Wales rugby fans are up in arms over the choice of Cory Hill to lead the team in Friday’s match against Queensland Reds in Brisbane due to his part in a violent home invasion and his status as a lower league player in Japan.
Wales coach Warren Gatland heavily rotated the Dragons squad for the final match of their tour, following the 2-0 Test defeat by the Wallabies. Hill played against the Wallabies in the two-match series.
After he was called up the decision was met with a fierce reaction on social media. Hill, speaking at a press conference late on Wednesday, apologised for the 2021 incident.
In October 2021 it was revealed that in May of that year Hill and two other men broke into a woman’s house causing damage and the woman and her children to fear for their lives, after a case of mistaken identity.
Between the incident and the news breaking Hill had abruptly quit Welsh Rugby and his Cardiff club to move to Japan to play. His team was recently promoted from the fourth to third tier.
Hill reportedly apologised and was “genuinely sincerely sorry for being involved in the incident and any distress caused”.
On Wednesday he addressed the incident with media for the first time.
“Do I regret it? Yes, of course I do,” he said. “I made a mistake and I am sorry.
“It’s about me coming back into the camp and proving my worth within the group, getting respect.
“I’m chuffed to be captain. I’ve done it before and I thank Warren for having the trust in me. It’s a massive honour to lead the team again. I probably never thought I would get to captain Wales again.”
A full statement from Hill’s representatives in 2021 said: “Three men, of which Mr Hill was one, were involved in an incident in that they mistakenly went to a property they believed to be an acquaintance of one of the men.
“Some damage to the property was caused by one of the men, which was fixed and paid for, and Mr Hill and the other men sincerely apologise for their genuine mistake in going to the wrong property, for the damage and any distress caused to the occupiers of the property.
“Mr Hill has voluntarily, at all times fully co-operated with Cardiff Rugby who were his employers at the time, the WRU and the police who all investigated the incident and took the appropriate action deemed necessary.
“Immediately after the incident, Mr Hill attempted to contact the occupier of the property to apologise directly, but was told that the occupier did not want to hear from him.
“He has respected those wishes, and notwithstanding them has made a full remorseful apology to the occupier via Cardiff Rugby and via the police.
“It was a mistake, and Mr Hill is genuinely sincerely sorry for being involved in the incident and any distress caused.”
The occupant told the BBC she feared for her and her children’s lives during the 15-minute incident.
“What I could hear was glass smashing against the upstairs windows and this most horrific banging sound at the front door,” she said.
“The floor was shaking under my feet, I could feel the vibrations.
“It sounded to me, at the time, as if there was a sledge-hammer being taken to my front door. At the same time there was the sound of broken glass coming from the top floor windows, so it was really disorientating.”
She said her baby was screaming and her eldest child was “distraught” and asked: “Mammy, are there people trying to get us?”
She told her eldest child to take the baby and “hide in the bedroom” because she believed “something really horrific was going to happen” adding she feared “somebody was coming to kill us”.
Hill was a surprise inclusion for the Australian tour due to a lack of fit options in the lock position – and gives an indication of the strength of Gatland’s tourists.
Hill, 32, has not played for Wales in three years having joined Japanese side Secom Rugguts.
Former Wales lock Ian Gough told Radio Wales that Hill’s selection sent a “wrong message” to other players.
“For Cory Hill to get the red carpet back into the Wales squad grates on me,” he said.
Cory Hill (C) of Wales seen in action during Wallabies (Australia) Vs Wales International Rugby Union match in Melbourne. (Photo by Alexander Bogatyrev/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
“He went to Japan for money, which is fine, but how can you pick someone who has been playing park rugby in Japan for a squad to play South Africa [where Wales played before coming Down Under].
“He was a fantastic player but you should always judge on form and when was the last time he played a top-end game?
“When was the last time he was tested at any level, even a Champions Cup game or a URC quarter-final?
“I don’t agree with it. It doesn’t send a good message to those players who stayed in Wales to ply their trade.
“It must be very demoralising for someone like Morgan Morris who has shown real consistency over the years and doesn’t get in.”
Fans of Welsh rugby also took to social media to dispute the selection, with Squidge Rugby analyst Will Owen the most vocal.
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Hill reacted to the outrage on Wednesday.
“There’s always going to be negative reaction to mistakes someone has made in the past,” said Hill.
“I’ve been honest and open here. The issue got dealt with by club and authorities three years ago. I hold my hand up and I am sorry for what happened.
“We’ve had a good discussion around it. Warren has put trust in me to come back into the team and add a bit of experience to the young group.
“I feel like I’m doing that and loved every minute being back here.”
