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