Regular visitors to Haverfordwest RFC’s ground in Merlins Bridge would see a tall, athletic-looking man who regularly supports the team he served so well over many years, standing behind the Pembroke Road end of the pitch and manning the scoreboard with typical style and ease of action.
 
Because that man is Nigel Griffiths, who is 6 feet 1 inch tall and was only 12 stone soaking wet in his playing days - and had fantastic pace as a winger who had the uncanny knack of grabbing more than his share of interception tries and regularly featured amongst The Blues’ top scorers on many occasions in those playing days.
 

A memorable season amongst so many

 
One of the undoubted highlights came in the 1985/86 season when Richard Thomas was captaining a talented team for the first time from the back row and although they were very disappointed to be knocked out of the KO Cup in the semi-finals they deservedly won the league as their emphasis was on playing entertaining rugby.
 
“We only lost twice in the whole league season when there were other very strong teams in the county,” Nigel told us, “and I broke the record for number of tries that had previously been held by my brother Stephen.
 
“I had scored 14 times before Christmas and my job was made a lot easier because playing inside me at 10, 12 and 13 were Gary Abrahams, Steve Barnett and Peter Hughes and I was level with my brother’s total on 28 as we went into the last game at St Davids - and in the first half I scored from the half-way line.
 
“I also added a second after the interval but that was a simple walk-over from a five-metre scrum - and it was nice that although Stephen’s record had gone at least it meant that I kept it in the family with 30 tries from 22 league games.
 
“Then in the 1995/6 season I broke my own record with 38 tries, playing with the likes of Jonathan Griffiths, Clive James, Steve Barnett and Andrew Morgan.
 

Real family involvement in rugby

 
That both brothers should be so heavily involved was perhaps natural because there were three others in the side before him and Stephen in Michael, a 6 feet 5 inches forward who played for Wales B, Llanelli, Bridgend, Maesteg and Swansea, followed by Robert and Gareth, known to all as ‘GG’ and club chairman for a long time.
 
So a rugby ball was always being thrown around the family farm and when Nigel attended the old Haverfordwest Secondary Modern he was soon playing there at full back - and then joined Haverfordwest Youth team, where he played in the centre alongside quality players like Geraint John, PJ Thomas, Mark Britton, Dai Llewelin, Peter Hughes, John Scurlock, Steve and Michael Barnett as they swept all before them,  the Youth KO Cup, the Griffiths Cup, the District Sevens Cup – and lost to Cardiff in the final of the Welsh Sevens Cup.



 

A short spell in the seconds – then into the Blues’ first XV

 
When he moved into senior rugby The Blues were very strong and so he gained experience in the seconds under the captaincy of Phil Bradshaw as they won the junior union league.
 
“That season I made my first team debut against Whitland and came off second best to Kay Phillips - and also played in a KO Cup clash against Llangwm but couldn’t have impressed very much because it was the last time I played for the firsts that season!
 
“But the next campaign saw me gaining a regular place and was helped a lot by Wayne Morgan before I was switched to the wing - and with Peter Griffiths as captain we won the league and KO Cup double with Trevor James as an excellent coach and with brother Stephen compiling his record try count whilst I was on the other wing with my 11 tries!’.
 
Ask Nigel about highlights of his playing days and he would be quick to nominate being chosen as club captain for 1983/84 but the season was marred somewhat by an injury which sidelined him from October until March after he had suffered torn ligaments.
 

Records galore and some great tries scored

 
His try-scoring has been a real feature of his play for The Blues and he achieved six tries twice, five tries once and four scores in a match on three occasions - but has more vivid memories of solo tries in important games, not least in a game against Narberth, who looked likely to score as a centrebroke to within a metre of the line and Nigel called for a pass as if he was an Otter - and the Narberth prop fell for it and Nigel raced 99 metres to their line. Not very sporting in some people’s eyes but sometimes desperate situations call for desperate measures as Haverfordwest won the game!
 
“I once scored a cracking try against Tenby after they had been undefeated all season and in their last game we played them at Shoals Hook Lane because our pitch wasn’t ready and were trailing by 9-7 but in the last minute Kevin Walsh made a great break and I scored in the corner to stop them having a 100% record, although they were still deserved winners of the league.
 

Sevens’ success and an ‘interesting’ tour

 
“I also scored a similar try against Tylorstown in the Welsh Cup to earn a game at The Gnoll against the mighty Neath team of the time and we were only 9-3 down at half time but lost by 40 points - although it was a great experience nonetheless playing against Welsh internationals Paul Thorburn, Elgan Rees, Jonathan Davies, Lyn Jones and Rowland Phillips”
 
He also played for the Haverfordwest Eagles (organised by Brian ‘Ginger’ Davies) in the Isle of Man Sevens, playing at scrum half alongside his brother  Mike and Gareth, Peter Morgan, Keith Leighton, Gerwyn Richards, Wayne Morgan - and they won the competition!
 
There was another ‘interesting’ club tour to Rumania where they saw how poor the people were at the time - and he also represented the Pembroke County team in a few games, making his debut against The South Wales Police.



 

Finished at 39 by helping an old friend

 
But his first love was Haverfordwest RFC and he played until he was 39 in the firsts and could name many team-mates and opponents he rated highly, like Keith Fleming as the top player alongside Colin Bolderson as colleagues, plus three-quarters from other clubs like Jonathan Harries (Neyland), Geraint Bowen (Narberth and Nigel Sayer (Milford Haven).
 
Towards the end of his playing days Nigel had a few games with the seconds, assisting his old mate Will Candler, and then helped further by taking on the role of team manager for a season.
 

Youth team coaching and a committeeman too

 
From there he coached the youth team alongside Jimmy Fry, with Steve Jones as team manager and in his seven or eight years had help from the likes of Steve Brown, Tim Parry, Steve Barnett, Craig Jones and Carl Potter
 
“We had some useful players and played in five finals of either the youth or Griffiths Cups, with the best result coming in the latter competition where we beat Tenby by 40-odd points at Neyland - and the boys really enjoyed that!
 
Since then he has been a regular on the club’s management committee for 20 years but readily admits that he has never been interested in any of the officers’ roles, preferring to help out with working parties whenever needed on the clubhouse or playing surfaces and surrounds.
 
“For some time now I have stood behind the posts and operated the scoreboard in all sorts of weathers and really enjoy it. It’s surprising how many people from either side stop for a chat and I get a great view into the bargain!”
 

A useful young athlete and still jogging now

 
Outside of his rugby, Nigel enjoyed athletics in school as he competed in the 100, 200 and 400 metres, plus the triple jump and was part of a team which won the county 4x100 metres relay race on one occasion.
 
In the past five years he has returned to his running as a means of keeping fit and takes part in the Park Runs around The Racecourse in Haverfordwest as often as he can.
“The five kilometres is enough for me and so far I’ve done 121 runs on a Saturday morning, with a best time so far of 26 minutes 26 seconds - a little more sedate than in my younger days but I really enjoy the good fellowship and the fresh air!”
 
But it would be fair to say that rugby will always be his favourite sport and he still loves being involved, and the fellowship to be found amongst ex-colleagues and opponents - and even sports reporters like us who regularly stop for a chat and enjoy such a great welcome from such a gentleman of sport as Nigel Griffiths, of Haverfordwest Rugby Club!