Cam Winnett Credits Leigh Halfpenny As Cardiff Face Munster In URC Round 2
Cam Winnett Credits Leigh Halfpenny As Cardiff Face Munster In URC Round 2
Cardiff’s Cam Winnett says Leigh Halfpenny has boosted his game as the fullback prepares for Munster in Round 2 of the BKT URC.
Cardiff Rugby fullback Cam Winnett says training alongside his boyhood hero Leigh Halfpenny already is elevating his game.
Winnett, last season’s BKT URC Ironman after logging more minutes than any other player in the league, grew up watching Halfpenny star for Wales.
Now, at 22, he is not only working with the veteran, he's learning from him every day.
- Subscribe To FloRugby To Watch Every Match Of The Gallagher PREM
- FloRugby Athlete's Lounge Returns For Argentina vs. South Africa Rugby
- United Rugby Championship Schedule: Here's Every URC Fixture
- PREM Rugby Lives Here: Gallagher Premiership To Stream On FloRugby
Halfpenny returned to Cardiff this year as the team’s kicking coach, while also signing a short-term playing contract. For Winnett, it's still surreal to line up at training beside the man he once idolized.
“I watched him a lot growing up,” Winnett said. “Sharing the pitch with him in training sessions is gold for me, to be honest. We work together often, and he has definitely improved my kicking and my knowledge of the game.”
The lessons have been both technical and tactical.
Halfpenny has drilled Winnett on hand placement, ball drop and finding the sweet spot, but also on in-game decision-making — when to kick, when to hold possession and how to read situations with clarity.
“The more accurate you are, the more you are then able to kick the ball further,” Winnett said. “If the basics aren’t right first, you aren’t going to kick the best you can.”
Beyond the mechanics, Winnett has been struck by Halfpenny’s humility.
“For someone who has been on Lions tours and been Player of the Series, he is very down to earth and humble," Winnett said. "I would like to be like that as well.”
Winnett got his first taste of Halfpenny’s coaching on Wales’ summer tour of Japan.
Though left out of the Six Nations squad, his recall for the summer tests was a reminder of his trajectory. That momentum has carried into the new campaign.
Cam Winnett Off To Strong Start For Cardiff Rugby
He scored a try in Cardiff’s Round 1 victory over the Lions, helping his side to a 33-20 win, and now heads into his third senior season with calm confidence.
“I am obviously still young, still developing, still learning, but I definitely think I have matured,” he said. “I am quite calm going into games. I just back myself.”
That mindset fueled his Ironman award in 2023-2024, when he played nearly every minute of Cardiff’s league season, finishing with 1,427 minutes — more than any other player.
Far from easing up, Winnett says his target is to repeat that durability this season.
“I want to play every minute again to be honest," he added. "Hopefully, we will win a lot of games this year, and the aim is to get to the playoffs.”
Munster Rugby vs. Cardiff Rugby In Round 2 Of The URC
Cardiff Rugby continue its league campaign Oct. 4 with a tripl to face Munster Rugby at Thomond Park in Limerick, Ireland.
Kickoff is set for 2:35 p.m. ET, streaming live on FloRugby and the FloSports app.
Subscribe To The FloRugby Annual Plan To Watch Every Match
Don’t miss a moment of the 2025-2026 club rugby season.
The FloRugby annual plan gives subscribers access to every match, live and on-demand, plus exclusive coverage across European and international competitions.
European Union Rugby Lives On FloSports And FloRugby
Rugby fans can stream every match from the Top 14, Gallagher Premiership and United Rugby Championship on FloRugby, along with the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup, making the platform the U.S. home for the world’s biggest club competitions and the game’s top players
How To Watch Rugby Matches In The United States On FloRugby
Professional club rugby in Europe all streams on FloRugby and the FloSports app in the United States. FloRugby and FloSports also are the U.S. home to:
- United Rugby Championship
- PREM Rugby
- Top 14
- Investec Champions Cup
- EPCR Challenge Cup
- Currie Cup
- Super Rugby
- And more
FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays.