VIDEO: Kiwi star reveals challenges of moving north
ONE-ON-ONE: Jan de Koning sat down for a chat with former Junior All Black and now Cardiff resident Nick Williams about the challenges of moving to and playing in Europe.
Williams, 36, with more than 200 first-class games in Europe, described the transition from playing and living in the Southern Hemisphere to Europe as "very tough".
Capped 37 times for the Blues in Super Rugby, he joined Munster in 2008.
The brother of Samoan international Tim Nanai-Williams and cousin of dual international Sonny Bill Williams (Rugby Union and Rugby League for New Zealand), Nick Williams also featured for Aironi and Ulster, before arriving at Cardiff Blues in 2016.
He announced his retirement from the game this year and is now based in Cardiff.
With all that experience, Williams is well-placed to hand out advice to players and teams planning to make the move from the south to the north.
"It took me two to three years to get used to everything," Williams said of his move more than a decade ago.
(Continue below ... )
He said the challenges include adjusting to the lifestyle and the weather.
"People say it is just [about the] rugby, you are just going to play rugby somewhere else," Williams told @rugby365com.
"There is a lot more to it.
"I do feel for the South African boys coming up here, playing in November and December when it is minus five [degrees centigrade] and [back] in South Africa it is 30+ degrees.
"It is a tough transition."
He said the move requires a lot of preparation and advised players to be "mentally ready".
"You must do as much research as you can and get hold of some people that are up here already.
"It is not as easy as people think."
He also warned South African teams that the transition from Southern Hemisphere rugby to that in Europe is also a massive challenge - something the Cheetahs and Southern Kings have already experienced.
"People will say it is [only] nine hours [travelling]. [However], you jump on a plane in South Africa it is 30ºC, you get off the plane here [in Europe] it is 1ºC and that is a challenge on its own.
"It is daunting to make that move, but I encourage anyone who is planning to make the move to do it with an open mind.
"It is enjoyable and it is a great lifestyle."
He said only 'armchair critics' will suggest it is an easy transition from the styles in the south to that in the north.
He described it as a "totally different" game.
"Up here it is a lot more forward orientated and it comes down to the weather at times. I find the players a lot more physically bigger, whereas in New Zealand it is a running game.
"If you go to South Africa the game is a lot harder and there is even more running.
"It is two totally different styles.
"I prefer it that way. If it was all one style it would not make the game that interesting."
He suggested the real challenges the game is facing at the moment is in the boardrooms, where the biggest adjustments need to be made.
"I wouldn't mind seeing a world championship," he said of the challenge to align all the countries around a global season, adding: "Logistically it would be tough to make it work."
Williams said when he made the call to retire about six months ago, his body simply wasn't recovering as quickly as it used to.
"I struggled to train on Monday and Tuesday and only started training on Wednesdays. Then I would play on Friday," he told @rugby365com.
He said this routine if weekly struggling persisted through the last two seasons.
"The body told me it was time," he said, adding: The mind and passion still wanted me to play.
"However, I had this mentality that if I struggled to play with my children - ride the pony or something like that - that would be the gamechanger."
Coming from a massive rugby family and having played for the Junior All Blacks, his dream was always to represent New Zealand.
"At the time [2008] I looked at the back row forwards in New Zealand and there was a conveyor belt of talent.
"I was true to myself. Yes, the Junior All Blacks is one step away from the All Blacks, but it is a big step.
"I went to Europe to do a bit of travelling and play a bit of rugby at the same time. Now, 12 years later I am still up here."
He said he doesn't regret the decision, as he has had a great lifestyle in Europe and Cardiff and that is why he is now calling Cardiff his home.
"All my children have been born in the UK, or Europe anyway."
He added that Cardiff is very similar to New Zealand - lots of nice people and a lot of sheep, which makes it a bit easier.
"The only difference is they get a little bit more rain than I would like to.
"My children are happy and my wife is happy. We've settled here for the immediate future."
@king365ed
@rugby365com