Max Llewellyn’s Rugby Journey Echoes Jamie Roberts’ Path

Max Llewellyn, who earned both of his Wales caps in the summer of 2023, is seen as a clear successor to past Welsh rugby icons, a role the sport frequently seeks to fill. The Gloucester centre, Max Llewellyn, whose father Gareth is a former Wales captain, openly expresses his admiration for ex-Wales star Jamie Roberts. Llewellyn wears the number 12 jersey, mirroring the British & Irish Lion, and also began his professional career at Cardiff, the same club, in addition to attending the same high school in the city. Standing at 6ft 3ins (1.96m) and weighing 16st 4lbs (104kg), Llewellyn possesses the physical attributes to succeed in his career path. Consequently, Roberts has already predicted that the 25-year-old Llewellyn will make a significant impact at the international level this season. “Growing up, Jamie was always a role model given we play the same position and went to the same school.” “I look at the career he had, the places he went and the clubs he played for and I think that would be pretty exciting to do the same.” Llewellyn’s departure from Cardiff 18 months ago, prompted by the regional budget crisis, has proven beneficial for his career. This season, he has scored five tries in six starts and is one of five Gloucester players selected for Warren Gatland’s autumn squad. This move could also ignite his ambition for a global rugby career. Roberts utilized his rugby skills to play internationally, with stints in England, France, Australia, and South Africa, a path Llewellyn is also considering. “It was difficult to leave Cardiff but with everything going on in Welsh rugby and the club unable to even make me an offer, it made the decision pretty easy,” he said. “I had also always had an ambition to play in the English Premiership and one day, perhaps France as well. I still do and I’d love rugby to take off in other countries like America. I’d love to have those experiences.” His father, Gareth Llewellyn, who earned a then-record 92 caps for Wales between 1989 and 2004, also pursued a similar path, playing for clubs like Harlequins and Narbonne, making him an ideal mentor for the younger Llewellyn. Max, a keen golfer and former teenage tennis player, is now one of several Gloucester players who have adopted padel, a sport combining elements of tennis and squash, finding its demands on racket skills and footwork beneficial. “I’ve become more direct as I’ve got bigger but growing up, I was always skinny so I knew I also had to use my feet to beat people,” he said. “I’ll always be judged on getting across the gain line and I can do that best at 12, plus I love being in the thick of the action.” “I love it when a forward peel around and runs straight at me. I’d much rather that than be in 10 metres of space with a Cheslin Kolbe opposite. That’s far more scary.” Llewellyn might encounter Kolbe this autumn, as world champions South Africa are scheduled to visit Cardiff after Fiji and Australia. However, he faces strong competition to increase his two caps, which he earned last summer before the World Cup, as Wales is integrating new inside centres. Warren Gatland now has several options for what was previously a challenging position after Jamie Roberts’ departure, including Llewellyn’s former Cardiff teammates Ben Thomas and Mason Grady, along with Eddie James or the more experienced Nick Tompkins. Llewellyn stated, “We’ve got some great competition but also good chemistry because a few of us have grown up together. That will push us all on.”