Tribute to Russell Robins
Farewell to a Ponty Superstar
On Friday, the 27th of September, Pontypridd Rugby Football Club lost one of its greatest former players when Russell John Robins died. The piece that follows tells something of the story of this great rugby player, but mere statistics cannot do justice to the man. Everybody who knew Russell loved him. He was always friendly and approachable, and knowledgeable about the game he had played with such distinction. He patrolled the Bob Bank at home games, cheering the team on when things went well and furious when they went badly.
Russell was born in Pontypridd on 21st February 1932. A Pontypridd Grammar boy, he was capped seven times by Welsh secondary Schools, and captained the side on the last six occasions (pictured below).
His first game for Ponty came on the Cornish tour in September 1949 as a 17-year old, and his first full season with Ponty came in 1950-51. A press report of the time describes Russell as “thick set and sturdy” and with “plenty of ‘zip’ and great stamina”, and he was also a decent goal kicker! During his National Service he was capped by Yorkshire and helped his unit to win the Army Cup. He got the first of his thirteen caps against Scotland on 10th April 1953, which Wales won by 15 points to 3.
Russell’s greatest moments came on the British Lions tour to South Africa in 1955. He played in all four tests and made more appearances on tour than any other player in the touring party. He was 23 at the time, and in the official statistics his height is given as 6’ 1” and his weight as 14st 4lbs, which was regarded as a pretty big man in those days. He was originally selected for the tour party as a lock, but in his first game he played at Number Eight and quickly showed a natural flair for the position.
Reports from the tour tell us that in game after game Russell was “everywhere” and described his play as “intelligent.” J.B.G. Thomas stated that Russell was “one of the outstanding forwards in the side”, and the South Africans rated him as probably the best in the world in his position at the time. According to J.B.G., Russell “should become one of the greatest back-row forwards of his generation.”
Unfortunately, the vagaries of the Welsh selectors meant that he played his last game for Wales on 23rd March 1957, against France in Paris. He did captain the Whites in the first Welsh trial in the 1957-58 Season and played in the “Probables” in the final trial, but no further caps came his way. Had he played for Cardiff or Llanelli he would probably have got a lot more, but Russell stayed loyal to Pontypridd throughout his rugby union career.
The photograph below was taken in the 1955-56 season and shows Russell resplendent in his Lions blazer after his return from South Africa.
Ponty had variable form in the 1950s, but when Russell was able to play they were a different side. He captained the team in the 56-57 and 57-58 seasons and was the pivot around which things were made to happen. In March 1957 Russell was invited to play for the Barbarians during their Easter tour of South Wales, and the Pontypridd Observer commented that he had “now achieved every honour that rugby can offer apart from the captaincy of his country.”
Russell was injured early in the season in 1958-59, playing for Ken Jones’ team at Ebbw Vale, and forced to leave the field at half time with badly torn shoulder muscles. This was a great blow to Pontypridd, but an even greater one was to follow. The shock news of the season was the decision of Russell to turn professional with Leeds, and he made the last of his 184 appearances for Pontypridd on 31st January 1959.
Russell had given ten years of superb rugby to his home-town club, and now he would lend his many talents to the 13-man game. He scored a try in his first game for Leeds and helped them to win their first Championship title in 1960-61. At the time, of course, any player who ‘went north’ was a pariah, unable even to enter rugby union clubhouses, but a heavily disguised Russell was often to be seen at some home games. Eventually the silly ban was lifted, and in recent years Russell was back supporting the club he loved in his own inimitable style. I am sure that his spirit will still be on the bob-bank in years to come.
We have lost a great man of Pontypridd, and we will all miss him terribly.
Alun Granfield
