Carwyn James

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Carwyn James
Carwyn James.jpeg
Birth nameCarwyn Rees James
Date of birth(1929-11-02)2 November 1929
Place of birth Cefneithin, Wales
Date of death10 January 1983(1983-01-10) (aged 53)
Place of death Amsterdam, Netherlands
Height173 cm (5 ft 8 in)
Weight73 kg (161 lb)
SchoolGwendraeth Grammar School
University Aberystwyth University
Occupation(s)Teacher
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fly-half
Amateur team(s)
YearsTeamApps(Points)
Cefneithin ()
– Llanelli ()
– London Welsh ()
– Barbarians ()
– Devonport Services ()
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1958 Wales 2 (3)
Coaching career
YearsTeam
Llanelli
1971 British Lions
– Rugby Rovigo

Carwyn Rees James (2 November 1929 – 10 January 1983) [1] was a Welsh rugby union player and coach. He won two Welsh international caps but is most famous for his coaching achievements with Llanelli, the 1971 British Lions and the Barbarians, with all of whom he beat the All Blacks.

Contents

Early life and education

James was born in 1929, the son of a coalminer, in Cefneithin in the Gwendraeth Valley. He was educated at the village school, at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Carmathen, at Llandovery College, and at Trinity College, Carmathen. [2] He played rugby for and captained Wales Secondary Schools. [2] [3]

At Aberystwyth University in his first year he studied Geography, Philosophy, Welsh History and Welsh, and Welsh alone in his final year. [3]

Teaching, navy, espionage

James worked as a Welsh teacher by profession and later a lecturer at Trinity College, Carmarthen. He also served in the navy, and may have done spying work, although was a pacifist later in life. [4]

Rugby playing

James played fly-half for Llanelli, playing his first game while still at Gwendraeth School. He later played for London Welsh RFC. [3]

He was capped for Wales twice in 1958, the second time at centre, but would probably have gained more caps had he not been in competition with Cliff Morgan for the fly-half spot.

Rugby coaching

James gained distinction as a coach with Llanelli. In 1970, he refused to leave the changing rooms whilst Llanelli lost to South Africa as a protest to the apartheid in the country of the visiting team to Wales. [5]

James was coach of the 1971 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand, the only Lions side ever to win a series against the All Blacks.

James then continued to coach Llanelli. He coached them to the famous victory over the All Blacks at Stradey Park, Llanelli, in 1972. [5] He then coached them to four Welsh Cups between 1973 and 1976.

James also coached the Barbarians to victory over the All Blacks in 1973, including being credited with man management to stimulate Phil Bennett to make his famous sidestepping run that day. [6]

He then coached in Italy, at Rugby Rovigo, from 1977 to 1980, winning a title.

James never coached the Welsh national side, largely because of his belief that the coach should chair the selectors' meetings and be responsible for choosing the other selectors. At one stage he applied for the role but then withdrew his application. [7]

Coaching approach

James coaching style was said to involve quiet words with players and half-suggestions rather than orders.

Mervyn Davies said, "He invited us to take personal responsibility for our role but without ever telling us what to do." Mike Gibson said, "We were free to express our ability, free to attack from any situation." He said in some training sessions James would run behind the backs, shouting 'Think! Think! Think!' [8]

James was a strong believer in attacking rugby, with the attitude that if a team had possession of the ball it should be able to attack, regardless of the position on the field.

Rugby media work

In his later years he became a noted broadcaster on the game in Wales.

Politics

James was a nationalist [7] and stood as Plaid Cymru candidate in Llanelli in the 1970 General Election. He was an opponent of apartheid and during the controversial 1969/70 Springbok tour he prepared the Llanelli team but stayed in the dressing room as a protest. He was a pacifist in his later years. [4]

Personal life

James was very interested in literature. [9] He spoke Russian fluently. [2]

James never married, and is believed by many to have struggled with loneliness [10] and possibly been homosexual. [11] [7] [12]

James suffered serious eczema. [13] Always a smoker, he also consumed significant alcohol in his later years. [6] [9]

Death

In January 1983, 53-year-old James made a visit to the Netherlands as a break after making a television series, and stayed alone at the Hotel Krasnapolsky in Dam Square, Amsterdam. He had stayed with Cliff Morgan before the trip, [2] had invited Alun Richards on the trip, and made entirely normal telephone calls to friends during it. [13] The Western Mail reported that his body was discovered in the bath of his hotel suite, having lain there for some days. Police said he had died of a heart attack and there were no suspicious circumstances. [14] [15]

Legacy

The sports building of Aberystwyth University is named after him, as is the playing field at Cefneithin RFC.

Due to his coaching in Italy, an international tournament, called "Carwyn James Easter Trophy", is held in Pieve di Cento (Bologna). The 12th edition was in 2016. The trophy is for Under 15s sides and has been arranged with the help of Carwyn's nephew, Llyr James.

After the conclusion of the 2024 Six Nations Championship, WRU chief executive Abi Tierney suggested that the Carwyn James–Roy Bish Cup should be awarded to the winner of the Six Nations game between Wales and Italy. [16]

Bibliography

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References

  1. ↑ Carwyn James rugby profile Scrum.com
  2. 1 2 3 4 James, Carwyn (16 January 1983). "Focus on rugby : an international coaching book : based on the television series Focus on rugby". London : S. Paul – via Internet Archive.
  3. 1 2 3 Gibbard, Alun (16 January 2017). "Into the wind : the life of Carwyn James". Tal-y-bont : Y Lolfa – via Internet Archive.
  4. 1 2 McCarthy, James (10 June 2017). "Carwyn James was arguably rugby's greatest ever coach – and he was also a spy". WalesOnline. Archived from the original on 13 June 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Curtain falls on the Welsh theatre of dreams". theguardian.com. 24 October 2008. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  6. 1 2 Muncey, Craig (10 January 2017). "Carwyn James: The Greatest Coach Wales Never Had". therugbymagazine.com. Archived from the original on 14 February 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 "Lonely prince of coaches". The Guardian. 22 March 2001. Archived from the original on 8 January 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  8. ↑ Correspondent, Owen Slot, Chief Rugby (16 January 2024). "Travesty of game-changing coach Carwyn James whose bold ideas were snuffed out" – via www.thetimes.co.uk.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. 1 2 Thomas, Geraint (22 June 2017). "Lions 1971 mastermind has been laid bare in new biography". WalesOnline. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  10. ↑ Orders, Mark (9 January 2023). "Welsh rugby's greatest coach James was a lonely genius and a spy". Wales Online.
  11. ↑ Parfitt, Delme (18 May 2017). "Carwyn James' troubled persona, through his players' eyes". WalesOnline. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  12. ↑ "Lessons from All Blacks Conqueror Carwyn James in New Revealing Biography". Archived from the original on 8 January 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  13. 1 2 Richards, Alun (16 January 2016). "Carwyn : a Personal Memoir". Chicago : Parthian Books – via Internet Archive.
  14. ↑ [ dead link ]
  15. ↑ "Lonely prince of coaches | The Guardian | guardian.co.uk". www.theguardian.com.
  16. ↑ "Wales hit back at Italy's accusations of 'unpleasant' treatment". sports.yahoo.com. 19 March 2024.
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