Welsh rugby greats tell their stories in new book

Simon Thomas

It’s always gratifying to be asked to do something a second time because it suggests you must have done something right the first time around!

So, with that in mind, it’s many thanks to everyone who bought my last book, ‘Rugby Lives’, and also to my publishers Y Lolfa for giving me the chance to put together a follow-up.

That first volume of interviews with former Welsh internationals, which came out in 2023, was primarily a compilation of articles I had written for my long-term employer, Western Mail & Echo.

There were 26 of them in all. My new book – entitled ‘Welsh Rugby Greats: In Their Own Words’ – goes one better by featuring 27.

Moreover, it includes a number of life-and-times interviews which haven’t seen the light of day before, ones I have written specifically for Volume 2, following the end of my time at the Western Mail and a move into the freelance world, working for various outlets, notably Nation.Cymru.

I also wanted the book to feature some ex-Wales stars who I have dealt with and worked with extensively since they hung up their boots.

For example, it kicks off with a chapter on legendary Pontypool prop Graham Price.

Over the years, I have been lucky enough to spend quite a bit of time in Graham’s company through his role as a long-time columnist for Wales on Sunday.

There were many international matches where he would be sitting on one side of me in the press box, with the late, great Barry John – also a WOS columnist – on the other.

It was always fascinating to listen to their thoughts and to witness their reading of the game at first hand. You couldn’t have asked for two better bookends. It was a privilege to spend so much time with them and a real rugby education. It certainly didn’t feel like work.

The subject of the second chapter, Gareth Davies, is someone else I dealt with a great deal over the years, first in his role as Cardiff chief executive and then as WRU chairman. I was always grateful for his willingness to take my calls and put up with my questions, no matter how daft they were!

The same goes for Bob Norster, another former Cardiff chief executive who also served as Wales team manager, making him someone else I would frequently cross paths with. A finer gentleman you could not wish to meet.

Then there’s Jonathan “Jiffy” Davies, who I have probably interviewed more times than just about anyone else over the past 30 years.

He was one of those people who always got back to me and would always find time for a chat, which I hugely appreciated.

We have chewed over rugby matters countless times, but the chats I found most compelling were the ones where we got onto the subject of his work as president of Velindre Cancer Care. His fundraising efforts for the Cardiff centre have been nothing short of remarkable and he richly deserved the CBE which was bestowed on him last year.

I have also included interviews with household names of a more recent vintage who I got to know pretty well through my job – the likes of Jamie Roberts, Dan Biggar and Tom Shanklin – all of whom have gone on to work in the media themselves.

Once again, as with Rugby Lives, the book is full of real characters of the game – the likes of Andy Powell, Richard Webster, Garin Jenkins, Kingsley Jones, Bradley Davies and Lou Reed. As you can imagine, they have some tales to tell.

You also get a real insight into what it was like to captain Wales, with Mike Hall, Jonathan Humphreys and Michael Owen outlining their own particular experiences.

Then there are the triumphant tales of Triple Crowns and Grand Slams, with the likes of David Richards, Adrian Hadley, Tony Clement and Rob Sidoli recounting their special memories, while you also hear the stories of Lions tours, notably from Mike Griffiths.

For some players, like Hugh Williams-Jones, one particular game stands out, while others such as John Perkins, Gareth Llewellyn and Derwyn Jones provide fascinating recollections of the club game.

The book also provides an opportunity to catch up on what some former Wales stars are doing today, with Glenn Webbe one of those to have taken a very different career path.

Of all the interviews I have done, perhaps the one that resonates most is with Tom James, who put his trust in me to tell the story of his battle with mental health issues. I will be forever grateful to him for that.

The book covers some six decades of international rugby, with the chapter order based upon when the players won their first caps.

So it starts with Graham Price, who made a memorable try-scoring debut against France in Paris in 1975, and concludes with 2012 debutant Lou Reed.

I am hugely grateful to all the people I interviewed for their time and their willingness to share their stories with me.

As with the first volume, what remains true above all is just how much the game of rugby and playing for Wales meant to the individuals involved, whether they won one cap or 101.

Hopefully, people will enjoy reading the book as much as I enjoyed putting it together.

Welsh Rugby Greats: In Their Own Words is published by Y Lolfa.

It features life-and-times interviews with Graham Price, Gareth Davies, David Richards, Bob Norster, John Perkins, Adrian Hadley, Jonathan Davies, Glenn Webbe, Richard Webster, Tony Clement, Mike Griffiths, Mike Hall, Hugh Williams-Jones, Gareth Llewellyn, Garin Jenkins, Derwyn Jones, Jonathan Humphreys, Kingsley Jones, Tom Shanklin, Michael Owen, Rob Sidoli, Tom James, Jamie Roberts, Andy Powell, Dan Biggar, Bradley Davies and Lou Reed.

Welsh Rugby Greats: In Their Own Words – available on Amazon