David Watkins (rugby)
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David Watkins (March 5, 1942, Blaina, Monmouthshire) was a dual code international playing both rugby union and rugby league between 1967 and 1983.
Cliff Morgan was best man at his wedding on 9 February 1963.
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[edit] National captain at two codes
He is the only player to have captained both the British Lions rugby union side and the Great Britain Lions rugby league team.
[edit] Rugby union club career
He joined Newport RUFC in 1961/2 from Cwmcelyn Youth but played odd games for Ebbw Vale RFC and Pontypool RFC while still a youth. He became a Wales Youth International. He made his debut for Newport against Penarth RFC on the 2nd Sept 1961.
He was vice Captain of Newport under Brian Price (rugby player) in 1963/4 and went on to Captain them for 3 seasons 1964/5, 1965/6 and 1966/7. He set the club dropped goal record of 14 in 1966/7, in all he scored 228 points including 55 dropped goals for Newport. He never played on the losing side for Newport at sevens.
In his first season with Newport RFC the team won the Welsh Championship.
[edit] Rugby union international career
Watkins made his international debut in 1963, at the age of 20 for Wales vs England partnering Clive Rowlands. He was a key figure in Newport's epic win over Whineray's 1963 New Zealand All Blacks setting up position for Uzzell's drop goal and kicked a penalty to draw with Australia in 1966. He played 21 times for Wales (including the 1964/5 [[Triple Crown (rugby union)|Triple Crown) and was Captain three times in 1967.
He played for the Barbarians at Barbarian F.C. in his first season for Newport in 1962.
Watkins led the Lions in two tests in Australia in 1966.
[edit] International games played[1]
- England 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967
- Ireland 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967
- France 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967
- New Zeland 1963
- Scotland 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966
- South Africa 1964
[edit] Rugby league career
In October 1967 he went north, joining Salford Rugby League Club for £15,000, a then club record. He was Salford's Captain in 1967 and also in the Challenge Cup Final in 1969 when they were beaten by Castleford. He became their record points scorer and steered them to victory in the Lancashire Cup Final in 1972 by beating Swinton at Wilderspool, Warrington. He lead Salford to the Championship in 1974.
He retired after being injured on the 1974 Australasian tour but came back to mastermind a win in the BBC2 Floodlit Cup Final against Warrington in 1975. In 1976 Salford won the Championship again but lost the play-off final to St Helens.
[edit] Captain and coach of Great Britain rugby league
He played 6 international rugby league matches against New Zealand, Australia and France and both captained and coached Great Britain and Wales at rugby league.
His rugby league career ended in 1979 after playing for Swinton for a season. In the 1972/73 season he kicked a world record 221 goals in a season. He also holds the longest scoring run record in 92 consecutive matches for Salford from 19 August 1972 to 25 April 1974. He totalled 929 points from 41 tries and 403 goals. The record refers to scoring consecutively for one club and does not include representative matches.
[edit] MBE
He was appointed Newport RUFC team manager in 1992/3 and later became the club's Chairman when he was awarded an MBE.
[edit] Further honours
In 2006 David Watkins, along with Falklands War hero Simon Weston, was installed as a patron of the Welsh Rugby League at a ceremony held in the Welsh Assembly.
[edit] References
- ^ Fields of Praise, The Official History of the Welsh Rugby Union 1881-1981, David Smith, Gareth Williams (1980) pg472 ISBN 0-7803-0766-3
