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As the assembled guests marvel at the dynamic brilliance of the young Welsh centre lacerating defences and scoring tries on the projector screen, Owen Williams wheels himself quietly from the crowded ballroom into the tranquillity of a cavernous hotel lobby.

This is footage he has seen a hundred times and more – clips of his former self, a burgeoning star of Cardiff Blues and Wales, all muscle and power and raw, unabashed rugby talent.

They were good times, great times, but they are now his past.

Tormenting oneself with a lingering melancholy for what might have been is not in this stoic 24-year-old’s nature.

“It is hard to look back on a different life,” Williams concedes. “I don’t try and get myself down about that.

“I was very happy with the success I had in rugby. I was lucky enough to represent my country, which was a great honour, so I don’t look back with negativity.”

(Image: Pic: @foliobylisa)

Two days on, Williams sits by the perimeter of a 4G training pitch in Singapore, taking in a corporate touch rugby tournament that marks the culmination of a week’s fundraising events in his name.

This is the first time he has been back to the city, the site of the World Club 10s in June 2014 where he suffered a horrendous spinal injury.

The collision left him with no sensation in his legs, limited use of his arms, and facing almost a year confined to the spinal rehabilitation unit at Llandaff’s Rookwood Hospital.

It also spawned the #StayStrongForOws campaign that swept across the international rugby community.

The Twitter hashtag yielded support as eminent and diverse as Australia’s playmaker Quade Cooper, who visited Williams at Rookwood, and viral Facebook prankster Ben Phillips together with hapless victim Elliot Giles.

“In the early stages, I remember my brother telling me about all the messages coming in,” Williams recalls. “It was crazy; it lifts the spirits and keeps you positive.

“My close friends and family, the ongoing support on Twitter, the fundraising events really get your spirits up and push you on to try and keep positive and keep going.”

In February, the business and rugby fraternities of Singapore and beyond rallied to sponsor Williams’ return, laying on a week of charitable events to raise money for his continued rehabilitation.

For the Aberdare native, the reminders of what happened here are incessant – the week was orchestrated by the same lady who oversaw the fateful 2014 tournament. The same technical adviser and pitchside doctor who tended to him on the field also lent their considerable support.

Fourteen hours of flying too presented a disconcerting new challenge.

“Coming back here was obviously going to be a bit weird, but I’ve dealt with it fine and I’m happy to be out here supporting the week,” he says.

“It was a bit of a weird journey, but everyone was helpful and it all went smoothly. It was a different experience but one I’ve got to get used to now.

“It’s very humbling and I’m lucky to have the support I’ve had after the injury. It’s a bit crazy and sometimes it can be a bit too much for me coming to these events but it’s great; I can’t thank everyone enough for what they’re doing.”

Williams is perpetually flanked by elder brother Gavin, an affable, protective rock of support for his sibling, and back in Aberdare, a small network of carers that have fostered wonderfully close relationships with him.

Two British and Irish Lions in England’s Lee Mears and Ireland’s Paul Wallace, former Scotland Sevens captain Colin Gregor, and ex-Wales lock Craig Quinnell have all made the journey to back the cause.

(Image: David Ash, SingaporeMaven)

A great, hulking brute, Quinnell’s latest party piece in the gym entails perching a lithe blonde at either end of his barbell and bench-pressing the lot.

“It was only about 150kg – easy,” he shrugs.

Quinnell is a significant cog in the Welsh Rugby Former International Players Association – the group has footed the bill for Williams’ small cohort of carers for the next two years – and the centre’s story resonates deeply with his own tribulations.

“I’ve broken my neck and my back,” says the behemoth. “I could have been in the wheelchair myself – I’m one of the lucky ones.

“Any guy who survives 12-13 years of professional rugby is doing well these days.

(Image: David Ash, SingaporeMaven)

“Rugby’s a family – that’s where it differs from football and some other big sports. Every game’s a family event. We’re a family and we’re a community.

“My brother, Gavin lost his eye (playing for the Scarlets) five years ago, the support and letters he had from across the world was unbelievable, and it’s the same for Owen.”

Williams is too proud and self-sufficient a character to let on when he is flagging – he’ll offer a tilt of the head, and an assertion that he “just has to get on with it”.

But he finds it especially wounding to be robbed of elements of physical independence, and to reconcile the gym fanatic who broke a hatful Blues strength records with the inevitable wastage of muscle that has besieged his body.

“People definitely have a different outlook (on me),” he says. “Some people find it awkward to approach me.

“Then you’ve got others who treat you exactly the same. Friends and family never change and they’re the ones who mean the most to me.”

Still, though, a mischievous glimmer dances in his eyes.

As the touch tournament intensifies, his face creases into a guffaw when a youngster sporting a questionable blonde topknot leaves Gavin scrambling in his wake.

“Did you see that?!” he exclaims. “Gav just got gassed by the lad with the ponytail!”

(Image: David Ash, SingaporeMaven)

Life at home, of course, is profoundly different now.

The dark days of Rookwood were conquered with the help of a robust support network, and the “daunting” return to domestic existence is complete.

Williams undergoes tri-weekly physiotherapy sessions where progress is measured in months, not days or weeks, and has had his car recalibrated so he can drive unassisted using hand controls, slipping away for precious moments of solitude.

Related:Cardiff Blues launch special new kit to support Owen Williams and the #StayStrongForOws campaign

(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency)

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“I wouldn’t say I’ve changed as a person, but there are things in life you definitely appreciate more,” he considers.

“Learning to adapt to different things has been hard - I’ve still got a short fuse but I’ve just got to get on with it.

“I’ve had my car adapted so I can get more independence – I can get out on my own and get away.

“Sometimes I do need a bit of hands-on to help me with things, so I like to get out and about on my own, forget about it all and get away from everything.”

The future for Williams

The focal point of an international gathering, Williams grew more at ease with his surroundings and status as the days ticked by.

Trips to the Dominican Republic and Las Vegas are tabled for later this year as his rehabilitation progresses and confidence builds.

The touch rugby is almost complete, the evening drawing to a close, when a father and son approach for a chat and an autograph.

Williams grasps the pen, scrawls his moniker across the child’s ball, and they speak for a few more minutes.

“Inspiration,” the man asserts, nodding for emphasis as he leads his boy towards the car park.

Williams’ face remains impassive – he does not crave this attention, but privately, they are encounters he surely cherishes.

“Further down the line I’d like to support other individuals like myself who are going through difficult times,” he says.

“I’d like to give something back to help people out who aren’t quite as fortunate and haven’t got the support I have.

“Everyone is getting together here and getting behind me. The love for rugby has been great in helping me get back on track.”

Rugby aficionados are oft-susceptible to derision for puritan romanticisms over values and camaraderie and respect.

But here then – an international joining of forces, representatives from across the globe, even fiercely competitive local law firms combining to contribute to the touch tournament - is a tangible, perhaps unique show of sporting unity shoulder-to-shoulder with this unassuming, exceptionally courageous young man.

If you wish to make a donation, please go to the website www.staystrongforows.com and use the JustGiving page prefixing your donation with ‘Singapore’. Donations can also be made by emailing linda@eigerperformance.com

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