We spoke to third year Medic and Wales International Hallam Amos

You may recognise Hallam from your TV screen during this year’s Rugby World Cup, or you might have seen the international rugby player hanging out at Flux in Y Plas on a Saturday night. 

The Tab caught up with the Wales winger to chat about the Rugby World Cup, becoming Dr Amos and his love for the Union.

At 21 years old, most of us may have gone on a few decent holidays and they qualify as our best experiences. Hallam Amos’ best experience trumps yours. It’s playing in the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

“Coming out of the tunnel at Twickenham was really good, because of all the lights and stuff. It was really cool to have that experience, especially because I’m still quite young.”

Hallam loves the Tab

Out of all the matches, there was only one which stood out as his firm favourite of the whole tournament. Unsurprisingly it was the England versus Walesclash.

Describing it as “awesome”, Hallam said: “It was really cool, especially beating England in England.”

Although disappointed with his early exit from the game due to a dislocated shoulder, Hallam was far more interested in winning. “If you had said before the game “would you get injured in order to beat England?” I would take the injury.”

Once the game was over and Wales were hailed victorious, Hallam relived the post-match celebratory events between the medical centre and changing rooms, nursing his new sling.

Cap presentation for the Rugby World Cup

“Firstly I was inside with Liam Williams because he had been knocked out and so we had a celebration in the medical centre. Then I went out to all the boys in the changing rooms.

“One of the conditioners for us is absolutely bonkers and he ripped his shirt off, kicked all the water bottles everywhere and everyone was jumping around singing and stuff – it was really cool.”

Although most players would rather play to a home advantage, Hallam had never played at rugby HQ. “One of the best things about Twickenham is that the bus drops you 50 metres from the doors.”

He jokingly added “you can walk through the crowd with your headphones in and try and look hard.”

Before England v Wales at Twickenham

Most sports personnel do look relatively “hard” walking into the stadiums in their matching tracksuits and Beats headphones, but Hallam’s choice of walk-in music makes him anything but a toughie.

Unlike his fellow team mates who “listen to heavy stuff like heavy rap”, Hallam prefers a bit of pre-match boyband pop. You guessed it – One Direction.

Yes, the Wales winger is partial to a bit of Harry, Liam, Niall and Louis (do we mention Zayn anymore?), and he’s not afraid to say “yeah, I’m a 1D fan.”

His favourite song is Midnight Memories.

Born in Stockport, Manchester Hallam started playing the game at a relatively late age of 11, and had always preferred football growing up.

The love for the game grew, and Hallam has since played for Wales U16’s, U20’s, Newport RFC and now plays for the Newport Gwent Dragons alongside the Wales team.

He said: “When I was in the under 16s there was an option to go and play for England, the under 18s (England) coach came in and asked if I wanted to play for them, but I was with Wales and turned them down.”

Hallam currently has 5 caps for Wales

If his life wasn’t already busy enough training twice a day in peak rugby season, Hallam is also juggling gaining a Medicine degree from Cardiff University.

The future doctor said: “I’m a medical student as well, I’ve just started my third year. I had my first day of placement today which was cool, I was in surgery 5 hours ago.”

After being asked if he reckons his patients think it’s a spoof that he, an international rugby player, is examining them on the ward, Hallam replied: “A couple of patients know who I am, but Jamie Roberts did it before me and he’s more famous than me. I’m a bit of a small fish compared to him.”

Hallam remains relatively cool about his busy day-to-day schedule, which includes two training sessions in the morning, consisting of weights then a “back session with the other backs”, before heading off to his hospital placement to be on the ward from 12pm until 5pm.

If five years studying for a Medicine degree wasn’t already enough, Hallam has had to extend the time he spends studying to accommodate his rugby career.

“I did my first two years full time but I’m doing my last three over six. Plus when I do an intercalated degree as well that means I’ve got seven years left.”

The ex-Taly South resident admits although he is living the dream, he sometimes feels like he’s missing out on a normal Medic’s life.

He said: “I do miss some things, but when you’re injured you can catch up. I live with seven of my mates, they go out more than me, but it’s not too bad.

“I think the benefits outweigh the negatives, but my rugby mates look at me as if I have way more fun than them because I live in a student house. I’ve had them round a couple of times, which my housemates then enjoy.”

Hallam and friends supporting Cardiff during the Welsh Varsity

Although most rugby players would say their favourite drinking hole are clubs such as Tiger Tiger or Soda, Hallam stays true to his Cardiff Uni roots, claiming his favourite place to go out is the SU – “there is no better place than Flux.”

Unfortunately, he’s not partial to a VK, a possible downside to his shining personality, Hallam instead prefers a more “manly” drink.

If he’s manning the iPod during pres, he always wants to end on a sing-a-long. Taking us through his DJ routine, Hallam said: “Beginning of the night it’s the housey stuff, but towards the end it’s the 80s bangers, they always go down a treat.”

With seven more years to go in his degree, his international rugby career on the rise and with the Six Nations round the corner it’s safe to say – Hallam is absolutely smashing it.