Around The Boundary Feature:

 

 
A visit to Pill Parks, Llangwm, for a rugby match is guaranteed to have the enjoyment of meeting long-time friends who are also real characters in their own right - and on a recent trip there it was great to bump into Michael John, who doubles up as the county councilor for the Llangwm, Hook and Freystrop Ward alongside currently being the club president, sponsorship secretary and in his 25th year on the committee of Llangwm RFC.
 
Michael played for The Wasps, his only club, until injury forced him to stop in 1999 as he played his final games against Crymych and Pontarddulais, slicing his knee open to the bone against the Preseli Men and tackling throughout against a strong ‘Bont’ side, until he knew at the end his decision to call a halt was the right one!
 
But it was typical of Michael that he then took on the role of committee man and has since been vice chairman (4 years), chairman (9 years), club representative on the county District H committee (and a past president), junior organiser and youth team coach/manager (9 years) amongst other things, more of which later.
 

A few school games and then into youth rugby with The Wasps

 
When he started out in rugby there was very little organised at club junior level, other than a few festivals at nearby Neyland. He then played initially on the wing at Haverfordwest Grammar School and flanker at Tasker-Milward alongside quality players like Kevin Morgan (who went on to play for Wales), John Rees and Wayne Davies, then for Llangwm youth with Wayne again, and players like Chris Campbell, Ian John, Nigel Hearne, Keith Locke and Martyn Inward, playing at flanker and No 8.
 
“I played youth rugby from 1979/83 I was captain for a season and also made my debut for the seconds as a 16 year old where I was well looked after by old timers like Hilliard Studley, Dai and Stanley Evans, with committee man John ‘Turmy’ Skyrme never afraid to give me a word of advice!
 

Great honor to captain them to a special victory

 
“When I moved into senior rugby, I had a few games for the seconds but then played for the firsts spanning from 1982 to 1999 and I was honoured with the captaincy in 1989/90 and then 1997/98, which was particularly pleasing because I came back from a lengthy injury and to be picked by the players to lead them again meant so much.”
 
It was whilst being captain that he experienced his most memorable moment as a player because he was one of the few Wasps in the modern era who could say that he raised the coveted Bishop Cup in 1989/90 after beating old rivals Haverfordwest in matches played on a home and away basis.

“We had drawn 3-3 in a typically bruising encounter at Pill Parks and then caused a real upset by winning the return match at Haverfordwest.
 
“Ironically, I had just returned from injury and I started on the bench with my brother-in-law Ian ‘Gwangie’ Thomas as acting skipper. I came on to score a try and Ian ‘let’ me pick up the silverware. He was one of many characters I played alongside, including his brother Chris ‘Blackthorn’ Thomas, Simon and Johnny Kiff, Dai Duly, Alan Masters, Phil Stoddart, and of course the Locke Brothers to name just a few.
 


 

Administrative roles begin at Pill Parks

 
Michael had already joined the committee in the previous campaign, and it wasn’t long before he was elected as vice-chairman to John Nutting for four years.
 
“John joined us as a prop who had played his rugby in England but once the players got used to his posh voice he did a good job in the front row and then took over the role of touch judge, looking resplendent in his blazer and shorts!
 
“Then I was honoured with nine years as Llangwm RFC chairman, where I was lucky throughout by having the late Roger Lewis as an outstanding vice-chairman - and I have also been sponsorship secretary for the past 14 years. It was another great honour to be Chairman during the 125year season in 2010-11 when we hosted Pembrokeshire in a celebratory match, and also hosted the BBC Scrum 5 team with Rick O’Shea visiting the club.
 
“Others who have been heavily involved over those years are the late Brian James, Raymond Hunt, Mike Hardwick, Keith Lawrence and latterly Richard Scriven who has taken on the onerous but essential club secretary role. A lot of the “old guard” have sadly passed away or retired and we now have a small but hard working committee led by chair Dan Chesmer.
           
“We are a small club but are lucky to have generous support from local businesses and importantly the local community that is there for us at a time when just playing the game is so expensive, what with travel and kit costs. That is why we are always on the lookout for new sponsors.”




 

County work – and a club coaching role

 
Alongside that work, Michael was 13 years as the club’s rep on the Pembrokeshire set-up, with more travel because the meetings are held mainly in Narberth but occasionally In Haverfordwest, with the WRU AGMs to attend in Bridgend or Cardiff.
 
“I was president of District H in 2017 and again I regarded it as an honour, but I’ve taken a bit of a rest this year because of work commitments although if I’m needed another time, it might be difficult to say no!
 
“Something else I really enjoyed was my time as youth team coach/team manager, after I qualified as a level two coach and level one referee. The referee course was led by no less than Nigel Owen and how great to see someone of his level coming down to instill his knowledge in new referees.
 
The youth section had previously been disbanded because we didn’t have anyone who could take on the work so I volunteered. I managed to get others involved over the next few years with coaching, Jeremy Brock, Alan Williams and others,  and it was nice to see players like James Lewis, Will Scriven, Daniel Morgan and Matthew Hughes eventually playing for the first team, where James and Daniel are still loyal players and Matthew is back coaching.
 

Family matters

 
Michael would be first to sing the praises of his wife Angela for her support over such a great expanse of time but there is no doubt that she gave a lot of practical help on match days and other thankless jobs.
“I couldn’t have been at the club but for her encouragement and support,” admits Michael.
 
Their son Ryan is involved at the club now after his promising playing career was halted by his dislocating his shoulder three times - but now he is back supporting the senior side as assistant team manager and enjoying himself there. Daughter Emily also played junior rugby in her school days before an ‘early retirement’, whilst stepson Paul Hetherington was also a Wasp before he moved away to university and then work.



 

Other sports

 
Outside of his rugby, which has always been his main sporting passion, Michael readily admits that he never shone at other sports.
 
“I did dabble with the javelin whilst at Haverfordwest Boys Grammar School but I think I was selected for my brawn, rather than any real athletic talents,” he admits with a chuckle!
 
“I was brought up in Hook and a rare claim to fame in that sport came when I played in their junior team that won the county championship in 1975 – although I think that might be something to do with the fact that they had the likes of Keith James, John and Martin Rees, Gary and Geoff Martin playing, rather than me because all I did was act as 12^th man or try to field as well as I could.
 
“I also played recreational darts for Llangwm RFC in the local league, with the annual trip to watch Wales in Cardiff as the highlight - but perhaps the less said about that the better. But put it this way, none of us was ever going to be a Gerwyn Price or Johnny Clayton!



 

And finally . . .

 
Then of course there’s the involvement with Pembrokeshire County Council and the local council, where he has been involved for 15 years - and only missed a handful of the three villages community council meetings in that time.
 
And two of those periods came because of his love of rugby, “In 2017 I was joined by some friends and ex-players Kevin Locke and Skyrme Lewis for the trip of a lifetime when we went to New Zealand to cheer on the Lions - and had a brilliant time.
 
“Then a year later I went to Argentina to watch Wales on tour and again it was really memorable so I’m sure the great people living in my ward will forgive me those few absences!”
 
We at PembrokeshireSport.co.uk are confident they have already done that and he will continue to serve them with total commitment, as he has done with Llangwm RFC, as a player and in so many other administrative roles!