Player Profile

Nathan Lloyd Strong first played the round-ball code as a child but eventually converted to the oval, playing for Beddau RFC U16s. Having played for Bridgend RFC at youth level, Nathan broke into the senior ranks with his local club Tondu RFC in 1996, and went on to captain the side. He had a brief spell at Caerphilly, who were a top level team at the time, and played for them in the European Challenge Cup, before returning to Tondu and winning honours with Glamorgan County. He moved to Bridgend RFC in 2002 and it because he was there, he decided to give rugby league a try, with the newly formed Bridgend Blue Bulls side, helping them to four Welsh Grand Final wins in a row between 2003 and 2006. In 2004, he won the first of his four Wales Dragonhearts caps and even broke into the full national side later that year, playing in both European Cup games. He continued to play rugby union and in the summer of 2005, he transferred to Pontypridd RFC and lifted the Welsh Cup in 2006 as team captain. He was voted Player of the Year 2006 by the Supporter's Club and then toured Spain with Crawshays a few weeks later. After five years at Pontypridd, he joined Aberavon and remained there for two seasons, but following a serious knee injury that kept him out of the game for a few seasons, he returned to gis home town club, Tondu RFC. Nathan has represented the Classic Lions in Bermuda and regularly plays in charity veterans tournaments around the globe. He also went onto coach junior rugby union at Porthcawl whilst his son Morgan became a professional rugby union player coming through the Ospreys development system.