Big part of my life – I still forward to a few beers after’
Barbarians – the North Wales Veterans variety. They provided the opposition for a veterans team from Jones’ club, Rhyl, in a testimonial in his honour.
“I have hundreds, if not thousands of amazing memories from what seems, at first impression, just another sport,” he said. “But especially here in Wales, rugby is more than just a game. To paraphrase Bill Shankly, from that ‘other’ shaped ball game, rugby is a way of life.”
Keith has played in Rhyl’s first team at least once in every season since 1979 and has racked up close to a thousand games, including two years as captain, while in recent times he has also served as a referee at junior level.
Retirement from the game is not an option that Keith – nicknamed Eggy – is considering any time soon.
“It probably helps that I have a legendary inability to tackle,” he says.
Recently elected as a town councillor, one of his aims is to promote mental health awareness and this was reflected in his choice of charity for Saturday’s fundraising efforts, the Vale of Clwyd MIND.
As for the future of his beloved club, he is full of optimism, with a new playing and social base on the way.
“We have a very strong junior section at the club and although we do still lose players as they move on to university, we have a fantastic opportunity to make rugby the number one sport in the town, with our new facilities,” he said. the community both on and off the field in Ferryside. He hasn’t missed a game for the club in more than 30 years – either playing or watching – and he still makes an appearance off the bench now.
He’s also chairman, treasurer and fixture secretary and puts a huge amount of time and effort into the club. On top of that, he works in scrap metal recycling as his day job and is a prolific fundraiser.
Following the death of close friend and team-mate Jonathan “Butty” Evans in a farming accident in 2014, he helped organise a tractor road run and fun day to celebrate his pal’s life.
That raised more than £20,000 for the breast care unit at Prince Philip Hospital and the Huntington’s Disease Association.
Then, the following year, he arranged a memorial match between Ferryside and Kidwelly in honour of Evans, with proceeds going to Wales Air Ambulance.
Jones ended up being named Carmarthenshire Charitable Person of the Year in 2015 for all his efforts. and I have the club at heart.”
Dudley will be 54 in early September, so will be carry on playing for the Pembrokeshire club this coming season?
“I hurt my back before Christmas last year, so I was off for a few months,” he said. “But I am more or less back to full fitness now. So you never know. You never say never.
“Rugby has been a massive part of my life. I am a big social animal with the boys and that’s a part of the game I really enjoy.”
Apart from a season with Llanelli in the early 1980s, Dudley has been a one-club man, spending some 38 years with St Davids.
“I made my senior debut when I was 15,” he said. “I had to lie about my age. You were supposed to be 18 to play for the firsts at the time.”
Away from rugby, Dudley was a fireman for 30 years, which is quite appropriate as he continues to offer a firefighting service for St Davids, stepping up to the plate when they are short of numbers.