Page 18 of Pitch Prince

The Lions selection was such a prestigious honour that Wesley wouldn’t call anyone but the captain in advance to check availability. The Lions were announced live on TV and if you were selected, you would bloody well go. People missed their kids being born for this kind of stuff.

No wonder he wants to retire.And my brain had already made its way back to Callum. Fucking fantastic.

“So first we have the captain of the squad…and it’s Callum Anderson!”the announcer on the TV shouted.

Rhys: You twat. Well done. Can’t believe you didn’t tell me.

Callum: I was sworn to secrecy :D

“Get off your phone and bloody watch!” said Finn. I put my phone down and hoped that the blush creeping up my face wasn’t too obvious.

The announcer read out the names by club. We were expecting thirty or so players overall, and they seemed to be saving the Welsh clubs for last.

“And from Cardiff Old Navy, Finn Roberts!”

“Go on Finn!” I shouted, leaning over to give him a rough hug and clap on the back. I thought I saw him wipe a tear away. I ignored it and reached for the champagne to celebrate his selection. Maybe in four years time, we’d get picked together. If I kept up this level of performance.

“Also from Cardiff Old Navy, Rhys Prince.”

My mother screamed. Finn reached over to slap me on the back. And I just sat there. “What the fuck?” I finally managed.

“You’re in, mate!”

“No. I can’t be. It must be a mistake.” I looked over at my Mum. Surely I couldn’t…it wasn’t possible. I’d only just made the national squad. Mum’s tears were flowing freely as she clutched her glass of wine. “I…did I do it, Mum?”

She nodded through her tears and I felt my heart really ratchet up a gear. I was getting my dream. I was going to New Zealand with the Lions. I couldn’t believe it.

I stood up and walked out of the patio doors, looking down onto the Arms Park. The little stadium where it had all begun. I screamed into the air, then, letting it all out. “I’m gonna be a British Lion!”

“And I’m the Queen of England mate, now shut the fuck up!” said a voice from a balcony above.Right.Leave it to the Welsh to be brutal in any situation.

Mum joined me on the balcony, closely followed by Finn who handed me a champagne flute. “Welcome to the team, mate,” he said.

I grinned at him. This was going to be the best couple of months of my life. My phone buzzed in my pocket.

Callum: Well done, team mate!

Now that was going to be a problem.

***

The training squad had assembled outside the same big hotel we had used last time, to the east of Cardiff and fitted out with all the latest in training equipment. Wesley Peterson had built his legendary rugby empire from here, and Wales had gone from strength to strength on the world stage under his stewardship. The light was dying outside, but Wesley had something to say before we all turned in for the night.

And he stood in front of us all now, Callum Anderson at his side. Callum was wearing a tight fitting tracksuit. He caught my eye and winked. I wanted to melt into the floor right there. Because every time I saw him in the flesh I seemed to feel something stronger for him. And it wasn’t just his looks, or how I’d looked up to him for years. It was because he was just as good and great in person, more attractive than any camera could capture and kinder than I could think possible. Months of texting rather than seeing one another in person hadn’t left us with any distance between one another. And now we’d be playing in the same team.

He swept one hand through his strawberry blonde hair and messed it up more. I could just about stop myself licking my lips. Fuck. Never meet your heroes. Because you might just want to straddle them.

“So!” Wesley started, breaking me out of the trance I’d been left in by Callum’s eyes. “I’ve gathered you, the best of the best, to take on a monumental task. The All Blacks are one of the very best teams in the world. I know from experience how tough they can bloody be.”

Wesley had played against them in his youth and then coached the Wales team through a few unsuccessful matches against the All Blacks. It would give him some poetic justice to win against New Zealand with the Lions Squad.

Wesley continued. “It’s going to be bloody hard work, but I want every single one of you to give your all. I want you to make your families proud and your countries proud. Am I clear, boys?”

“Yes Coach!” we all shouted in unison.

Wesley’s smile turned wicked. “Now, I know we’ll all be working hard. But we have traditions to hold, don’t we?” There were a couple of nervous chuckles through the squad at his words. He gestured to Callum, who leaned down — I definitely was not looking at his arse because I was lookinganywhereelse — and picked up a huge teddy lion from the ground. It was almost the size of him. I groaned, knowing what was coming.

“So, we all know tradition, don’t we?” said Callum. “Youngest, least experienced player gets the lion. Bring it with you to the changing rooms, to the pub, everywhere you go. And as we don’t have anyone under the age of twenty-five on this tour…” his eyes turned to me.

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