MY LIFEIN RUGBY
KEVIN SIMMS
THE FORMER ENGLAND, WASPS AND LIVERPOOL ST HELENS CENTRE

On the attack: England centre Kevin Simms is held by Ireland’s Brian Spillane

My dad was on the books of St Helens, Oldham and Rochdale and I played quite a lot of amateur Rugby League in my early years. It was only when I went to West Park Grammar School that I started playing Rugby Union.
On weekday evenings very, very competitive games of rugby would be played between the kids in the street, using lamp posts as the goal posts. Phil Bennett was the player I’d try to imitate the most because...