Wales and the British and Irish Lions‘ legendary former fly-half Barry John has died aged 79.
Widely considered an all-time great of the game, John wore the number ten shirt for Wales’ Five Nations triumphs in 1969, 1970 and 1971 and for the Lions’ tours of that latter year and 1968.
1971 was perhaps when John was at his best, guiding Wales to their first Grand Slam in 19 years and the Lions to a series win in New Zealand – their first and only triumph against the All Blacks.
A family statement read: “Barry John died peacefully today at the University Hospital of Wales surrounded by his loving wife and four children.
“He was a loving Dadcu to 11 grandchildren and a much-loved brother.”
After being known as ‘The King’ by hosts New Zealand for his performances on that 1971 tour, John shocked the rugby world by retiring from the game at the age of 27 less than a year later citing the pressure of media attention and expectations of his country.
“To be crowned ‘The King’ in New Zealand when every back row forward in both the North and South Islands is trying to take your head off is quite some accolade,” said Terry Cobner, the former Wales and Lions player and now President of the WRU.
“For me, he has got to be right up there among the greatest outside halves who have ever played the game – probably the greatest.
“He was a glider, rather than a sidestepper, who had a subtle change of pace and direction. Coming on top of the recent deaths of Brian Price and JPR Williams, this is another huge blow for Welsh rugby.
“After what he did for Wales and the Lions in 1971, those of us who followed him into both teams always felt we had huge shoes to fill. He was and will remain a legend of our game.”
After his retirement from playing John continued to stay involved in the game, leaving his job as a finance representative to write a weekly column for the Daily Express and cover big matches for the paper.
But besides sporadic TV appearances on Harlech Television, John largely kept out of the spotlight following the release of his 1974 autobiography, which ruled out a return to the game due to the money he made from it in an amateur era.
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