Home damage victim’s shock at Cory Hill as captain

A woman whose home was damaged by a group of men including Wales rugby player Cory Hill has said she told head coach Warren Gatland face-to-face about the “devastating” effect it had on her family.

Sara, not her real name, told BBC Wales she was “disgusted and shocked” when Gatland named Hill as Wales captain this week.

She met Gatland and Welsh Rugby Union director Nigel Walker in the Senedd in May 2023.

On Friday, Gatland apologised for naming Hill as captain against Queensland Reds on Wales’ Australian tour, and Hill pulled out of the match for “personal reasons”.

Sara previously said she had been left fearing for her and her children’s lives when a group of men, which included Hill, damaged her home in May 2021.

She said she could hear this “thunderous banging sound over and over again” at the front door and her “terrified” daughter asked: “Mammy, are people trying to get us?”

She said it sounded like someone was using a sledgehammer on her door and she feared “somebody was coming to kill us”.

South Wales Police said the incident was dealt with through “community resolution” and a representative for Hill said the group went to the “wrong property”, and apologised.

In summer 2021, it was announced Hill was leaving the national squad and his long-term deal with Cardiff Rugby with immediate effect, to play in Japan.

But earlier this year, it was announced Hill was to return to the international fold, as part of the Wales squad to tour Australia.

He featured as a replacement in the defeats against Australia in Sydney and Melbourne.

Announcing Hill as captain for the match against Queensland Reds, Gatland said the decision had been given careful consideration.

“Cory said to me he made a mistake three years ago and he regrets what happened – young men do make mistakes,” he said.

Hill also said he was sorry. “Do I regret it? Yes, of course I do,” he said. “I made a mistake and I am sorry.”

He added: “There’s always going to be negative reaction to mistakes someone has made in the past. I’ve been honest and open here.”

On Thursday, BBC Wales asked the WRU to respond to the comments made by Sara and the next day it was announced Hill had withdrawn from the match for “personal reasons”.

After the match, Gatland said he had made a mistake in naming him captain.

“I picked him on what he’s been doing out here. It was a rugby decision I made,” he said.

“I probably didn’t appreciate there was going to be some negativity about making that call.”

Sara said when she met Gatland and Walker last year she told them about the ongoing effect the incident had on her.

“I was devastated – surprised and shocked,” she said.

“I remember Warren Gatland’s face, he looked so shocked when I started to share with him what my experience was, what my children’s experience was. He looked just beside himself.”

She said her eldest daughter still woke up “terrified and shaking”, and she and her daughter were still receiving therapy following the incident.

“I told them about the effect it had on all of us, I was extremely upset in that meeting,” she said.

Sara said they were trying to convince her to “forgive” Hill, but Gatland appeared “sympathetic”.

She said she left the meeting with the “strong impression” that “there was no way back” for Hill when it came to playing for Wales, but admitted the men did not expressly say that.

“Warren Gatland just looked deflated at that point,” she said.

“I felt like, this is over. So when I discovered that they’d completely U-turned on the feeling of that meeting, how it was concluded, you could have blown me down with a feather, I was so shocked.”

She said Hill being named captain had “sullied” the role.

Now questions are being asked why Gatland named Hill captain, given the meeting with Sara.

Sara said it was the “right thing” for Hill to step down, but added that “it’s still hugely problematic that this was even considered in the first place”.

“I want assurances that the way they think is going to change,” she said.

“He had an opportunity to make the right decision and uphold WRU principles after I shared my experience with him face to face.

“I thought he would, he did not, I am beyond disappointed.”

Member of the Senedd Heledd Fychan, who arranged the meeting between Sara, Gatland and Walker, and sat in on the discussion, said it was “disappointing” the WRU did not contact Sara to tell her Hill was being named captain.

“I do question the steps that were taken by Warren Gatland to make Hill captain which has led to Sara having to relive her trauma, reshape her story, and for Hill to go through all this extra scrutiny over something that should be a big moment in his life,” she said.

“I hope the WRU reflect on what’s happened.”

Nigel Walker said it was obvious from meeting Sara she had suffered a “deep trauma”.

“I did learn things that afternoon, and Warren learned quite a lot because he wasn’t totally across the incident on that night,” he said.

“We understood fully the impact of that night on Sara and her family.”

Walker believed Hill being named captain was a mistake.

He said: “There are things which are outside of rugby which perhaps should be the subject of a conversation, and that’s something we are going to look to discuss going forward.

“We’re admitting that we got this wrong. The important thing is that we recognise that we got this wrong, we’ve admitted that we’ve got it wrong and perhaps in the past we wouldn’t.”

He believed the WRU needed to ensure it did not make similar mistakes in future.

He said: “Are we a perfect organisation at the moment? No we’re not.

“Are we striving to be more perfect than we currently are and were 18 months ago?Yes, we are.”

Walker said the WRU was willing to offer support to Sara, and he apologised to her.

“I’m sorry for the added trauma that has come about as the result of the decision made two or three days ago,” he said.

Hill, he added, was “suffering” after leaving the team.

Mr Walker said the WRU was willing to offer mediation to Sara and that offer still stands.

“We were there to understand the trauma she had been through – and to help her if we could,” he added.

“We felt that both sides had their say – we understood fully the impact of that night on Sara and her family.”

He said he was “sorry” if Sara was left with the impression there would be no way back for Hill, adding “that was not my impression”.

“It was not discussed overtly whether Cory would be considered for future selection or not, if we gave that impression I apologise.”