Dan Thomas has impressed for Cardiff Rugby this season, but lives a colourful life away from the Arms Park

18:36, 28 Jan 2026Updated 18:37, 28 Jan 2026

Cardiff Rugby’s Dan Thomas on the farm in Carmarthen(Image: Instagram/Dan Thomas)

Dan Thomas’ matchday numbers shine a light on why he has become such a vital cog for Cardiff Rugby this season.

The flanker sits among the URC’s elite for turnovers and tackles, making him a key figure as the Blue and Blacks head to Belfast to face play-off rivals Ulster.

But step away from the pitch and Thomas’ life could hardly be more different.

The Carmarthen-born back rower balances professional rugby with helping out on the family dairy farm, raising a two-year-old daughter, running a wedding car business and, perhaps most unexpectedly, arm wrestling Ukrainian heavyweights in garden sheds.

The unusual hobby began during the latter stages of Thomas’ seven-year spell with Bristol Bears, when circumstances left him with time to kill in the evenings.

“With my wife pregnant, she was back in Carmarthen and I was still living in Bristol,” the 32-year-old explained.

“I was bored stiff most nights and just scrolling on Facebook when an arm wrestling video popped up. I thought, ‘I’ll give that a go’.”

A quick search led him to a local club run by a Ukrainian called Sasha. Training, as it turned out, was far from glamorous.

“I turned up and it was literally his garden shed,” Thomas laughed.

“There were four or five Ukrainian lads in there and me. Sasha was only about 5ft 5in, but his arms were massive and he absolutely played with me. He battered me every time. JOIN OUR WALES RUGBY FACEBOOK PAGE! Latest news, analysis and much more

“But I loved it. It gave me something different to do and I went back every week.”

That interest has continued since Thomas returned to Wales with Cardiff, where he has now been for two seasons. He is a regular at a Carmarthen club on Monday nights, discovering quickly that raw strength isn’t everything.

“It’s mainly wrist strength and technique,” he said.

“I thought I wasn’t too bad until I came up against another farmer — only about 80 kilos — but he’d been throwing bales of hay all summer. He absolutely hammered me.”

The arm wrestling has even changed his relationship with the gym.

“I’ve never been a massive gym person, but it’s given me a new lease of life. I’m far more switched on with it now.”

Away from sport entirely, Thomas also has a business interest that wouldn’t look out of place in a period drama.

After the passing of his wife’s father, he purchased one of his classic wedding cars, a vintage 1960s-70s model that now does the rounds at wedding fairs and summer ceremonies.

“It ticks along nicely,” he said. “If it’s out most weekends in the summer, I’m happy. I’ve driven it once or twice — suit and tie, but no top hat. I draw the line there.

“Maybe when I retire, I’ll get another car. But farming will always come first.”

That pull of the land remains strong. Thomas spends as much time as possible back on the family farm in Croesyceiliog, near Carmarthen, which runs a herd of around 130 cattle.

“Most days off, I’ll head home to help out,” he said. “As a pro rugby player, it can be rugby, rugby, rugby. The farm gives me something to switch off with. It’s proper balance.

“When I finish playing, farming is what I’ll do full-time. That’s my future. Rugby is a privilege, but I know when I retire, the real work starts.”

Dan Thomas in action for Cardiff Rugby(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency)

For now, though, Thomas is still very much focused on delivering on the pitch. His move to Cardiff has reignited his love for the game, both on and off the field.

“I’m really enjoying it here,” he said. “It’s been revitalising. The rugby suits my style, the lads love playing with the ball and, as a group, we never give up.

“I didn’t come here to coast. I came to push myself and enjoy my rugby.”

Cardiff head into the Ulster clash buoyed by a vital 17-8 win over Benetton and sit fourth in the URC table, firmly in the hunt for a top-eight finish after missing out by a single point last season.

“That hurt,” Thomas admitted. “So the hunger is massive now. You play rugby to win things. Winning is addictive and we want to be right in the mix come the end of the season — because anything can happen then.”