Warren Gatland tells players most important thing in opening speech

In a speech to his Wales squad, Warren Gatland outlined that family is the most important aspect in camp.

Addressing the collective prior to their opening clash of the autumn internationals, the Wales boss made it clear to new and younger players that there is more to life than just rugby.

Producing a presentation entitled 'Autumn 2024', Gatland said: "We spoke about family, something I always mention, particularly to the new guys because of the privilege that we have of playing professional sport, having the opportunity to do that.

"For me, it's always about - this comes first (points to slide which says 'family'). We are lucky enough to be here. But if there's anything that's happening at home, if there's any issues, you come and see us. We will make sure that this is a priority.

You can watch the clip below.

Wales face Fiji this Sunday, November 10, in their opening match of the end-of-year internationals. One week later, it's a game against Australia, before an even tougher Test against South Africa the following Saturday.

There are two uncapped players in Gatland's 35-player squad - Scarlets wing Blair Murray and Gloucester Rugby lock Freddie Thomas. On top of that, there are recalls for stars like Gloucester's Max Llewelyn and Scarlets' Tom Rogers. With a lot of change in the squad, it's no surprise Gatland thought it was the right time to reaffirm his family values.

They aren't empty promises either. During the summer, Ryan Elias ruled himself out of the summer tour of Australia after having a conversation with the Wales head coach about feeling "physically and mentally at the edge". Elias then spent the summer with his young family and has now returned to camp feeling revitalised. You can read more about that here.

In the World Cup last year, Gatland's wife Trudi was in charge of looking after players' wives and partners while the squad were playing in France. Speaking back in 2019, where Trudi had the same role, she said: "Warren's emphasis has been that family come first, family is important. If they are being taken care of then the boys can relax, get on with their job and focus.

"He recognised early on that if they are all organised, it takes the pressure off the boys."