boys training, playing four v four touch games.
“It’s mad how far we have come as a team and it’s something we can reflect on positively.
“We have grown in confidence as a squad and the young boys have been outstanding. It’s a great group to be part of.
“We play some really attacking rugby, which is what people want to watch, as you can see from the crowds we have had.
“Hopefully there will be another big one now for the Connacht game.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Dickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
1 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to comments