Stuart Watkins

Stuart Watkins

Birth name	Stuart John Watkins
Date of birth	(1941-06-05) 5 June 1941 (age 83)
Place of birth	Newport[1] Wales
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	12 st 11 lb (179 lb; 81 kg)
School	Caerleon Secondary Modern School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing[2] Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1963 Cross Keys RFC () 1963-1969 Newport RFC () 1963-1964 Barbarian F.C. () 1970 Cardiff RFC () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1964-1970 Wales 26 (27) 1966 British Lions 3 (0)

Stuart Watkins (born 5 June 1941) was a Welsh international rugby union wing who played club rugby for Newport and Cardiff.

Watkins began his rugby career at Cross Keys before switching to Newport in 1963, staying with the club for the majority of his career. In 1970, in a dispute about training, Watkins left Newport to join rival club Cardiff.

International career

Watkins made his international debut for Wales against Scotland on 1 February 1964. Played at the Cardiff Arms Park, it was Scotland's only defeat of the season and would be the key game in Wales winning the championship that year. Watkins would represent his country on 26 occasions, and his most notable game came against France on 26 March 1966. It was the final game of the tournament and Wales were trailing by 8 points to a team they had beaten only once in the last eight encounters.^[3] Keith Bradshaw had dragged Wales back into the game with two penalty goals when Watkins intercepted a French three quarter movement on his own 25 yard line. He raced 75 yards down the right touch line to score a memorable try that not only gave Wales the match but also the championship.^[4]

In 1966, Watkins was selected to play for the British Lions in their tour of New Zealand and Australia. Watkins would play in three of the tests.

International games played

Wales^[5]

•  Australia 1966
•  England 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970
•  France 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969
•  Ireland 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1970
•  New Zealand 1967, 1969
•  Scotland 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969

British Lions

• Australia 1966
• New Zealand 1966, 1966

Bibliography

• Godwin, Terry (1984). The International Rugby Championship 1883-1983. Grafton Street, London: Willow Books. ISBN 0-00-218060-X.
• Smith, David; Williams, Gareth (1980). Fields of Praise: The Official History of The Welsh Rugby Union. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-0766-3.

References

1. Newport RFC player profile Archived 2011-06-17 at the Wayback Machine
2. WRU player profile
3. Godwn (1983), pg 314.
4. Smith (1980), pg 378.
5. Smith (1980), pg 473.