WHY THE STORY OF CARWYN’S ITALIAN JOB ENDURES
THE legacy of rugby legend Carwyn James is gathering momentum – with more links being created between Wales and Italy.
Carwyn James occupies a landmark position in Welsh rugby history – the coach of the 1971 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand, the only Lions side ever to win a series against the All Blacks.
He is also regarded with something approaching awe in Italy, where he coached Rugby Rovigo in the north-eastern corner of the country.
Carwyn James died aged just 53 in 1983 – but his legacy lives on nearly 40 years after his death.
And evidence of that comes in the continued rugby links between Wales and Italy.
Alun Gibbard is the author of a bilingual biography of Carwyn James - universally regarded as the best coach “never to have coached Wales”.
Mr Gibbard has been a regular visitor to the corner of Italy where Carwyn’s memory is still cherished.
He said: “The name of Carwyn James lives on in the communities of that corner of Italy. So much so that a group of rugby players are coming over from Oderzo in Italy a week Friday, May 3.
“They are coming over in the name of Carwyn James, as they are part of the Carwyn James Rugby School that is held in Italy every Easter.
“They are to play two games in Cefneithin in the afternoon, a first’s XV and an under-20 team.”
Mr Gibbard said: “I’ve been lucky enough to visit the area of Italy where Carwyn James coached and was held in such high regard. I’ve given talks about his life, based on my research of my biographies of Carwyn and the appetite and thirst for information and stories about Carwyn’s life seems to get stronger every year.
“This latest trip from Oderzo is only happening because there is a desire to further Carwyn’s legacy.
“There’s a real momentum to remember and promote Carwyn’s work in Italy at the moment – specifically in the Venetta region where Rovigo is.
“It is also very evident in nearby Bologna.
“In fact, there was an event in Bologna last week which discussed my biography. Sadly, I wasn’t able to go, but it just shows the depth of respect the people of Italy had for Carwyn and how they cherished his time there.”
The visitors from Oderzo – which is near Treviso – will be treated to a tour of Llanelli’s Parc y Scarlets stadium.
And, of course, they will get to visit the Carwyn
“The depth of respect they have for Carwyn in Italy is truly astonishing. There is a huge passion to build on the rugby legacy Carwyn left in that part of Italy Alun Gibbard, right
James Lounge, which contains cherished archive photographs of Carwyn - including photos from that memorable 9-3 game when a Llanelli team coached by Carwyn beat the mighty All Blacks in 1972.
Parc y Scarlets is home to the Scarlets rugby region who continue to feed the Wales-Italy Carwyn link with regular fixtures against the likes of Treviso.
Mr Gibbard, winner of the Excellence in Literature award at the recent Carmarthenshire Celebration of Culture Awards, is convinced the interest in Carwyn James is accelerating rather than diminishing over the passage of time.
Four years ago Rovigo rugby fans visited Cardiff and made a “pilgrimage’”to the BBC television studios in Llandaff to have their photos taken with a sculptured bust of Carwyn which has pride of place in the foyer.
Mr Gibbard said the Oderzo visit will be particularly appropriate as they will be playing in Carwyn’s home village of Cefneithin.
“Wales has some amazing memories of Carwyn, who played for Lanelli RFC and twice for Wales,” the author said.
“But the depth of respect they have for Carwyn in Italy is truly astonishing. There is a huge passion to build on the rugby legacy Carwyn left in that part of Italy.”
Mr Gibbard’s book, Into the Wind: The life of Carwyn James, isn’t the only volume which contains useful insights into Carwyn’s life in Italy.
Alun Richards’s Carwyn: A Personal Memoir also contains nuggets about the coach’s Italian adventure.
The opening chapter of Mr Richards’s memoir of Carwyn is entitled “The Flat on the Via I Monti”.
It describes Carwyn inviting a reluctant Alun Richards to Italy in 1977.
A month after that conversation, Mr Richards stepped off the plane in Venice to be greeted by Carwyn, immaculate in suit and rugby club tie.
Carwyn embraced Italian culture, learning the language and formed friendships throughout the entire local community.
The fans also eagerly grasped Carwyn’s philosophy. Carwyn’s Italian tutor, a teacher called Angelo Morello, began translating his rugby articles for the local paper.
When Carwyn steered Rovigo to victory in the Italian championship they were presented to Pope John Paul II.
“They tell me it’s a very rough game,” said the Holy Father. Not if it’s played properly,” replied Wales’s high priest of rugby. Carwyn left Italy in 1980, having left an indelible impact on its rugby community.
Mr Gibbard concluded:
“The Carwyn legacy lives on – long may it continue to thrive in Italy.”