There has been a small slice of Wales in Argentina for more than 150 years.

About 160 Welsh emigrants sailed to Patagonia in 1865 to create a new settlement, ‘Y Wladfa’, where their language, culture and religion could flourish free from English influence and dominance.

The language is still actively spoken there, while more than 50,000 Patagonians can claim Welsh ancestry.

One of those is Jeremias James.

James was born and raised in Trelew, a city founded in 1886 by Welsh settlers in the Chubut province.

Its name translates from Welsh to “Town of Lewis” in honour of its founder, Lewis Jones.

“I’m part of a Welsh family, a Welsh colony that settled in southern Argentina, specifically in Chubut,” James told BBC Sport Wales.

“Five generations of my family were born in Trelew, and I’m part of the the fifth generation.

“Over the years my family settled in Chubut and that’s where my story, my family, and all my descendants come from.”

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