The first in an exclusive two-part interview with Wales and Ospreys’ star Shane Williams. He spoke to rucked.com’s Alex Mead…
So you’ve been doing a bit of modelling?
What? Where have I been?
The Cool Cymru photos?
Oh, you get me worried then, I didn’t know what you were talking about. Yeah, it was something different for me, I don’t enjoy being photographed normally.
Really?
No, not normally, I don’t think I’m the most photogenic. But I knew Terry would do a good job and he has. I’m so used to seeing shots of me holding the ball and running down the line it’s nice to do something a bit arty.
A career in modelling beckons?
I don’t know about that, I hate having my photo taken.
You must have done a bit though?
I’ve done some with my sponsors and a little bit here with other companies but it’s not my first occupation or something I enjoy.
You’re now among proper legends in the photo collection?
Yeah, to be among the likes of Tom Jones, Joe Calzaghe and Shirley Bassey is humbling I don’t consider myself to be in the same league as these people. I’m very privileged.
Your profile has rocketed in the last couple of years…
Yeah I have noticed, in the past I think people recognised who I am but in the last couple of seasons I’ve played some of the best rugby of my career and it’s helped raised my profile. Like I say I do tend to get recognised in Wales a bit globally. It’s still crazy though, I’ve had letters from people in New Zealand, America – it’s incredible they know who I am, it’s quite surreal really.
How do you find that?
I think being in the media you get attention and that means you do tend to get targeted sometimes – there’s no hiding from anything. If anything goes wrong and you’re in the vicinity, then you’re the person who gets named, as has been the case in the past. Generally though everyone has certainly been very kind and good to me…
Any stalkers?
I don’t know about that – at least none I know of that have approached me. In the past I’ve had people followed most games and then turning up at the house which can be frightening. In Neath people have caught buses down to where I live but fortunately I now live out of the way in a little secluded house that nobody knows about. It keeps the stalkers away, I’m sure I haven’t got any…
Unless they’re very good at stalking…
They’d have to be hide and seek champions because I’ve not seen anybody. I do get letters from the same people repeatedly but it’s not got to such a level that I’d get worried about yet.
PART TWO FOLLOWS ON FRIDAY – Shane on Ospreys, Six Nations, Gatland and South Africa.
Images courtesy of Terry Morris's Cool Cymru Collection.