John Dawes

Sydney John Dawes OBE (born 29 June 1940)[1] is a former Welsh rugby union player, playing at centre, and later coach. He captained London Welsh, Wales, the Barbarians and the British Lions. He was made an OBE in the 1972 New Years Honours List for services to sport.

Not to be confused with John Dawe.
For other people named John Dawes, see John Dawes (disambiguation).

John Dawes
OBE
Birth nameSydney John Dawes
Date of birth (1940-06-29) 29 June 1940
Place of birthAbercarn, Monmouthshire, Wales
SchoolLewis School Pengam
UniversityUniversity College of Wales, Aberystwyth
Loughborough College
Rugby union career
Position(s) centre
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
Newbridge RFC
London Welsh RFC
Leicestershire
Surrey
Middlesex
Barbarian F.C.		 ()
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
1964–1971
1971		 Wales
British Lions		 22
4		 (12)
(0)

Education

Dawes was born in Chapel of Ease, part of Abercarn near Newbridge. He was educated at Lewis School Pengam, and later University College of Wales, Aberystwyth and Loughborough College. He gained a degree in chemistry and later achieved a PGCE at Loughborough College, where he met his future wife, Janette Morris.

Rugby playing career

Club

Dawes played club rugby for Newbridge in Monmouthshire. He then joined London Welsh. Dawes was appointed captain, and effectively also as coach, for the 1965-66 season, leading the club in a period of great success in the late 1960s. He initially significantly increased fitness levels, and then led the club in an open, running, quick-passing, attacking style of rugby, including an overlapping full-back, and relatively skilled forwards. One 1968-69 performance was described by journalist John Reason[2][3] as "one of the most brilliant exhibitions of club football it has been my privilege to see," and by journalist Terry O'Connor[4] as "the finest display by a club team I can remember', further describing London Welsh 'switching attacks with speed and handling skill.' [5][6]

International

Dawes won his first cap for Wales against Ireland in 1964. He was selected for Wales' first overseas tour later the same year and played in the Welsh rugby team's first match outside of Europe and its first in the Southern Hemisphere. He played against East Africa in Nairobi on 12 May 1964, Wales winning 26-8. He went on to make 22 appearances for Wales, captaining the side in six of them, including leading the Grand Slam winning side of 1971.

British Lions and Barbarians

In 1971, Dawes was appointed captain of the British and Irish Lions side for the tour to New Zealand. This side, coached by Carwyn James, became the first and so far the only Lions team to win a series in New Zealand. Dawes was also captain of the Barbarians side that beat New Zealand in Cardiff in 1973. Today he holds a proud record for any Welshman in the fact that as a player or coach he has never lost to an England side.

He is one of five captains to lead his side to a test series win on New Zealand soil, along with Philip J. Nel (1937 Springboks), Trevor Allan (1949 Australia), Andrew Slack (1986 Australia) and Philippe Saint-André (1994 France).

Rugby coaching career

After retiring as a player, Dawes became coach of the Welsh national side in 1974, a post he held until 1979. This was one of the most successful periods in the history of Welsh rugby, with the team winning the Five Nations Championship four times in the five seasons between 1975 and 1979, including two Grand Slams.

He also coached the 1977 British Lions tour to New Zealand, but was unable to repeat the success of 1971. Ian McGeechan has said of this tour "perhaps John, a natural player and leader in his time, was just not so good at putting things across," but others have pointed out that the 1977 Lions nearly drew the series, and that subsequent Lions tours to New Zealand fared much worse.[7]

Subsequent roles

Dawes is currently president of London Welsh RFC and has written several books on rugby union.

References
  1. John Dawes rugby profile ESPN Scrum.com
  2. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10425614
  3. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/brendangallagher/2307779/About-Rugby-Special-tribute-to-John-Reason.html
  4. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/3015852/Talking-Rugby-Union-Game-enriched-by-competitive-line-out.html
  5. The Man Who Changed the World of Rugby - John Dawes and the Legendary 1971 British Lions, Ross Reyburn
  6. https://www.therugbyjournal.com/rugby-blog/john-dawes
  7. The Man Who Changed the World of Rugby - John Dawes and the Legendary 1971 British Lions, Ross Reyburn
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