Helping out with the cancer charity is an important part of the former Wales captain’s life after retiring eight years ago
BBC Sport pundit Sam Warburton(Image: PA Wire)
Veering through Velindre’s outpatients waiting room, the trolley – overflowing with Welsh cakes and flapjacks – is coming to the end of its journey around Cardiff’s cancer hospital.
Pushing it around is a familiar face, even if one patient can’t quite place it. “What his name again,” she quietly asks, as staff and patients pose for photos.
The person next to her is quick with the answer. “Sam Warburton,” is the response.
The former Wales and Lions captain, is only too happy to do his bit, dealing out cakes to everyone in sight. Eight years retired from playing, days like this are a key component of Warburton’s life after rugby.
Sure, there’s the punditry work in which Warburton is excelling. Just days earlier, he had been stood pitchside in Cardiff – with a renewed sense of optimism about Steve Tandy’s side.
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In that field, he has carved out a path through his ability to make the complex seem simple.
Yet, that’s just the one side of Warburton now.
“My wife was saying to me the other day, because she sees the stuff that Velindre do, that rather than go to work, do I just do some voluntary work?” he tells WalesOnline.
“I’m involved with Cardiff Dogs’ Home because I love my dogs, as I’m sure people know by now. So she’s saying why not go do something for someone like Velindre or Cardiff Dogs’ Home.
“What’s rewarding for me is when I get stopped fairly recently wandering around the street and stuff, one of the most common compliments I get would be people who say thanks for what you do for Velindre. They’ll say they go in there, the staff are brilliant, the fundraisers are brilliant and they made their experience so much better.
“I’m not involved in it that often. There are people who work here full time. But it’s nice for people to know that and get that feedback.
“And besides that feedback, it shows that the time you’re putting into it is well worth it. I’ve got a close friend in Velindre at the moment and he said exactly the same thing. He said it’s brilliant in there.
“It makes it feel certainly worthwhile.”
Sam Warburton meets patients
The reason for Warburton’s visit this time is the charity’s Wear Red for Wales initiative. It’s a cause that the former openside has been close to for some time now.
His association started in his playing days, while Warburton was still breaking through. “I think I was in my young 20s when I first got involved,” he says.
“They asked Gareth Bale, Geraint Thomas and myself as we were all from Whitchurch. It was just a natural one to get involved with.
“My grandparents passed away with cancer. At that stage, you obviously have your rugby contract, you have your off-field endorsements and my agent was saying it’s good to have a charity that you care about.
“When I told him it was Velindre, he said that would be perfect and you’ve got to do that. I think any sort of young player navigating their way through a career, you should line yourself up with a charity.
“You don’t realise it, but your influence is probably a bit greater than you realise, and you can really help out.”
Rugby legend Sam Warburton visits Velindre Cancer Centre
Not only does Warburton recognise the impact players can have on a charity, but also the other way around.
“I talk about this a lot, particularly post post-career, I’d always tell people – younger players as well – you need perspective when you play,” he adds. “And when you’re a player, particularly when you’re coming through the system, you think your job is only to train and play.
“You realise your job’s greater than that. You’re actually a role model. You’ll have been asked to do charity appearances and when you’re young, you don’t want to do it, I’ll be honest.
“You think, ‘oh, I just want to go home and relax’. And it turns out they would have been actually some of the most formative experiences of my life.
“There’s rooms I’m walking around this morning, I remember meeting people who’ve been terminal, who obviously aren’t with us now.
“And then you suddenly go back to your own world and you realise, actually, what we’re going through – whether it’s rugby, whether it’s in your own personal life – sometimes you got take yourself like a little bubble and realise the predicament that some people in this world are in.
“It gives you a great amount of perspective. I remember seeing young players then who would play for Wales and would get really beat up about losing a game.
“And it takes seeing hardship to know it’s okay. I remember Leigh Halfpenny and myself were asked after a training session to go and visit someone once.
“We went and did it. Then a few days later, our head coach at the time, Phil Davies, told us the boy had passed away last night. We were just thinking how glad we were that we did it.
“We’d walked into his room and he had Welsh memorabilia around it. He knew he was coming to the end, but he was still incredibly brave.
“And you think, we’re just playing a game. You get asked in press conferences about pressure. We’re not under pressure. Not at all.”
“That’s why I urge people to get involved. Not only because you’re doing a good thing, but because it makes you a better person with a greater sense of perspective.
“They’re rewarding experiences that you don’t expect them to be. You jump in your car and you actually realise how lucky you are.
“When I think of my rugby career, a lot of the experience I think of are things like that and they always stick with me.”
Velindre’s Wear Red campaign brings together communities, clubs, schools, and businesses across Wales in a powerful show of unity and support for Velindre Cancer Service. By simply wearing red and donating £1, supporters contribute to a collective effort that demonstrates how small individual actions can create a huge impact. Money raised through the campaign will help fund vital care and support services across Wales including 50% of Velindre’s Specialist Nurses, all Psychology and Counselling services, wig vouchers, children’s resources, significant investments into ground breaking research and clinical trials and much more.
To learn more about the impact of your support or, to make a donation in support of Velindre Cancer Charity, visit www.velindrefundraising.com