'Hearing USA chants at Arms Park was pretty surreal'

Cardiff Blues and Blaine Scully have mutually agreed to part ways following the wing’s four seasons at the Arms Park.

The USA captain arrived in Wales following the World Cup in 2015, but with a third Rugby World Cup appearance on the horizon and the growing emergence of young talent and new arrivals at the Arms Park, it was time for Scully to move onto his next challenge.

Scully said: “The timing is right, and more than anything I’m grateful for the time my wife and I have had here. Everyone has welcomed us with open arms, and we couldn’t have been prouder to call this team and this place home for the last couple of years.

“I’m excited to return to the United States and focus on the upcoming World Cup, and then look forward to our next experience. I wish the Blues great success going forward. They will always have a special place in my heart.”

Scully, 31, made 52 appearances for the region, scoring 12 tries in the process, most notably a crucial late try in last season’s European Challenge Cup triumph over Gloucester. The wing leaves Wales with nothing but gratitude for every moment he has shared in a Cardiff Blues jersey.

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Farewell Letter to @cardiff_blues. Nothing but grateful. • Blues Family, As our 2019 season comes to an end, so does my time with the Cardiff Blues, and I could not be more thankful for the past four seasons. My wife Shannon and I are leaving Cardiff with tremendous gratitude for an experience filled with amazing people and memories. All things in sport are temporary. As opposed to being sad or fearful when things come to a close, I believe we can chose to be grateful for what the experience has given us – new opportunities to maximize, challenges to help us grow, teammates who become family, and above all, moments to remind us to always enjoy the ride. The timing is now right for Shannon and I to look forward to our next challenge. Individually, I will be focusing on National Team responsibilities and the Rugby World Cup in Japan. To the Blues family, thanks for welcoming Shannon and me into your home, city and country. Hospitality and laughs were never in short order. To my teammates, thank you for allowing me to share the field with you. We had some incredible moments. Lifting the European Challenge Cup in Bilbao will be forever a highlight in my life. To the supporters, thank you for the never-ending love. I will always remember the chants of “USA, USA, USA” echoing throughout Cardiff Arms Park accompanied by the drum. To Cardiff, thank you for allowing us to call you home. You will always have a special place in my heart. My career as a professional rugby player has always centered on a few things – constant self improvement and being a player of positive impact who actively contributes to the team. I can proudly say that I put all I had into the Blues Jersey and always left it all on the field. Thanks to all. Cheers, Blaine . . . #rugby #cardiffblues #usarugby #usarugbyplayers #rugbyvalues #rugbyethos #rugbylife . @cardiff_blues @pro14official @cardiffbluessc @cardiffbluesbro @cardiff_blues_community @usarugby @usarugbyplayers @eaglesoverseas

A post shared by Blaine Scully (@blainescully1) on May 8, 2019 at 10:01am PDT

He continued: “I have been very fortunate to have played for two of the proudest and most historic clubs in Europe (Leicester Tigers and Cardiff Blues) and to share a field (Arms Park) that so many greats have played on, in front of so many wonderful fans and supporters for these last years. That’s not something I could ever have imagined as a young kid from California.

“Hearing USA chants throughout the Arms Park in Cardiff, Wales’ capital city is pretty surreal at times. We’ve had some incredible results on the field, I was very fortunate to be a part of that and I’m leaving with nothing but gratitude.”