As Cardiff Blues players assembled today to begin preparations for the new season with conditioning coach, Trystan Bevan, scrum-half Richard Smith was had already taken steps to ensure maximum fitness in the weeks ahead.

The international scrum-half, who missed last season with a neck injury, has been combining good causes with his own personal fitness targets.

Last weekend he completed a gruelling 40-mile cycling and running marathon in aid of three Welsh appeals.

He said, “With four friends we raised sponsorship for the Noah’s Ark Appeal, Velindre Hospital and the Scope School project. We cycled from the Brecon Beacons reservoirs up to Penyfan, then a couple of us jogged to the peak. Afterwards we biked it back to Cardiff via Merthyr.”

Smithy’s exertions were well worth-while as between them the five friends raised in excess of £1,000 – and for Smithy it was further encouragement that his own physical health is standing up to every test.

He added, “I’ve been doing weight training for most of the summer, in fact everything short of full contact. Hopefully I’ll get the green light for that very shortly.”

First, though, he reports for duty with the squad again tomorrow morning – and as the rest of us cope with the mini-heatwave spare a thought for the Blues as Trystan Bevan sends them off on a 3K run.