Edwards’ gratitude as birthday boy Jiffy turns 60
SHAUN Edwards has told Jonathan Davies he will be grateful “until the day I die” after he rescued him from a sporting hole 28 years ago.
Edwards is one of many people paying tribute to Jiffy in a special programme to mark his 60th birthday on S4C.
His gratitude goes back to October 22, 1994, when Jiffy scored the match-winning try for Great Britain against Australia after Edwards was infamously sent off for a clothesline tackle just 20 minutes into the rugby league Test at Wembley. Davies scored the decisive try in an 8-4 victory, producing a remarkable performance on a day that ranks as one of the most memorable in the history of the sport.
In the programme, which airs tomorrow night, Edwards appears on screen to say: “Hi Jiffy, Shaun Edwards here, mate, from the south of France.
“I just want to say, happy birthday to you, mate, on your 60th birthday. And I’ll thank you again for saving my backside at Wembley in 1994, when I was very harshly sent off, I thought! You saved my backside with a wonderful, wonderful try and I will always thank you until the day I die. Happy 60th and have a fabulous day.”
Davies, who turned 60 on Monday, then says: “Every time he sees me, he gives me a kiss on my forehead and thanks me that we won the game. I really enjoyed my career up there, it was an experience, because they all wanted to kill me! But it was nice to show what I could do.”
As he marks his 60th birthday, S4C will host the special celebration among Jiffy’s family and friends, in a programme called Jonathan 60. Held at the Coal Exchange in Cardiff, Eleri Sion guides viewers through the story of Jonathan’s life, from the euphoric highs on the rugby pitch and the happy family times, to the tragic events which have also changed his life.
There are anecdotes from the likes of John Inverdale, Nigel Owens and Davies’ former Widnes and Great Britain Rugby League teammate Martin Offiah. Davies’ switch from rugby union in Wales to professional rugby league in northern England in 1989 sparked a media circus, and Martin witnessed it all.
Offiah said: “He took over the back page of every single red-top newspaper in the country – The Sun, The Daily Mirror, The Star, and I realised what star power was all about. I didn’t know what the word paparazzi was until Jiffy walked out from the bench (on his debut), and there’s more photographers around him than Princess Diana. I’m walking out to play and I’m thinking, ‘I better have a good game today!’ I scored five tries, but I don’t think I even got a mention in the report after the game!
“Hands down, Jiffy was the most talented footballer I ever played with. I loved playing with him, it was an honour to say that I’d played with such a great player.”
But amidst the plaudits and success, a dark cloud appeared over Jonathan and his family, as his wife Karen was diagnosed with cancer. The family moved back to Wales, but Karen sadly passed away in 1997.
Jonathan said: “We came home to have the family around us, and that was the first time we met the people from Velindre. It was important to be back in Wales, but unfortunately it didn’t work out and she died young. The kids were seven, three and one, and they were my world. So I had to pull my socks up and go to work. That’s what I’ve always tried to do, work hard and if bad things happen, you have to fight against it.
“The children have turned out great. Of course, they miss their mam, but I hope they realise everything that we’ve all been through. Life can change just like that, so it’s important that you enjoy it. I’ve enjoyed my life a lot with my kids and now with Jay – it’s fantastic.”
Jonathan has since played a key role in helping raise £40m for the Velindre Cancer Centre charity through a number of extreme challenges which have pushed him and others to their limits.
“It’s not me who’s raised this money, there’s a big team who have done it, people from across the country who have come together for one cause,” added Jonathan. “People have lost friends, family and we’re just trying to raise money to help the hospital and to make things a bit easier for the people who are going through it now.”
Jonathan 60 airs at 9pm tomorrow night on S4C. English subtitles available.