Rugby News . . . from PembrokeshireSport.co.uk

Top rugby celebrities visit Victoria Bookshop

There were three rugby celebrities visiting the Victoria Bookshop in Haverfordwest last week as Alun Wyn Jones and Alun Wyn Bevan were in attendance on Thursday to sign the former’s new book on his season of rugby which culminated in the World Cup – and then Eddie Butler followed a day later to sign his new book where he selects his best-ever Welsh rugby team.

There was a steady stream of visitors through the door of the popular bookshop in Bridge Street, many having their photographs taken and chatting to the rugby stars as they bought the books, which were published by Welsh publishers Gomer Press.

Nice to chat to Alun Wyn and Alun Wyn!

Alun Wyn Jones, who plays rugby for the Ospreys and featured really well in Wales World Cup matches, is recovering from injury and was accompanied by Alun Wyn Bevan, the former top rugby referee and current writer and rugby commentator who helped organise the wide-ranging content of the book, which is being sold to raise funds for the Velindre Cancer Centre and Stepping Stones Appeal for Lung Cancer sufferers.

Alun Wyn Jones told Radio Pembrokeshire’s Ben Stone and Bill Carne that he was delighted to support such a worthy cause and Alun Wyn Bevan explained that both were eager to join Huw Evans, who is responsible for the magnificent pictures that feature throughout the book, in a special collaboration that means so much to all three. They were pleased by the response from the general public of Haverfordwest and hoped that many more books would be sold for the Cancer charities.

Eddie had to ponder a great deal

Eddie Butler explained to Bill Carne that he thought the job of picking a top Welsh team ever would be far easier than it turned out because there were so many wonderful players to consider and get the right balance. He explained that he had gone back to the mid-fifties through to the current time after initially thinking it might have the bulk of the players from Wales ‘Golden Era’ of the late 60s and 70s – and the presses at Gomer had been held up so that the current batch of Welsh World Cup players could also be considered. His book is also packed with terrific pictures of top players throughout the last 60 years.

Look out for these books in our Christmas Picture Quiz prizes

It was a real treat to chat to all three because they not only know their rugby but are modest and pleasant fellers – and Marley Davies and his merry band of workers at the Victoria Bookshop showed their generosity to PembrokeshireSport.co.uk by donating signed copies of both special books to go alongside a bottle of ‘Famous Grouse’ Whisky for the three lucky winners of our forthcoming Christmas Picture Quiz!

PHOTOS:

Alun Wyn Jones, Ben Stone, Bill Carne & Alun Wyn Bevan.

Eddie Butler & Bill Carne.