By Barry Newcombe
The Rugby Union Writers’ Club celebrated its 50th “birthday” yesterday with a suitably sumptuous lunch at Stationers’ Hall in the City of London.
The highlight of the day was a sequence of interviews with former top players, headed by the Ireland and Lions fly-half Jackie Kyle.
Kyle offered something of a contrast to modern international preparations when he spoke of the approach in his day: “We never trained as a team, except on Friday afternoon.”
Other players interviewed by John Inverdale were Richard Sharp, Roger Uttley and Sir Clive Woodward, of England, JPR Williams, of Wales,and Keith Wood of Ireland.
Terry O’Connor, the former Mail man who is the only surviving founder member of the RWC, who inspired the lunch, also spoke.