Josh Navidi's famous dreadlocks, visiting Iran and the special meeting with Jonah Lomu

Josh Navidi's journey to becoming one of Wales' most important players is a suitably interesting one.

The son of an Iranian wrestler, he has played college rugby in New Zealand, harboured an interest in just about every possible hobby you can imagine and boasted Welsh rugby's most recognisable hairstyle. There's a fair bit to unpack.

However, the versatile flanker recently sat down with World Rugby's The Openside to discuss what makes him tick, as well as offer more insight into his background and how he became a Welsh international. Unsurprisingly, the dreadlocks were the starting point of the discussion, with Navidi revealing they won't be around forever.

"Yeah I've had them since I was 15 and I'm 31 now," he said. "So they've been a part of me.

" My fiancée doesn't want me to cut them, but they'll have to come off at some point. I want to shave them off for charity at some point and hopefully raise some money there.

"But it's a part of me and a bit of my image more than anything. I used to enjoy watching Tana [Umaga] play. But I don't think it's come from that. It's something I've always wanted."

Of course, former All Black centre Umaga was just one Kiwi icon a young Navidi enjoyed watching. Like so many others, he was first captivated by the emergence of the late Jonah Lomu, who sent shockwaves around the game with his remarkable mix of speed and power.

In fact, a chance meeting with the former All Black wing, who enjoyed a spell at the Arms Park later in his career, might have played some part in Navidi spending time in New Zealand. At the age of 16, Navidi's father Hedy took him to Christchurch, where he studied accountancy and PE at St Bedes College and was even being offered a place in the Canterbury Academy.