19-year-old Tegid Phillips enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2021. The Cardiff-born off-spinner not only picked up two gongs at the end of season Glamorgan Player Awards, but was also awarded a rookie contract by the Club.
During this winter he is balancing his new life as a professional cricketer alongside his university work as he studies for a degree in Civil Engineering at Cardiff University.
What is a rookie contract and what does it mean to you to be awarded one?
It’s a professional cricket contract but you also have to do an extra qualification alongside it. As I am currently studying in university, that counts as my extra qualifictaion. To be awarded a rookie contract is an absolute honour, and it just shows that all the hard work I have put in was worth it.
How have you found balancing university work alongside your cricket commitments?
It can be tough at times! I know a lot of the time I am in university and wish that I was playing cricket. I think it is good because the course is very busy, but I still have a lot of time for my cricket, and Glamorgan have been very generous to me. They’ve said that if I do need to prioritise my university work over cricket then they fully support me and I’m very thankful for that.
Tell us a little bit about how you started your cricket journey and how the pathway has led you to where you are now?
I started when I was about seven with Cardiff Cricket Club and I’ve been with them ever since. I worked my way up through the Wales age group sides, from Under 12s all the way up to Under 18s. When I was 15, I was picked up by the Glamorgan Academy. With the help of some amazing coaches, I have been able to develop my game and get to where I am now.
I also played for the Wales National County side last year. I was very fortunate to get a lot of opportunities with that team and was lucky enough to do quite well. I think that team really helped me to progress into a better all-round player, which helped when I played 2nd team cricket last year.
You won two awards last season, including the Glamorgan Academy Player of the Year - has that given you extra confidence going into this season?
It has given me a little confidence ahead of this season. It was obviously an absolute pleasure to win those awards and I wasn’t really expecting it. There are a lot of really talented players in the Academy but playing with the 2nd team and putting in good performances obviously really helped.
What would you like to achieve on and off the pitch this season?
Off the pitch my university work is very important, and I need to continue to balance that with my cricket. On it, hopefully I can kick on from last year, put a few more good performances in for the 2nd team and who knows, I may break into the firsts by the end of the season. That’s the goal!