Background
After their father suffered an injury, the family moved to Llandrindod Wells when Dan was aged 4, so that their father could work on his father-in-law"s 202-hectare (500-acre) sheep farm in the Cambrian Mountains.
After their father suffered an injury, the family moved to Llandrindod Wells when Dan was aged 4, so that their father could work on his father-in-law"s 202-hectare (500-acre) sheep farm in the Cambrian Mountains.
A flanker, Lydiate was raised in Llandrindod Wells and is a product of the Newport Gwent Dragons academy. Older brother Jack represented Wales colleges at rugby. Dan and Jack have two older brothers John (also born at Hope Hospital) and Steven and an older sister Gillian from their father"s first marriage.
On 25 October 2009 Lydiate was named in the Wales national squad for the November 2009 international series, making his debut as a second-half replacement against Argentina on 21 November 2009.
Following the withdrawal of captain Ryan Jones from the Wales squad to face Australia in the final Autumn International, Lydiate made his first test match start at flanker on 28 November 2009. He was named in the Wales squad for the 2010 Six Nations Championship, however did not play a single game.
He then broke into the Welsh first XV in the autumn internationals of that year, starting against Australia, New Zealand and Fiji as well as being named in the team to face South Africa before withdrawing with a calf injury. He played every match of Wales" 2011 Six Nations Championship campaign as well as all four warm-up matches.
In August 2011 he was named in the Wales squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
He played in Wales" opening two games against South Africa and Samoa, but missed the pool games against Namibia and Fiji with an ankle injury that lead to him infamously waking up to ice his leg every hour. He finished second on the tournament"s top-tacklers, behind only Wales and Dragons teammate Toby Faletau. In April 2013 Lydiate was named in the squad for the 2013 British and Irish Lions tour to Australia.
Lydiate left Newport Gwent Dragons at the end of the 2012-2013 season and joined the Paris-based club Racing Métro 92.
On 30 October 2014 it was announced Lydiate would be leaving Racing Metro and returning to Wales on a dual contract between the Welsh Rugby Union and a Welsh region, on 7 December 2014 this was announced to be Ospreys
Dan Lydiate was a part of the Welsh team for World Cup 2015.
He was an ever present member of the Wales Under 20 back row along with Lewis Evans and James Harris for their Six Nations campaign in 2006/7 and progressed to the Dragons senior side at the end of that season.