There was an evening of pure sporting entertainment at St Davids Rugby Club after their season’s opener against ‘Man-Up UK’ as a large crowd stayed behind in the clubhouse to listen to a fascinating and humorous insight by legendary Welsh prop Graham Price into life as a top player outside the current professional game.
The proceeds from the evening were donated to the ‘Pembrokeshire Friends of Prostate Cymru’ who had in attendance Hon Secretary John Daniels and chairman Brian Harries, who proposed a vote of thanks and also auction a Welsh shirt signed by Graham Price, alongside sundry other interesting lots.
Price played 41 times for Wales after scoring a 75 yard try on his debut against France, played 12 successive tests on three Lions’ tours, a record unlikely to be broken, and was immortalised by Welsh poet/singer Max Boyce in his ‘Pontypool Front Row’ song alongside hard-as-nails team mates Bobby Windsor and Charlie Faulkner.
Then there was a question and answer session of over an hour as local sports writer Bill Carne organised for members of the audience to ask questions of Graham Price, television rugby analyst and former Welsh, Ospreys and Bristol coach Sean Holley and former Welsh international full back Geraint Bowen, who also played for Llanelli, Narberth and Whitland.
Also joining the panel was ‘local lad’ Ian Walsh, now living in Cardiff and home for a game of golf at St Davids GC, who scored seven times for Wales in 18 appearances and goals galore in a distinguished playing career with Crystal palace, Swansea City, Barnsley, Grimsby and Cardiff City – and for the past two decades has been a hugely-respected pundit on the Welsh football scene at club and international level.
He provided the perfect counterpoint with his footballing stories from the time he was one of 10 children in a local family, scoring goals for Wales and along to his current work on radio and television.
Speaking on behalf of St Davids RFC, current skipper Rhys ‘Loshin’ Price said afterwards: “We enjoyed the rugby but to have such a notable panel to entertain us afterwards was brilliant and we would like to thank them, players and supporters for staying behind!”
Photo courtesy of Bill Carne.