Geraint’s going strong in Bethesda

Geraint Bowen was once one of the best known and respected rugby players in Narberth and around Pembrokeshire but since his playing days ended he has taken on a new challenge and established a thriving farm and coffee shop in the village of Bethesda.
It keeps him very busy since there is also an off-licence and he provides local fruit and veg, but he still found time to talk to us about his rugby playing days as we took a walk down Memory Lane whilst enjoying a cup of coffee and delicious home-made Welsh cakes!

Busy with beef

It seems a long way from his days when he was rightly regarded as a top full back and points gatherer who also played for Llanelli, represented Wales ‘B’ in Canada and the Welsh Districts in the twilight of his career but now he spends time preparing the beef, lamb and pork which is much appreciated by locals. He can even make his own sausages, faggots, pies and ready meals as an added bonus, aided and abetted by wife Sian, who Geraint rightly describes as ‘the real driving force in the business’! Geraint has always been involved in farming, trained when he was young as a butcher and at one time he showed his prize limousins at the county show, but when foot and mouth came eight years ago he and Sian decided on a change of emphasis and that is why we were sitting in their coffee shop enjoying superb rural views and chatting about rugby.

Time to step down

Geraint actually played until he was 38 but admits that he knew it was time to step down because he was feeling the bruises more and more – after starting out with Narberth at youth team level, played regularly for the Otters and captained the first XV for several seasons, had three years involvement at Llanelli and even enjoyed one season ‘up the road’ with arch-rivals Whitland.

Busy playing days

His rugby days began at Whitland Grammar School, where he played scrum half or centre in a very good side which had the beating of all the other Pembrokeshire Schools’ teams – but because of a quirk in the regulations he played county rugby for Carmarthenshire Schools. Sport was very much part of his social life because he played schools’ rugby in the morning and then turned out for Narberth Youth in the afternoons – and was also a player with Narberth junior football, too. He played as a bustling midfielder who was strong in the tackle and could distribute the ball well – and was invited for a trial with Crystal Palace but decided his future lay in rugby.
Geraint was also a useful cricketer with Narberth, Llanddewi Velfrey and Maenclochog, known as a big hitter who once showed his power against Pembroke by hitting a ball not only out of the ground but over the neighbouring garden and clean into the street beyond. He sped to 68 runs on that day and looked as if a century might be on the cards but was run out like a dog soon afterwards!

Seconds debut at 14 – and KO Cup Finals galore

Geraint made his senior debut with Narberth Seconds when he was still 14, which wouldn’t happen now, played in the Otters’ youth team which won the Pembrokeshire Youth Cup against Haverfordwest at Neyland, and made his first team debut at 17, where he soon learned how to look after himself.
He played in four cup finals, three of which were won but he vividly recalls the defeat against Milford Haven in Pembroke because they drew 12-all and then lost the replay 12-9, which meant that he had scored 21 points in the final and still ended up on the losing side! There was a win against Haverfordwest in Neyland, where he missed a pile of penalties but outside half Rob Harries dropped two goals in a 6-0 win, which was followed by another cup success the following season.

Memorable time

But perhaps the most memorable victory came in the season prior to the formation of the National Leagues where Geraint led Narberth to victory against Tenby United at Pembroke Dock, and the following week travelled to Tenby to beat the Seasiders on their own territory to complete a league and cup double.  Ask Geraint for the best Narberth team in which he played and it could well be that side, which included forwards of the calibre of Rhys Davies, Steve Gerrard, Simon and Dai Perkins, Dai and Glyn Jones, Nigel Bevan, Randal Evans and Andrew Morris. Then there were quality backs like Gerwyn Richards, Adrian and Andrew Young, Andrew Phillips, Paul Thomas and Clive James, who was known as the ‘fastest printer, not sprinter’ at outside half!

Great time at Stradi – and some Welsh shirts

Geraint really enjoyed his time as full back at Llanelli, where he joined other Pembrokeshire players like Peter Morgan and Selwyn Williams alongside Welsh  ‘greats’ like Ray Gravell, Phil Bennett, Derek Quinnell and Roy Bergiers. He played some memorable games against the likes of Cardiff, Swansea, Neath, Northampton, Coventry and Harlequins at Twickenham, where he broke a leg in a quite innocuous tackle, an injury that kept him out of the game for five months. Whilst at Stradi Park he was chosen to go on the Wales ‘B’ tour to Canada and played in three of the five matches, including the international in Vancouver, which Wales won.
“It was a very proud moment,” admits Geraint, “and I will never forget pulling on the Welsh shirt.”
He also pulled on a Welsh shirt for a second time after he had returned to Narberth and sustained a second broken leg, which was far more painful than the first, as he played in a charity match against Swansea at Aberystwyth. It took longer to heal and he returned to action with Narberth Seconds – and was selected for the Welsh Districts to play in Belgium at the time that Brian ‘Beaky’ Davies of Crymych was also capped. Wales won the match and Brian is also proud of his Junior Union cap which was presented afterwards.

County honours

Another source of pride for Geraint is the fact that he played so many times for Pembrokeshire and is the only player who appeared in three winning Welsh Counties cup finals, at Neyland, Haverfordwest and Builth Wells, They also lost a final in Narberth but Geraint says that the best thing about being a county player was the chance to play alongside some great team mates who were opponents for most of the time! It was the same during his season’s stint at Whitland, because he was treated with huge respect and thoroughly enjoyed playing at Parc Llwyn Ty Gwyn.

And finally...

So what of the future for Geraint Bowen? He rarely watches matches at Narberth but does go to watch son Aled, a talented full back or wing, play for Crymych. Daughter Catrin is away in UWIC, where she plays hockey, so he and Sian, who was also a very good sportswoman, can focus on building up what is already a thriving business. A lot of his customers chat about the old days with Narberth RFC so he isn’t allowed to forget his involvement there – and we certainly enjoyed our look back on his exceptional rugby career with one of the most genuine and likeable characters to have graced the game in Pembrokeshire!