Rugby has long been the lynchpin of local Welsh communities, but some local players have used the sport as a method to travel the world.

Newcastle Emlyn Rugby club's Curtis Bradford, headed to Byron Bay, Australia, at the start of the year to take up a player coach role and also to work as a development officer with the NSW Waratahs.

He was joined soon after by friend and former Newcastle Emlyn team mate Bedwyr Davies, as the coastal town of Byron Bay plotted an assault on the title.

“It was always a dream of mine to come and experience Southern Hemisphere rugby, and the club have made me feel very welcome, I’ve enjoyed every second,” said Bradford.

Unfortunately shortly after his competitive debut, he was ruled out for the season following a serious concussion – an injury which has caused him problems in the past.

“It’s been hard not playing, but looking at the positives it has allowed me to put everything into coaching and I hope I have made a positive impact,” he said.

Bradford added that he was impressed with Davies and his performances.

“Bedwyr has always been a top player, but it has been great to see him go out of his comfort zone and refocus on rugby. He has been one of the stand-out players in the league and he’s a bit of a cult hero in the Bay.”

When asked about his performances Davies replied: “I have had the time of my life playing for Byron, Curtis and the rest of the coaches have brought the best out of me and I hope I can repay them.”

Byron have qualified for the league play-offs and will face arch rivals Lennox Head in the semi-final.

Bradford is no stranger to using rugby to travel, before Australia he worked for Leicester Tigers on a project in Malaysia and coached in Rwanda and Finland before working for Emlyn RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union.

It was Bradford’s links in Finland that opened up the door for another Emlyn player, Steffan Crossman, to go abroad.

Crossman originally went to Finland to play for the Aland Stags, whom Bradford coached in 2015, but after the club fell on harsh times, he found a home at Haarmarby rugby club in Stockholm.

“This has been a brilliant experience to go to a foreign country and play rugby. I have learned a lot and seen a very different way of doing certain things on and off the pitch.”

Steffan’s team have just competed at the famous Stockholm 10s competition with elite invitational and international sides in attendance.

It remains to be seen what the next steps of these three rugby globetrotters' will be but one thing is for certain, they’re are representing Newcastle Emlyn Rugby Club and the local community immensely well.