Victims shocked after home was damaged by Captain Corey Hill

A woman whose home was vandalised by a group of men including Wales rugby player Corey Hill has spoken directly to manager Warren Garland about the “devastating” impact on her family, a report has said.

Sarah (not her real name) told BBC Wales she was “disgusted and shocked” when Gatland appointed Hill as Wales captain this week.

She met Garland and Nigel Walker, the Welsh Rugby Union director, in the Senedd in May 2023.

On Friday, Gatland apologised for naming Hill as captain. Wales’ tour of Australia saw a match against Queensland Reds, with Hill missing the match for “personal reasons”.

Sarah has previously said she feared for her and her children’s lives when a group of men, including Hill, destroyed her home in May 2021.

She said she heard “a constant, thunderous banging” at the front door, and her “terrified” daughter asked, “Mommy, are they here to get us?”

She said she heard a knock on the door and felt scared, “like someone was coming to kill us.”

South Wales Police said the incident was dealt with through a “community resolution” and a Hill spokeswoman said the group went to the “wrong place” and apologised.

In the summer of 2021, it was announced that Hill would be leaving the national team, terminating his long-term contract with Cardiff Rugby with immediate effect, and moving to play in Japan.

But earlier this year it was announced that Hill would return to international action, touring Australia with the Wales squad.

He came on as a substitute in the losses to Australia in Sydney and Melbourne.

Announcing Hill as captain for the match against Queensland Reds, Godland said the decision had been carefully considered.

“Cory said he made a mistake three years ago and regretted it. Young people make mistakes,” he said.

Hill also said he was sorry. “Do I regret it? Yeah, absolutely,” he said. “I made a mistake and I’m sorry.”

He added: “There will always be negativity about mistakes someone has made in the past. I have been honest and open here.”

On Thursday, BBC Wales contacted the WRU to respond to Sarah’s comments, and the following day it announced Hill had withdrawn from the game for “personal reasons”.

After the game, Gatland said it was a mistake to name himself captain.

“I picked him for what he was doing here. It was a rugby decision I made,” he said.

“I guess you didn’t anticipate that making that call would have such a negative impact.”

Sarah said when she met with Gatland and Walker last year, she spoke about how the incident still affects her today.

“I was absolutely shocked and astonished,” she said.

“I remember Warren Gatland’s face. He looked so shocked when I started telling him about my experience and my children’s experience. He didn’t even seem to know me.”

She said her older daughter woke up “still shaking and scared” and that she and her daughter are still receiving treatment following the incident.

“I told them how it affected all of us. I was very upset at that meeting,” she said.

Sarah said they tried to convince her to “forgive” Hill, but Gotland seemed “sympathetic.”

She revealed she left the meeting with a “strong impression” that there was “no way back” Hill would play for Wales, but admitted the men had never explicitly said that.

“At that moment Warren Gatland looked absolutely dejected,” she said.

“I felt like it was over. So when I found out they had completely turned around the feel of that meeting, how it ended, you could have been blown away by a feather. It was really shocking.”

She said Hill’s appointment as captain was a “detriment” to the role.

Given the meeting with Sarah, questions are being raised as to why Galtland appointed Hill as captain.

Sarah said Hill’s departure was “the right thing to do” but added that “it’s still a huge problem that this was even being considered in the first place.”

“I want to be reassured that their mindset will change,” she said.

“It was only after I told him my experience first-hand that he had the opportunity to make the right decision and stick to the WRU principles.

“I thought it would be like that, but it didn’t, so I was really disappointed.”

Senedd Heledd Fychan, who arranged the meeting between Sarah, Garland and Walker and attended the discussions, said it was “disappointing” the WRU did not contact Sarah to inform her of Hill’s appointment as captain.

She said: “I question the steps Warren Gatland took to make Hill the captain. That it forced Sarah to relive her trauma, to reconstruct her story, and that it put Hill under so much scrutiny for what should have been a pivotal moment in her life.”

“I hope the WRU will reflect on what happened.”

Nigel Walker said that just meeting Sarah it was clear she had suffered “deep trauma”.

“I learned a lot that afternoon, and Warren learned a lot that night because he didn’t fully understand the events of that night,” he said.

“We fully understand the impact that night had on Sarah and her family.”

Walker believed Hill’s appointment as captain was a mistake.

“There are things outside of rugby that need to be discussed and we will discuss them going forward,” he said.

“We’re acknowledging that we got this wrong. The important thing is that we recognize that we got this wrong, that we got this wrong, and that maybe we didn’t in the past.”

He believed the WRU should avoid making similar mistakes in the future.

He said: “Are we a perfect organization now? No, we are not.

“Are we trying to be better than we were 18 months ago? Yes, we are.”

Walker said the WRU was willing to offer Sarah support and apologised to her.

“I’m sorry for any additional trauma caused by the decision I made two or three days ago,” he said.

Hill was “in pain” after leaving the team, he added.

Mr Walker said the WRU was willing to offer Sarah mediation and that the offer still stood.

“We went there to understand the trauma she had been through and to help her if we could,” he added.

“We felt that both sides had their say. We fully understood the impact that night had on Sarah and her family.”

He added, “I’m sorry” if Sarah got the impression there was no way Hill could come back. “That wasn’t my impression.”

“There has been no public discussion about whether or not Corey will be selected going forward. I apologize if that impression was given.”