Barry John
Encyclopedia
Barry John is a former Welsh rugby union
fly-half who played, during the amateur era of the sport, in the 1960s and early 1970s. John began his rugby career as a schoolboy playing for his local team Cefneithin RFC
before switching to first-class west Wales team Llanelli RFC
in 1964. It was while at Llanelli that John was first selected for the Wales national team
, a shock selection as a replacement for David Watkins to face a touring Australian team.
In 1967 John left Llanelli RFC for Cardiff RFC
and here he formed a partnership with Gareth Edwards
that became one of the most famous half-back pairings in world rugby. From 1967, John and Edwards made an inseparable partnership with rugby selectors, being chosen to play together at all levels of the sport, for Cardiff, Wales, the Barbarians
and in 1968 for the British Lions tour of South Africa. The 1968 British Lions tour ended prematurely for John when he suffered a broken collarbone in the first Test match against the South African national team.
In 1971 the Wales national team entered what is considered their second 'Golden Age', with a team rich in experience and talent. John was part of the team that won the 1971 Five Nations Championship
, the first time Wales had achieved a Grand Slam
win since 1952. He then cemented his reputation as one of the sport's greatest players with his pivotal role in the British Lions winning tour over
New Zealand in 1971
. On the 1971 tour, John played in all four Tests, playing some of his finest rugby and finishing as the Lions' top Test scorer.
John won 25 caps for the Wales national team
and 5 for the British Lions. Possessing excellent balance to his running and along with precision kicking made him one of the great players of the modern era. He retired from rugby at the age of 27, citing the pressure of fame and expectation behind his decision. He is considered by many to be the greatest fly-half in the sport's history, and became known as "The King".
in West Wales. He was educated at Gwendraeth Grammar School in the Gwendraeth Valley
, north of Llanelli
. He attended Cefenithin Primary, and there he was fortunate to receive skilled rugby teaching. The headmaster, William John Jones, and teacher Ray Williams
, were both former Wales international rugby players. Despite his natural talents, he never played at schoolboy level for Wales, but represented both his school and his local village team, Cefneithin RFC
. He once played a game for rival team Pontyberem
while still a schoolboy, but John recalls in his autobiography that the local resentment at making such a sporting faux pas ensured he never did so again. While still a teenager attending grammar school
, he made his first top-flight rugby appearance for Llanelli
, on 4 January 1964 in an encounter with Moseley. Although Llanelli lost the encounter, John scored a try and converted it, and played in four more matches for the Llanelli senior team towards the end of the season. He continued to represent Llanelli while at Trinity College, Carmarthen
, and gained a reputation as a kicking fly-half with a penchant for putting over dropped goals. During the 1964/65 season, John began to make an impact on the Welsh club scene. His dropped goal against Aberavon
on the 26 October 1964, only 17 games in, was his 11th of the season.
John gained more attention the following season. A win over Swansea
, where he scored two dropped goals, was described by the Llanelli Star as being down to the "genius of one player, Barry John". He almost missed the second away encounter of the season with Swansea when he was 'held to ransom' by his fellow students at Trinity College. He was only released when Llanelli's club chairman, Elvet Jones
, promised to make a donation to the college "Rag
". Llanelli won all four fixtures against Swansea that season, John scoring in all of them. As well as his two dropped goals in the first away fixture, he scored another in the second away game and a try
in both the home matches at Stradey Park
. In the 1965/66 season John was chosen to play in trial matches for the Wales national team. Although he was not picked, he was chosen as reserve to regular fly-half David Watkins.
During the 1966/67 season John was again chosen to trial for Wales. One of the trials forced him to miss the second Swansea encounter of the season, played away on 12 November 1966; his place in the Llanelli team was given to a youth debutant from the Felinfoel
club, Phil Bennett
. Bennett became one of the greatest fly-halves produced by Wales, but he was kept from the Wales squad in his early career by the presence of John. In 1966, John was awarded his first international cap for Wales, taking David Watkins place at fly-half for the match against the touring Australia team. This was seen as a surprise move by the Welsh Rugby Union selectors, as Watkins had recently returned from a British Lions
tour where he was team captain. Wales lost to Australia 11–4, the first time the Welsh had been beaten by the 'Wallabies', due to poor form in the midfield, with the criticism aimed at John, Gerald Davies
and John Dawes
. Although experiencing defeat in his first international, John managed to gain revenge over Australia just over a month later when the same team faced Llanelli at Stradey Park. Llanelli beat the Wallabies 11–0 after a bruising forward contest. John himself scored a try, and then added to his tally with a dropped goal.
Despite the Wales loss against Australia, the selectors kept faith with John, and he retained his place for the next Wales international. Played away from home, the opener of the 1967 Five Nations Championship
against Scotland
had him paired at half-back with Cardiff's Billy Hullin
. John played badly while carrying a leg injury, and the very next match he was dropped, replaced by the more experienced Watkins.
. Although John and Edwards later became the scourge of New Zealand, their first international pairing had an inauspicious start. On 11 November 1967, the pair played their first international together, facing Brian Lochore
's touring New Zealand team. Edwards, like John, had two international games to his name, paired with Watkins in the final two matches of the 1967 Five Nations Championship. John regained his international place after Watkins had switched to professional rugby league
just the month before, joining Salford
for a club record fee of £16,000. Wales had an error-strewn game, in a match played in a cutting, rain-laden wind which turned the pitch into a muddy field. Wales captain Norman Gale
won the toss and chose to play the first half into the gale, and finished the half 8–0 down. John raised Welsh hopes with an early dropped goal, his first international points, but a panicked blind back pass from Wales' number 8, John Jeffery
, gifted Bill Davies an easy try. The game ended 13–6 to New Zealand, with Edwards looking uncomfortable throughout, and John's kicking inaccurate, there was little to suggest the pair would become one of the great half-back pairings in rugby history.
Just over a month after playing for Wales against New Zealand, John faced the tourists again, this time as part of an East Wales team, made up of players from Cardiff, London Welsh and Bridgend
. The New Zealand 'All Blacks' were under pressure through-out the match, with John kicking from deep and away from the opposing forwards, allowing his team to make rushes on the 'All Black' defence. After 22 minutes East Wales took the lead when a missed drop goal attempt from John was collected by Cardiff wing Frank Wilson for a try. A defensive lapse from the East Wales team allowed an equalising try, but with the score at 3–3, East Wales dominated the last ten minutes of the match. With the last kick of the match, John had space for one final dropped goal, but his kick sailed inches outside the post. The New Zealanders were glad to escape with the draw and finished the tour without losing a single match. Three days after turning out for East Wales, John and Edwards were paired to face the same New Zealand team, this time played at Twickenham for invitational touring side the Barbarians
. The half time result of 3–3 flattered the Barbarians, who were out-played in the forward positions, but the team took the lead early in the second half when a perfect diagonal kick to the corner by John resulted in a try by England's Bob Lloyd. The Barbarians defended strongly for twenty minutes, but lost to two very late tries.
Both John and Edwards were selected for all four matches of the 1968 Five Nations Championship
. The first match, away at Twickenham
to England, recorded Wales coming from 11–3 down to draw 11 all. Both half-backs were on the score sheet, Edwards with a try, John with one of his trademark dropped goals. After a home win over Scotland, Wales lost to both Ireland and, eventual Championship winners, France. At club level, John finished the season with a total of nine tries and nine dropped goals for Cardiff.
in their tour of South Africa in 1968
, but played in just four games before an injury forced him to return home. He played in three matches against district teams, Western Province
, South West Districts
and Natals
, all wins for the tourists. He was then selected for the First Test, played at Johannesburg, against the South Africa national team
. John's first Test for the British Lions lasted for only fifteen minutes, when after running for the line he was tackled by Jan Ellis
, and John broke his collarbone on landing on the hard ground.
John played infrequently for Cardiff during the 1968/69 season, making just 14 appearances. Despite this he was available for all matches in the 1969 Five Nations Championship
, again playing in each match paired with Edwards. The Welsh selectors had dropped five players from the previous Championship, and notable debutants in the team to face Scotland at Murrayfield on 1 February 1969 were J.P.R. Williams and Mervyn Davies
. John scored his first international try in the encounter after charging down a kick and dummying his way over. Scotland, who were under enormous pressure from the kick-off, lost 17–3. When Ireland came to the Cardiff Arms Park
in March the team was on a seven match unbeaten run, and were looking at taking the Grand Slam
after defeating England, France and Scotland. It therefore came as a surprise at the ease with which the Welsh pack dominated. Wales won 24–11, with Dai Morris
the stand-out Welsh player, though John also had one of his best matches, keeping pressure on the Irish with long touch kicks and scoring with a dropped goal. Despite out-scoring France in tries scored, the match at Stade Colombes ended in an 8–8 draw, preventing a Welsh Grand Slam, though a win in the final match to England would give Wales the Championship. The England decider is best remembered for Maurice Richards
' four tries, but John too was on the scoresheet with a dropped goal and a try of his own. The game finished 30–9 to Wales, giving John his first Championship title and made him a Triple Crown
winning player, as Wales had beaten all three other Home Nation teams.
Before the end of the season, John took part in his one and only seven-a-side
tournament for Cardiff when he participated in the 1969 Snelling Sevens
tournament. Cardiff progressed to the final, where they succeeded in beating John's former club Llanelli. As well as the title, John won the "Bill Everson – Player of the Tournament" award.
With the end of the 1968/69 season, the Welsh Rugby Union sent a team to tour New Zealand and Australia
. At half-back, Wales sent John, Edwards, Phil Bennett and Ray "Chico" Hopkins
, but in all three Tests, two against the New Zealand "All Blacks" and one against Australia, Welsh coach Clive Rowlands
kept faith with John and Edwards. The Welsh team were completely overwhelmed by the All Blacks, losing both Tests, 0–19 and 12–33. A change of tactics by Rowlands, by switching Gerald Davies
to the right wing, gave Wales a victory over Australia, and a six try victory over Fiji (in which John was replaced by Bennett) on their return to Britain, helped the team gain a warm reception on their return.
. John was unavailable for the encounter having fractured a rib while playing for the Barbarians against an Oxford University Past and Present eleven days earlier. His place was taken by Beverley Davies and Cardiff lost 17–3. John recovered in time for the South Africa against Wales match on the 24 January, and was selected alongside Edwards. The game was played in atrocious muddy conditions, and a last minute try from Edwards snatched a 6–6 draw Both John and Edwards had a substandard game that day, but they combined well in the last move of the game to avoid defeat. A week later on 31 January, John and Edwards faced the South Africans again, this time as part of the Barbarians. The South Africans produced their best play of the tour to come from behind to win 21–12.
There was little rest for the two Cardiff half-backs when on 7 February 1970 they were called back into the Wales team for the first match of the 1970 Five Nations Championship
, a home encounter at the Cardiff Arms Park against Scotland. Despite Scotland being 9–0 ahead at one point, Wales took the initiative and scored four tries without reply, winning 18–9. The England game was John and Edwards' fifteenth Wales international together, in an away match which recorded the largest haul of tries for the Welsh team in England since 1908. John scored one of the tries along with a dropped goal. Due to an injury to Edwards, John finished the game alongside "Chico" Hopkins. With only Ireland standing in front of a Welsh Triple Crown win, hopes were high, but Ireland, made John and Edwards look ordinary in a 0–14 defeat. John was unavailable for the final game of the tournament to France, his place taken by Phil Bennett. Wales beat France and shared the Championship with the French.
The 1971 Five Nations Championship
was a new dawn for Welsh rugby. The new National Stadium was completed, and the team now into their Second Golden era were both experienced and talented. John and Edwards played in all four games, starting with an easy win over England. Wales won 22–6, with John scoring six points from two dropped goals. The second game of the Championship, played against Scotland, was a close encounter, won by Wales 19–18 thanks to a late Gerald Davies try converted by John Taylor
. Barry John scored eight of Wales' points, with a try, penalty goal and a conversion; missing only his trademark drop goal to complete a full house of scores. John surpassed his Scotland tally in the next match, a home game against Ireland, scoring 11 points with a dropped goal, conversion and two penalty goals. Seen as one of Wales' more accomplished victories, the 23–0 win gave the team a Triple Crown title, and set up a Grand Slam encounter with France. Despite the low score, the 9–5 win over France at Stade Colombes on 27 March was a match of the highest quality. Edwards and John scored all the points in the encounter, Edwards with a try, John a try and a penalty goal. This was Wales' first Grand Slam since 1952 and the 1971 squad is seen as the greatest ever to be fielded by Wales.
, John was again selected for the British Lions. With the painful memories of the woeful 1969 Wales Tour to New Zealand, John was determined to succeed with the Lions. Under the management of Carwyn James
(also from Cefneithin), John rose to great individual heights with his match-winning performances. Of the 26 tour matches, he played in 17, only bettered by captain John Dawes
and "Mighty Mouse" prop Ian McLauchlan
. By the time of the first Test in Carisbrook, John had faced six teams, including the New South Wales Waratahs
and the New Zealand Māori
. All six games had been won by the Lions and John had recorded 88 points, including a full house against Waikato
. In the First Test John terrorised New Zealand's fullback Fergie McCormick
with ruthless tactical kicking. The All Blacks were shunted all over the field by John, who was well protected by his forwards, something that he was not afforded with Wales in 1969. The Lions won the Test 9–3, six of the Lions' points coming from two John penalties; McCormick never played for the All Blacks again.
Before the second Test John played in two more tour matches; wins over Southland
and New Zealand Universities, in which he scored 32 points. In the game against the Universities John scored one of his most famous tries. John dummied a drop-goal before running through the Universities' defence, stepping inside the final tackler before touching the ball down under the posts, stunning the home crowd. The second Test, played at Christchurch, finished with the series drawn after New Zealand won 22–12, John scoring half of the Lions points. In between the second and third Tests, John played in three of the four regional matches, scoring 37 points including two tries in the game against Wairarapa
.
A win in the third Test was vital to keep the Lions hope of a series win alive. John scored ten points of the 13–3 win, the other three coming from Wales' team-mate Gerald Davies. The final Test ended in a 14–14 draw, giving the series to the tourists. John scored eight of the Lions points, having scored in every match, Test and regional, he had played in.
It was on this tour that John received the nickname "The King" from the New Zealand press, though as early as 1965 he remembered being dubbed "King John" by a newspaper sub-editor while still at Llanelli. He scored 30 of the Lions 48 points over the four Tests, scored a record 191 points across the tour (6 tries, 31 conversions, 8 dropped goals and 27 penalties) and cemented his reputation as one of the game's greatest players.
. Despite this, John had a good Championship, scoring 35 points in the three games against England, Scotland and France. The opener, away to England, was won 12–3, with John scoring two penalty goals and converting a J.P.R. Williams try. This was followed by a win over Scotland, in which John played well, converting three of the five Welsh tries and scoring three penalty goals. John's final international was at home to France. He successfully converted four penalty goals in a 20–6 victory to Wales. The Welsh Rugby Union’s refusal to allow travel to Ireland stole the team's possibility of a consecutive Grand Slam title.
In 1972, at the age of only 27, with 25 Wales caps and five British Lions caps, Barry John retired from the game. John cited the media attention and the unfair expectations of his country as reasons, believing he was "living in a goldfish bowl". John stated that the event that drew him to retire from rugby was when a young girl curtsied to him outside the opening of an extension to a local bank, in reference to his nickname.
His 25 caps for Wales resulted in 90 points scored, 5 tries, 9 conversions, 13 penalties and 8 dropped goals. His British Lions career added a further 30 international points, with a single try, 3 conversions, 5 penalties and 2 dropped goals. For Cardiff he played 5 seasons, playing 93 matches, during which he scored 24 tries and 30 dropped goals. His dropped goal total for Cardiff was the club's second highest total, drawn with Wilf Wooller but short of Percy Bush
's tally of 35.
Gareth Edwards, in his 1978 autobiography, when describing John, wrote: "He had this marvellous easiness in the mind, reducing problems to their simplest form, backing his own talent all the time. One success on the field bred another and soon he gave off a cool superiority which spread to others in the side. Physically he was perfectly made for the job, good and strong from the hips down and firm but slender from the waist to the shoulders."
Gerald Davies
, who played with John for Wales and the British Lions, in his 1971 autobiography when contrasting Gareth Edwards' and John's different temperaments described Edwards as "fiery and impulsive", but John was "...fairer, aloof and apart. Whilst the hustle and bustle went on around him he could divorce himself from it all; he kept his emotions in check and a careful rein on the surrounding action. The game would go according to his will and no-one else's..."
Rodney Webb, who represented England between 1967 and 1972, is quoted as saying "Barry John's punting was phenomenal. He could drop the ball on a sixpence and he could do it every time". Webb, who developed the modern rugby ball, believes that John can not be compared to modern kickers because "the modern ball is coated in a laminate, has dimpled surfaces, unobtrusive lacing and multi panels. In the seventies the balls soaked up water, swerved all over the place and were placed in the mud and slime when kicking for goal".
Barry John came third in the 1971 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award
, beaten by winner Princess Anne
and runner-up George Best
. John was one of the inaugural inductees of the International Rugby Hall of Fame
in 1997 and in 1999 was inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame
.
. John was never charged with taking illegal payments during his career.
At eighteen he left grammar school, and was awarded a place at Trinity College, Carmarthen
, with ambitions of becoming a teacher. He studied physical education, junior science and horticulture. He left Trinity in the summer of 1967, and took up a post as a physical education teacher at Monkton House School in Cardiff, a private school for boys between the ages of eight and sixteen. John moved to Cardiff and shared a house with several other rugby players, including former Llanelli team mate Gerald Davies
. John quit his position at Monkton House when he toured South Africa in 1968 and never taught again. On his return from Africa, John moved back to his family home at Cefneithin. He spent six weeks unemployed and during this period he considered turning to professional rugby league
, almost signing for St Helens RLFC. Following an interview with David Coleman
for the BBC programme, Sportsnight
, in which his jobless situation was discussed, John was offered a job working for Forward Trust, a finance company in Cardiff. When John quit playing rugby in 1972 he also left his job as a finance representative, signing a contract to write a weekly column and cover important matches for the Daily Express
. He was also signed to take part in sport programmes presented by HTV
, the Wales and West of England commercial television company.
In September 1969 John married Janet Talfan Davies, daughter of Alun Davies QC, a leading Welsh lawyer. John and Jan had four children and as of 2009, nine grandchildren, though the couple have now separated.
In 2009 he decided to sell his rugby memorabilia, including his Wales caps
, stating that he felt no nostalgia towards the items and the honour of playing for Wales was all that mattered.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
fly-half who played, during the amateur era of the sport, in the 1960s and early 1970s. John began his rugby career as a schoolboy playing for his local team Cefneithin RFC
Cefneithin RFC
Cefnethin Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team from Cefneithin, Ammanford, officially founded in 1922. Cefnethin RFC is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Llanelli Scarlets. The club fields a first, seconds and youth team....
before switching to first-class west Wales team Llanelli RFC
Llanelli RFC
Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
in 1964. It was while at Llanelli that John was first selected for the Wales national team
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
, a shock selection as a replacement for David Watkins to face a touring Australian team.
In 1967 John left Llanelli RFC for Cardiff RFC
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
and here he formed a partnership with Gareth Edwards
Gareth Edwards
Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey"....
that became one of the most famous half-back pairings in world rugby. From 1967, John and Edwards made an inseparable partnership with rugby selectors, being chosen to play together at all levels of the sport, for Cardiff, Wales, the Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
and in 1968 for the British Lions tour of South Africa. The 1968 British Lions tour ended prematurely for John when he suffered a broken collarbone in the first Test match against the South African national team.
In 1971 the Wales national team entered what is considered their second 'Golden Age', with a team rich in experience and talent. John was part of the team that won the 1971 Five Nations Championship
1971 Five Nations Championship
The 1971 Five Nations Championship was the forty-second series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-seventh series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played...
, the first time Wales had achieved a Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
win since 1952. He then cemented his reputation as one of the sport's greatest players with his pivotal role in the British Lions winning tour over
New Zealand in 1971
1971 British Lions tour to New Zealand
In 1971 the British Lions toured New Zealand, also playing two matches in Australia. Despite losing the first match to Queensland the tour was a great success, the Lions winning the test series against the All Blacks. They are still the only Lions side to have won a test series in New Zealand...
. On the 1971 tour, John played in all four Tests, playing some of his finest rugby and finishing as the Lions' top Test scorer.
John won 25 caps for the Wales national team
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
and 5 for the British Lions. Possessing excellent balance to his running and along with precision kicking made him one of the great players of the modern era. He retired from rugby at the age of 27, citing the pressure of fame and expectation behind his decision. He is considered by many to be the greatest fly-half in the sport's history, and became known as "The King".
Early career with Llanelli
Barry John was born in CefneithinCefneithin
Cefneithin is a village in Carmarthenshire, Wales, in the Carmarthenshire coalfield area. It lies just off the A48 road, 7 miles north west of Ammanford and 9 miles north of Llanelli . The Gwendraeth Fawr river flows nearby...
in West Wales. He was educated at Gwendraeth Grammar School in the Gwendraeth Valley
River Gwendraeth
The River Gwendraeth is a river in Carmarthenshire in west Wales.It has two almost equal branches that have their confluence in their joint estuary at Carmarthen Bay...
, north of Llanelli
Llanelli
Llanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
. He attended Cefenithin Primary, and there he was fortunate to receive skilled rugby teaching. The headmaster, William John Jones, and teacher Ray Williams
Ray Williams (rugby player)
Henry Raymond "Ray" Williams is a former Welsh international rugby union wing who played club rugby for Felinfoel and Llanelli. Williams was capped three times for Wales, playing between 1954 and 1958.-References:...
, were both former Wales international rugby players. Despite his natural talents, he never played at schoolboy level for Wales, but represented both his school and his local village team, Cefneithin RFC
Cefneithin RFC
Cefnethin Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team from Cefneithin, Ammanford, officially founded in 1922. Cefnethin RFC is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Llanelli Scarlets. The club fields a first, seconds and youth team....
. He once played a game for rival team Pontyberem
Pontyberem RFC
Pontyberem Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in Pontyberem, Carmarthenshire. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Llanelli Scarlets.-Club honours:*1994-95 Welsh League Division 6 West - Champions...
while still a schoolboy, but John recalls in his autobiography that the local resentment at making such a sporting faux pas ensured he never did so again. While still a teenager attending grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
, he made his first top-flight rugby appearance for Llanelli
Llanelli RFC
Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
, on 4 January 1964 in an encounter with Moseley. Although Llanelli lost the encounter, John scored a try and converted it, and played in four more matches for the Llanelli senior team towards the end of the season. He continued to represent Llanelli while at Trinity College, Carmarthen
Trinity College, Carmarthen
Trinity University College was a university college in Carmarthen, Wales. In 2010, it merged with the University of Wales, Lampeter to become the new University of Wales, Trinity Saint David.- History :...
, and gained a reputation as a kicking fly-half with a penchant for putting over dropped goals. During the 1964/65 season, John began to make an impact on the Welsh club scene. His dropped goal against Aberavon
Aberavon RFC
Aberavon RFC is a rugby union club located in the Welsh town of Port Talbot, although the club's name refers to the older settlement of Aberavon which lies on the western side of the town...
on the 26 October 1964, only 17 games in, was his 11th of the season.
John gained more attention the following season. A win over Swansea
Swansea RFC
Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
, where he scored two dropped goals, was described by the Llanelli Star as being down to the "genius of one player, Barry John". He almost missed the second away encounter of the season with Swansea when he was 'held to ransom' by his fellow students at Trinity College. He was only released when Llanelli's club chairman, Elvet Jones
Elvet Jones
Elfed Lewis "Elvet" Jones MBE was a Welsh rugby union whose international career was curtailed due to the outbreak of the Second World War...
, promised to make a donation to the college "Rag
RAG (student society)
University Rag societies are student-run charitable fundraising organisations that are widespread in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Most universities in the UK and Ireland, as well as some in South Africa and the Netherlands have a Rag...
". Llanelli won all four fixtures against Swansea that season, John scoring in all of them. As well as his two dropped goals in the first away fixture, he scored another in the second away game and a try
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
in both the home matches at Stradey Park
Stradey Park
Stradey Park was a rugby union stadium located near the centre of the town of Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It was the home of the Scarlets region and Llanelli RFC rugby teams. The stadium was a combination of seating and standing with a total capacity of 10,800...
. In the 1965/66 season John was chosen to play in trial matches for the Wales national team. Although he was not picked, he was chosen as reserve to regular fly-half David Watkins.
During the 1966/67 season John was again chosen to trial for Wales. One of the trials forced him to miss the second Swansea encounter of the season, played away on 12 November 1966; his place in the Llanelli team was given to a youth debutant from the Felinfoel
Felinfoel RFC
Felinfoel RFC is a Welsh rugby union club representing the town of Felinfoel, Llanelli, West Wales. Felinfoel RFC is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for Llanelli Scarlets.-Club honours:* WRU Division Two West - 2007/08 - Champions...
club, Phil Bennett
Phil Bennett
Phillip Bennett was a Welsh international rugby union fly half from 1969 to 1978. His flair and range of tricks, including his famous sidestep and swerve, meant he was a firm favourite with crowds.-Rugby career:...
. Bennett became one of the greatest fly-halves produced by Wales, but he was kept from the Wales squad in his early career by the presence of John. In 1966, John was awarded his first international cap for Wales, taking David Watkins place at fly-half for the match against the touring Australia team. This was seen as a surprise move by the Welsh Rugby Union selectors, as Watkins had recently returned from a British Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
tour where he was team captain. Wales lost to Australia 11–4, the first time the Welsh had been beaten by the 'Wallabies', due to poor form in the midfield, with the criticism aimed at John, Gerald Davies
Gerald Davies
Thomas Gerald Reames Davies CBE is one of the acknowledged greats of Welsh rugby, playing for the side between 1966 and 1978.-Biography:...
and John Dawes
John Dawes
Sydney John Dawes OBE is a former Welsh rugby union player, playing at centre, and later coach. He captained London Welsh, Wales, the Barbarians and the British Lions...
. Although experiencing defeat in his first international, John managed to gain revenge over Australia just over a month later when the same team faced Llanelli at Stradey Park. Llanelli beat the Wallabies 11–0 after a bruising forward contest. John himself scored a try, and then added to his tally with a dropped goal.
Despite the Wales loss against Australia, the selectors kept faith with John, and he retained his place for the next Wales international. Played away from home, the opener of the 1967 Five Nations Championship
1967 Five Nations Championship
The 1967 Five Nations Championship was the thirty-eighth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-third series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played...
against Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
had him paired at half-back with Cardiff's Billy Hullin
Billy Hullin
William Gwyn "Billy" Hullin is a former Welsh international rugby union scrum-half who played club rugby for Cardiff and London Welsh. He represented the Barbarians and played county rugby for Surrey and the London Counties...
. John played badly while carrying a leg injury, and the very next match he was dropped, replaced by the more experienced Watkins.
Joining Cardiff
In the 1967/68 season, John left Llanelli and joined Cardiff, where he formed a partnership with Gareth EdwardsGareth Edwards
Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey"....
. Although John and Edwards later became the scourge of New Zealand, their first international pairing had an inauspicious start. On 11 November 1967, the pair played their first international together, facing Brian Lochore
Brian Lochore
Sir Brian James Lochore, ONZ, KNZM, OBE is a former rugby union footballer and coach who represented and captained the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks. He played at number 8 and lock, as well as captaining the side 46 times...
's touring New Zealand team. Edwards, like John, had two international games to his name, paired with Watkins in the final two matches of the 1967 Five Nations Championship. John regained his international place after Watkins had switched to professional rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
just the month before, joining Salford
Salford City Reds
Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup...
for a club record fee of £16,000. Wales had an error-strewn game, in a match played in a cutting, rain-laden wind which turned the pitch into a muddy field. Wales captain Norman Gale
Norman Gale (rugby player)
Norman Gale was a Welsh rugby union player. A hooker, he captained the Wales national rugby union team on two occasions in 1967-68. Gale played his club rugby for Llanelli RFC and Swansea RFC, but it was with the Scarlets of Llanelli that he is most associated...
won the toss and chose to play the first half into the gale, and finished the half 8–0 down. John raised Welsh hopes with an early dropped goal, his first international points, but a panicked blind back pass from Wales' number 8, John Jeffery
John Jeffery
James John Jeffery is a former Wales rugby union international.- Product of Pontllanfraith :John Jeffery was born in Oakdale and educated at Pontllanfraith Grammar School, the same school attended by British Lion Alun Pask...
, gifted Bill Davies an easy try. The game ended 13–6 to New Zealand, with Edwards looking uncomfortable throughout, and John's kicking inaccurate, there was little to suggest the pair would become one of the great half-back pairings in rugby history.
Bridgend RFC
Bridgend Ravens are a semi-professional rugby union club based in Bridgend, South Wales. They currently play in the Welsh Premier Division...
. The New Zealand 'All Blacks' were under pressure through-out the match, with John kicking from deep and away from the opposing forwards, allowing his team to make rushes on the 'All Black' defence. After 22 minutes East Wales took the lead when a missed drop goal attempt from John was collected by Cardiff wing Frank Wilson for a try. A defensive lapse from the East Wales team allowed an equalising try, but with the score at 3–3, East Wales dominated the last ten minutes of the match. With the last kick of the match, John had space for one final dropped goal, but his kick sailed inches outside the post. The New Zealanders were glad to escape with the draw and finished the tour without losing a single match. Three days after turning out for East Wales, John and Edwards were paired to face the same New Zealand team, this time played at Twickenham for invitational touring side the Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
. The half time result of 3–3 flattered the Barbarians, who were out-played in the forward positions, but the team took the lead early in the second half when a perfect diagonal kick to the corner by John resulted in a try by England's Bob Lloyd. The Barbarians defended strongly for twenty minutes, but lost to two very late tries.
Both John and Edwards were selected for all four matches of the 1968 Five Nations Championship
1968 Five Nations Championship
The 1968 Five Nations Championship was the thirty-ninth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-fourth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played...
. The first match, away at Twickenham
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
to England, recorded Wales coming from 11–3 down to draw 11 all. Both half-backs were on the score sheet, Edwards with a try, John with one of his trademark dropped goals. After a home win over Scotland, Wales lost to both Ireland and, eventual Championship winners, France. At club level, John finished the season with a total of nine tries and nine dropped goals for Cardiff.
1968 British Lions, the 1969 Triple Crown and Wales tour
John was selected for the British LionsBritish and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
in their tour of South Africa in 1968
1968 British Lions tour to South Africa
In 1968 the British Lions toured South Africa. The tour was not success in terms of international results, the Lions losing the test series against South Africa by three matches to nil, with the other match drawn. The Lions won 15 of their 16 non-international matches, losing only to Transvaal...
, but played in just four games before an injury forced him to return home. He played in three matches against district teams, Western Province
Western Province (rugby team)
DHL Western Province is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. The team has won the Currie Cup on 32 occasions and has the most supporters of any Currie Cup team...
, South West Districts
Eagles (rugby team)
The South Western Districts Eagles, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They play out of George at Outeniqua Park....
and Natals
Natal Sharks
The Natal Sharks are a South African rugby union team that participate in the annual Currie Cup and Super Rugby tournaments. The Sharks home stadium is Kings Park. They draw most of their players from the KwaZulu-Natal Province. The Sharks are the current representative team of the Natal rugby...
, all wins for the tourists. He was then selected for the First Test, played at Johannesburg, against the South Africa national team
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
. John's first Test for the British Lions lasted for only fifteen minutes, when after running for the line he was tackled by Jan Ellis
Jan Ellis
Jan Hendrik Ellis is a South African former rugby union rugby player, who played flanker. He played 38 times for the Springboks, which at that time was a record.-Biography:...
, and John broke his collarbone on landing on the hard ground.
John played infrequently for Cardiff during the 1968/69 season, making just 14 appearances. Despite this he was available for all matches in the 1969 Five Nations Championship
1969 Five Nations Championship
The 1969 Five Nations Championship was the fortieth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-ffith series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between...
, again playing in each match paired with Edwards. The Welsh selectors had dropped five players from the previous Championship, and notable debutants in the team to face Scotland at Murrayfield on 1 February 1969 were J.P.R. Williams and Mervyn Davies
Mervyn Davies
Thomas Mervyn "Merv the Swerve" Davies , is a former Welsh rugby union player who won 38 caps for Wales as a No. 8.Davies was born in Swansea, where he attended Penlan County School....
. John scored his first international try in the encounter after charging down a kick and dummying his way over. Scotland, who were under enormous pressure from the kick-off, lost 17–3. When Ireland came to the Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World...
in March the team was on a seven match unbeaten run, and were looking at taking the Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
after defeating England, France and Scotland. It therefore came as a surprise at the ease with which the Welsh pack dominated. Wales won 24–11, with Dai Morris
Dai Morris
William David "Dai" Morris was a Welsh rugby union footballer, who won 34 caps for Wales in the years between 1967 and 1974, scoring six tries...
the stand-out Welsh player, though John also had one of his best matches, keeping pressure on the Irish with long touch kicks and scoring with a dropped goal. Despite out-scoring France in tries scored, the match at Stade Colombes ended in an 8–8 draw, preventing a Welsh Grand Slam, though a win in the final match to England would give Wales the Championship. The England decider is best remembered for Maurice Richards
Maurice Richards
Maurice Charles Rees Richards is a former dual code rugby international for Wales. A winger, he was part of the 1968 British Lions tour to South Africa...
' four tries, but John too was on the scoresheet with a dropped goal and a try of his own. The game finished 30–9 to Wales, giving John his first Championship title and made him a Triple Crown
Triple Crown (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship: England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the...
winning player, as Wales had beaten all three other Home Nation teams.
Before the end of the season, John took part in his one and only seven-a-side
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
tournament for Cardiff when he participated in the 1969 Snelling Sevens
Snelling Sevens
The Snelling Sevens was an annual Welsh Rugby Union sevens competition that ran from 1954 until 1995....
tournament. Cardiff progressed to the final, where they succeeded in beating John's former club Llanelli. As well as the title, John won the "Bill Everson – Player of the Tournament" award.
With the end of the 1968/69 season, the Welsh Rugby Union sent a team to tour New Zealand and Australia
1969 Wales rugby union tour
The 1969 Wales rugby union tour was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the Wales national rugby union team to Australia, Fiji and New Zealand. The tour took in four matches against regional and invitational teams and three tests; two to New Zealand and one to Australia...
. At half-back, Wales sent John, Edwards, Phil Bennett and Ray "Chico" Hopkins
Ray Hopkins
Ray "Chico" Hopkins is a Welsh international rugby player who was also a member of the British Lions.Outside rugby he was a National Coal Board fitter at their workshop in Maesteg.-Club career:...
, but in all three Tests, two against the New Zealand "All Blacks" and one against Australia, Welsh coach Clive Rowlands
Clive Rowlands
Clive Rowlands OBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer and later coach.A teacher by profession, Rowlands played club rugby at scrum-half for Abercraf, Pontypool, Llanelli and Swansea...
kept faith with John and Edwards. The Welsh team were completely overwhelmed by the All Blacks, losing both Tests, 0–19 and 12–33. A change of tactics by Rowlands, by switching Gerald Davies
Gerald Davies
Thomas Gerald Reames Davies CBE is one of the acknowledged greats of Welsh rugby, playing for the side between 1966 and 1978.-Biography:...
to the right wing, gave Wales a victory over Australia, and a six try victory over Fiji (in which John was replaced by Bennett) on their return to Britain, helped the team gain a warm reception on their return.
South Africa, the 1970 Championship and the 1971 Grand Slam
On the 13 December 1969, Cardiff played host to the sixth touring South Africa team. The tour is remembered for the anti-apartheid protests that followed the team, and before the match 1,500 protesters had marched through the Welsh capitalCardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. John was unavailable for the encounter having fractured a rib while playing for the Barbarians against an Oxford University Past and Present eleven days earlier. His place was taken by Beverley Davies and Cardiff lost 17–3. John recovered in time for the South Africa against Wales match on the 24 January, and was selected alongside Edwards. The game was played in atrocious muddy conditions, and a last minute try from Edwards snatched a 6–6 draw Both John and Edwards had a substandard game that day, but they combined well in the last move of the game to avoid defeat. A week later on 31 January, John and Edwards faced the South Africans again, this time as part of the Barbarians. The South Africans produced their best play of the tour to come from behind to win 21–12.
There was little rest for the two Cardiff half-backs when on 7 February 1970 they were called back into the Wales team for the first match of the 1970 Five Nations Championship
1970 Five Nations Championship
The 1970 Five Nations Championship was the forty-first series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-sixth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played...
, a home encounter at the Cardiff Arms Park against Scotland. Despite Scotland being 9–0 ahead at one point, Wales took the initiative and scored four tries without reply, winning 18–9. The England game was John and Edwards' fifteenth Wales international together, in an away match which recorded the largest haul of tries for the Welsh team in England since 1908. John scored one of the tries along with a dropped goal. Due to an injury to Edwards, John finished the game alongside "Chico" Hopkins. With only Ireland standing in front of a Welsh Triple Crown win, hopes were high, but Ireland, made John and Edwards look ordinary in a 0–14 defeat. John was unavailable for the final game of the tournament to France, his place taken by Phil Bennett. Wales beat France and shared the Championship with the French.
The 1971 Five Nations Championship
1971 Five Nations Championship
The 1971 Five Nations Championship was the forty-second series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-seventh series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played...
was a new dawn for Welsh rugby. The new National Stadium was completed, and the team now into their Second Golden era were both experienced and talented. John and Edwards played in all four games, starting with an easy win over England. Wales won 22–6, with John scoring six points from two dropped goals. The second game of the Championship, played against Scotland, was a close encounter, won by Wales 19–18 thanks to a late Gerald Davies try converted by John Taylor
John Taylor (rugby player)
John Taylor is a Welsh former rugby union player and current commentator. Nicknamed "Basil Brush" thanks to his wild hair and beard, he played as a flanker for London Welsh , and represented Wales 26 times between 1967 and 1973.-Rugby career:Perhaps his most famous moment was in the Five Nations...
. Barry John scored eight of Wales' points, with a try, penalty goal and a conversion; missing only his trademark drop goal to complete a full house of scores. John surpassed his Scotland tally in the next match, a home game against Ireland, scoring 11 points with a dropped goal, conversion and two penalty goals. Seen as one of Wales' more accomplished victories, the 23–0 win gave the team a Triple Crown title, and set up a Grand Slam encounter with France. Despite the low score, the 9–5 win over France at Stade Colombes on 27 March was a match of the highest quality. Edwards and John scored all the points in the encounter, Edwards with a try, John a try and a penalty goal. This was Wales' first Grand Slam since 1952 and the 1971 squad is seen as the greatest ever to be fielded by Wales.
1971 British Lions
In 1971, on their tour of New Zealand1971 British Lions tour to New Zealand
In 1971 the British Lions toured New Zealand, also playing two matches in Australia. Despite losing the first match to Queensland the tour was a great success, the Lions winning the test series against the All Blacks. They are still the only Lions side to have won a test series in New Zealand...
, John was again selected for the British Lions. With the painful memories of the woeful 1969 Wales Tour to New Zealand, John was determined to succeed with the Lions. Under the management of Carwyn James
Carwyn James
Carwyn Rees James was a Welsh rugby union player and coach. He won two Welsh international caps but is most famous for his coaching achievements for both Llanelli and the British Lions.-Personal history:...
(also from Cefneithin), John rose to great individual heights with his match-winning performances. Of the 26 tour matches, he played in 17, only bettered by captain John Dawes
John Dawes
Sydney John Dawes OBE is a former Welsh rugby union player, playing at centre, and later coach. He captained London Welsh, Wales, the Barbarians and the British Lions...
and "Mighty Mouse" prop Ian McLauchlan
Ian McLauchlan
John "Ian" McLauchlan is a former Scottish John "Ian" McLauchlan is a former [[Scotland|Scottish]] John "Ian" McLauchlan is a former [[Scotland|Scottish]] [[rugby union] playerer...
. By the time of the first Test in Carisbrook, John had faced six teams, including the New South Wales Waratahs
New South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
and the New Zealand Māori
New Zealand Maori rugby union team
New Zealand Māori is a rugby union team that traditionally plays teams touring New Zealand. A prerequisite for playing in this team is that the player is to have Māori whakapapa or genealogy. In the past this rule was not strictly applied. In the past non-Māori players who looked Māori were often...
. All six games had been won by the Lions and John had recorded 88 points, including a full house against Waikato
Waikato Rugby Union
The Waikato Rugby Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the Waikato area in the North Island of New Zealand. Its senior representative team competes in the ITM Cup , and won the inaugural Air New Zealand Cup in 2006.Waikato Rugby Union was founded in 1921...
. In the First Test John terrorised New Zealand's fullback Fergie McCormick
Fergie McCormick
Fergie McCormick is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer who played for the All Blacks and Canterbury. McCormick first played representative rugby for Canterbury in 1958 when he played first five-eighth against Wellington...
with ruthless tactical kicking. The All Blacks were shunted all over the field by John, who was well protected by his forwards, something that he was not afforded with Wales in 1969. The Lions won the Test 9–3, six of the Lions' points coming from two John penalties; McCormick never played for the All Blacks again.
Before the second Test John played in two more tour matches; wins over Southland
Southland Rugby
The Southland Rugby Football Union is a provincial rugby union who govern the Southland Region founded in 1886. The headquarters of Southland Rugby are in Invercargill, New Zealand however the Southland Union also covers country teams such as Midlands of Winton and Excelsior Rugby Club of Gore.The...
and New Zealand Universities, in which he scored 32 points. In the game against the Universities John scored one of his most famous tries. John dummied a drop-goal before running through the Universities' defence, stepping inside the final tackler before touching the ball down under the posts, stunning the home crowd. The second Test, played at Christchurch, finished with the series drawn after New Zealand won 22–12, John scoring half of the Lions points. In between the second and third Tests, John played in three of the four regional matches, scoring 37 points including two tries in the game against Wairarapa
Wairarapa Bush Rugby Football Union
The Wairarapa Bush Rugby Football Union was formed in 1971 with the amalgamation of the Wairarapa Rugby Football Union and Bush Rugby Football Union....
.
A win in the third Test was vital to keep the Lions hope of a series win alive. John scored ten points of the 13–3 win, the other three coming from Wales' team-mate Gerald Davies. The final Test ended in a 14–14 draw, giving the series to the tourists. John scored eight of the Lions points, having scored in every match, Test and regional, he had played in.
It was on this tour that John received the nickname "The King" from the New Zealand press, though as early as 1965 he remembered being dubbed "King John" by a newspaper sub-editor while still at Llanelli. He scored 30 of the Lions 48 points over the four Tests, scored a record 191 points across the tour (6 tries, 31 conversions, 8 dropped goals and 27 penalties) and cemented his reputation as one of the game's greatest players.
1972 Championship and retirement
John's final season with Wales ended disappointingly as both Scotland and Wales refused to travel to Ireland due to the increased violence in Ulster and the events of Bloody SundayBloody Sunday (1972)
Bloody Sunday —sometimes called the Bogside Massacre—was an incident on 30 January 1972 in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland, in which twenty-six unarmed civil rights protesters and bystanders were shot by soldiers of the British Army...
. Despite this, John had a good Championship, scoring 35 points in the three games against England, Scotland and France. The opener, away to England, was won 12–3, with John scoring two penalty goals and converting a J.P.R. Williams try. This was followed by a win over Scotland, in which John played well, converting three of the five Welsh tries and scoring three penalty goals. John's final international was at home to France. He successfully converted four penalty goals in a 20–6 victory to Wales. The Welsh Rugby Union’s refusal to allow travel to Ireland stole the team's possibility of a consecutive Grand Slam title.
In 1972, at the age of only 27, with 25 Wales caps and five British Lions caps, Barry John retired from the game. John cited the media attention and the unfair expectations of his country as reasons, believing he was "living in a goldfish bowl". John stated that the event that drew him to retire from rugby was when a young girl curtsied to him outside the opening of an extension to a local bank, in reference to his nickname.
His 25 caps for Wales resulted in 90 points scored, 5 tries, 9 conversions, 13 penalties and 8 dropped goals. His British Lions career added a further 30 international points, with a single try, 3 conversions, 5 penalties and 2 dropped goals. For Cardiff he played 5 seasons, playing 93 matches, during which he scored 24 tries and 30 dropped goals. His dropped goal total for Cardiff was the club's second highest total, drawn with Wilf Wooller but short of Percy Bush
Percy Bush
Percy Frank Bush was a Welsh rugby union player who played international rugby for Wales on eight occasions. Playing at fly-half, Bush is regarded as one of the most talented Welsh players before the first World War.-Rugby career:...
's tally of 35.
International games
| Date | Representing | Opposition | Result | Tournament | Scrum-half | Tries | Conversions | Penalties | Drop goals |
| 3 December 1966 | 11–14 | 1966 Australia tour | Allan Lewis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 4 February 1967 | 5–11 | 1967 Five Nations Championship 1967 Five Nations Championship The 1967 Five Nations Championship was the thirty-eighth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-third series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
Billy Hullin Billy Hullin William Gwyn "Billy" Hullin is a former Welsh international rugby union scrum-half who played club rugby for Cardiff and London Welsh. He represented the Barbarians and played county rugby for Surrey and the London Counties... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 11 November 1967 | 6–13 | 1967 New Zealand tour | Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 20 January 1968 | 11–11 | 1968 Five Nations Championship 1968 Five Nations Championship The 1968 Five Nations Championship was the thirty-ninth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-fourth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 3 February 1968 | 5–0 | 1968 Five Nations Championship 1968 Five Nations Championship The 1968 Five Nations Championship was the thirty-ninth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-fourth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 9 March 1968 | 6–9 | 1968 Five Nations Championship 1968 Five Nations Championship The 1968 Five Nations Championship was the thirty-ninth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-fourth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 23 March 1968 | 9–14 | 1968 Five Nations Championship 1968 Five Nations Championship The 1968 Five Nations Championship was the thirty-ninth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-fourth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 8 June 1968 | British Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... |
20–25 | 1968 British Lions tour 1968 British Lions tour to South Africa In 1968 the British Lions toured South Africa. The tour was not success in terms of international results, the Lions losing the test series against South Africa by three matches to nil, with the other match drawn. The Lions won 15 of their 16 non-international matches, losing only to Transvaal... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 February 1969 | 17–3 | 1969 Five Nations Championship 1969 Five Nations Championship The 1969 Five Nations Championship was the fortieth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-ffith series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 8 March 1969 | 24–11 | 1969 Five Nations Championship 1969 Five Nations Championship The 1969 Five Nations Championship was the fortieth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-ffith series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 22 March 1969 | 8–8 | 1969 Five Nations Championship 1969 Five Nations Championship The 1969 Five Nations Championship was the fortieth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-ffith series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 12 April 1969 | 30–9 | 1969 Five Nations Championship 1969 Five Nations Championship The 1969 Five Nations Championship was the fortieth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-ffith series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 31 May 1969 | 0–19 | 1969 Wales rugby union tour 1969 Wales rugby union tour The 1969 Wales rugby union tour was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the Wales national rugby union team to Australia, Fiji and New Zealand. The tour took in four matches against regional and invitational teams and three tests; two to New Zealand and one to Australia... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 14 June 1969 | 12–33 | 1969 Wales rugby union tour 1969 Wales rugby union tour The 1969 Wales rugby union tour was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the Wales national rugby union team to Australia, Fiji and New Zealand. The tour took in four matches against regional and invitational teams and three tests; two to New Zealand and one to Australia... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 21 June 1969 | 19–16 | 1969 Wales rugby union tour 1969 Wales rugby union tour The 1969 Wales rugby union tour was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the Wales national rugby union team to Australia, Fiji and New Zealand. The tour took in four matches against regional and invitational teams and three tests; two to New Zealand and one to Australia... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 24 January 1970 | 6–6 | 1969–70 South Africa rugby union tour | Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
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| 7 February 1970 | 18–9 | 1970 Five Nations Championship 1970 Five Nations Championship The 1970 Five Nations Championship was the forty-first series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-sixth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
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| 28 February 1970 | 17–13 | 1970 Five Nations Championship 1970 Five Nations Championship The 1970 Five Nations Championship was the forty-first series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-sixth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
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| 14 March 1970 | 0–14 | 1970 Five Nations Championship 1970 Five Nations Championship The 1970 Five Nations Championship was the forty-first series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-sixth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
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| 16 January 1971 | 22–6 | 1971 Five Nations Championship 1971 Five Nations Championship The 1971 Five Nations Championship was the forty-second series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-seventh series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
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| 6 February 1971 | 19–18 | 1971 Five Nations Championship 1971 Five Nations Championship The 1971 Five Nations Championship was the forty-second series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-seventh series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 13 March 1971 | 23–9 | 1971 Five Nations Championship 1971 Five Nations Championship The 1971 Five Nations Championship was the forty-second series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-seventh series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 27 March 1971 | 9–5 | 1971 Five Nations Championship 1971 Five Nations Championship The 1971 Five Nations Championship was the forty-second series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-seventh series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 27 March 1971 | 9–5 | 1971 Five Nations Championship 1971 Five Nations Championship The 1971 Five Nations Championship was the forty-second series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-seventh series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 26 June 1971 | British Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... |
9–3 | 1971 British Lions tour 1971 British Lions tour to New Zealand In 1971 the British Lions toured New Zealand, also playing two matches in Australia. Despite losing the first match to Queensland the tour was a great success, the Lions winning the test series against the All Blacks. They are still the only Lions side to have won a test series in New Zealand... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
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| 10 July 1971 | British Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... |
12–22 | 1971 British Lions tour 1971 British Lions tour to New Zealand In 1971 the British Lions toured New Zealand, also playing two matches in Australia. Despite losing the first match to Queensland the tour was a great success, the Lions winning the test series against the All Blacks. They are still the only Lions side to have won a test series in New Zealand... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
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| 31 July 1971 | British Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... |
13–3 | 1971 British Lions tour 1971 British Lions tour to New Zealand In 1971 the British Lions toured New Zealand, also playing two matches in Australia. Despite losing the first match to Queensland the tour was a great success, the Lions winning the test series against the All Blacks. They are still the only Lions side to have won a test series in New Zealand... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | |
| 14 August 1971 | British Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... |
14–14 | 1971 British Lions tour 1971 British Lions tour to New Zealand In 1971 the British Lions toured New Zealand, also playing two matches in Australia. Despite losing the first match to Queensland the tour was a great success, the Lions winning the test series against the All Blacks. They are still the only Lions side to have won a test series in New Zealand... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
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| 15 January 1972 | 12–3 | 1972 Five Nations Championship 1972 Five Nations Championship The 1972 Five Nations Championship was the forty-third series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-eighth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. The championship was not... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
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| 5 February 1972 | 35–12 | 1972 Five Nations Championship 1972 Five Nations Championship The 1972 Five Nations Championship was the forty-third series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-eighth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. The championship was not... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 25 March 1972 | 20–6 | 1972 Five Nations Championship 1972 Five Nations Championship The 1972 Five Nations Championship was the forty-third series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the seventy-eighth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. The championship was not... |
Gareth Edwards Gareth Edwards Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".... |
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Critical reception
As the authors of the official history of the Welsh Rugby Union, David Smith and Gareth Williams, wrote of him: "The clue to an understanding of his achieved style lies in what he could make others do to themselves. The kicking, whether spinning trajectories that rolled away or precise chips or scudding grubbers, was a long-range control, but his running, deft, poised, a fragile illusion that one wrong instant could crack, yet rarely did, was the art of the fly-half at its most testing. He was the dragonfly on the anvil of destruction. John ran in another dimension of time and space. His opponents ran into the glass walls which covered his escape routes from their bewildered clutches. He left mouths, and back rows, agape."Gareth Edwards, in his 1978 autobiography, when describing John, wrote: "He had this marvellous easiness in the mind, reducing problems to their simplest form, backing his own talent all the time. One success on the field bred another and soon he gave off a cool superiority which spread to others in the side. Physically he was perfectly made for the job, good and strong from the hips down and firm but slender from the waist to the shoulders."
Gerald Davies
Gerald Davies
Thomas Gerald Reames Davies CBE is one of the acknowledged greats of Welsh rugby, playing for the side between 1966 and 1978.-Biography:...
, who played with John for Wales and the British Lions, in his 1971 autobiography when contrasting Gareth Edwards' and John's different temperaments described Edwards as "fiery and impulsive", but John was "...fairer, aloof and apart. Whilst the hustle and bustle went on around him he could divorce himself from it all; he kept his emotions in check and a careful rein on the surrounding action. The game would go according to his will and no-one else's..."
Rodney Webb, who represented England between 1967 and 1972, is quoted as saying "Barry John's punting was phenomenal. He could drop the ball on a sixpence and he could do it every time". Webb, who developed the modern rugby ball, believes that John can not be compared to modern kickers because "the modern ball is coated in a laminate, has dimpled surfaces, unobtrusive lacing and multi panels. In the seventies the balls soaked up water, swerved all over the place and were placed in the mud and slime when kicking for goal".
Barry John came third in the 1971 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award
BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award is the titular award of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony, which takes place each December. The winner is the sportsperson, adjudged by a public vote, to have achieved the most that year. The recipient must either be British or reside and...
, beaten by winner Princess Anne
Anne, Princess Royal
Princess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
and runner-up George Best
George Best
George Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
. John was one of the inaugural inductees of the International Rugby Hall of Fame
International Rugby Hall of Fame
The International Rugby Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for rugby union. It was created in 1997 in New Zealand and is run as a charitable trust with an address at Chiswick in London. Most of the trustees are also inductees. IRHOF accepts new inductees every two years...
in 1997 and in 1999 was inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame
Welsh Sports Hall of Fame
The Welsh Sports Hall of Fame is a charitable organization created to commemorate the sporting achievements and preserve the artifacts of Welsh athletes. It was established in 1980 from the memorabilia collection of Welsh radio announcer G. V. Wynne-Jones...
.
Amateurism
As an amateur rugby union player John was not paid to play rugby at club or international level. To receive money for playing would have been recognised as an act of professionalism and would have resulted in action from one of the governing unions, normally suspension or a ban. To prevent players switching to professional rugby league, players were given 'boot money' by their clubs or sponsors, named after the early practice of placing money in the players' boots. In his 2011 book Addy, Meirion Appleton claimed that in the 1970s he made illegal payments to both John and Gareth Edwards. Appleton claims that before an international match he gave both players envelopes containing money from sportswear manufacturer AdidasAdidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
. John was never charged with taking illegal payments during his career.
Personal history
John was born at Low-land, a smallholding at Cefneithin. He was the second child of William and Vimy John, his brother Delville was three years his senior. John had a further four siblings, Alan, Clive, Madora and Diane. All three of his brothers played rugby. Delville played for Cefneithin, captaining them for two seasons; Alan progressed from the local club to Llanelli and also toured Argentina with Wales; while Clive was a Llanelli wing forward who was selected for Wales 'B'. The family went to live at Foelgastell, staying with an uncle and aunt, shortly after John's birth but returned to Cefneithin when John was two. His early schooling was at Cefneithin Primary, and after failing his 11-plus he spent a year at Cross Hands senior centre. He passed the entrance exam and was accepted into Gwendraeth Grammar School at Drefach.At eighteen he left grammar school, and was awarded a place at Trinity College, Carmarthen
Trinity College, Carmarthen
Trinity University College was a university college in Carmarthen, Wales. In 2010, it merged with the University of Wales, Lampeter to become the new University of Wales, Trinity Saint David.- History :...
, with ambitions of becoming a teacher. He studied physical education, junior science and horticulture. He left Trinity in the summer of 1967, and took up a post as a physical education teacher at Monkton House School in Cardiff, a private school for boys between the ages of eight and sixteen. John moved to Cardiff and shared a house with several other rugby players, including former Llanelli team mate Gerald Davies
Gerald Davies
Thomas Gerald Reames Davies CBE is one of the acknowledged greats of Welsh rugby, playing for the side between 1966 and 1978.-Biography:...
. John quit his position at Monkton House when he toured South Africa in 1968 and never taught again. On his return from Africa, John moved back to his family home at Cefneithin. He spent six weeks unemployed and during this period he considered turning to professional rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
, almost signing for St Helens RLFC. Following an interview with David Coleman
David Coleman
David Coleman, OBE is an English former sports commentator and TV presenter who worked for the BBC for almost fifty years. In 2000, he was awarded the Olympic Order, the highest honour of the Olympic movement....
for the BBC programme, Sportsnight
Sportsnight
Sportsnight was a midweek BBC television sports programme that ran from 1968 until 1997.-Sportsview:Sportsnight was a successor to Sportsview which started on 8 April 1954. Sportsview was devised by Paul Fox, later Controller of BBC1 and Peter Dimmock was the original host for a decade...
, in which his jobless situation was discussed, John was offered a job working for Forward Trust, a finance company in Cardiff. When John quit playing rugby in 1972 he also left his job as a finance representative, signing a contract to write a weekly column and cover important matches for the Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
. He was also signed to take part in sport programmes presented by HTV
HTV
HTV, now legally known as ITV Wales & West, is the ITV contractor for Wales and the West of England, which operated from studios in Cardiff and Bristol. The company provided commercial television for the dual-region 'Wales and West' franchise, which it won from TWW in 1968...
, the Wales and West of England commercial television company.
In September 1969 John married Janet Talfan Davies, daughter of Alun Davies QC, a leading Welsh lawyer. John and Jan had four children and as of 2009, nine grandchildren, though the couple have now separated.
In 2009 he decided to sell his rugby memorabilia, including his Wales caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
, stating that he felt no nostalgia towards the items and the honour of playing for Wales was all that mattered.