Friday 10 April 2020 14:55, UK
Wales centre Jamie Roberts has become an NHS volunteer to help in the fight against coronavirus.
Roberts, who got a medical degree from Cardiff University in 2013, returned from South Africa this week after coronavirus cut short his spell with the Stormers.
The 33-year-old told Sky Sports News he felt "it was important to add an extra pair of hands and extra mind to help solve this problem that we are all facing".
"I have a medical degree from seven years ago, I've never worked clinically and I didn't do my foundation years as I played rugby," he added.
"But I felt it was only right to come back to the health board here in Cardiff, and join the team here and try to support all of our front line staff, who are doing an incredible job trying to solve this challenge."
Roberts has 94 caps for Wales, reaching a World Cup semi-final as well as starting all five matches in 2012's Grand Slam win.
Asked if his nerves working as a volunteer were similar to before big matches, he said: "In some way, it is similar to a team sport. This is a team problem and we have to solve it as a collective.
"A lot of people see the numbers on the news and they see photos of hospital beds but the machine is far greater than that. There's visiting teams in the community, testing teams, the HR teams - the amount of recruitment that's been done, certainly here in Cardiff, it's huge administrative effort - and that machine behind what people are seeing is massive.
"And, as I've said, it is mightily impressive how those teams are stepping up in very difficult circumstances."
Roberts admits he has been inspired, during his short time as a volunteer with the NHS in Cardiff, to return to medicine in some way once his career in rugby is over.
"Being involved in this team certainly motivates me to do it after rugby," he said.
"Seeing what effort people are going to and the work ethic, the resilience of different people within this work force - even playing a small part in this machine - it's pretty cool.
"So it's definitely motivated me to be a part of it in some way after playing."
Roberts joined the Stormers in January to play the 2020 Super Rugby season but, as with most sport around the world, it has come to a halt because of the coronavirus pandemic.
"I just hope I get the chance again to go out there again finish what I started," he said.
"The Rugby was great fun and it was a great group of lads. It is kind of weird that it is cut short in the circumstances it was, that was disappointing," he said.
"But in the circumstances that disappointment pales."
Asked what the future holds for his rugby career, he added: "No one is going to be playing rugby until we solve this problem and so that is the first focus and hopefully I can play my part in that team collective to solve this and then deal with what is next [in my career] I guess.
"I'd love to play rugby for another few years."
