Rugby people who deserve a statue

First topic message reminder :

Next week sees the second public statue of Sir Bobby Robson (Ipswich ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bobby_Robson_Statue_Closeup.jpg ) followed by Newcastle (tba))

Clearly a statue is way more important than an ephemeral honour like 'freedom of the city' doo-daa.

Are there any living (International) rugby individuals who are worthy of an off-ground (i.e. public area) statue that will remain relevant in 100 years time?

Be careful on this one. This is a question that your grandchildren will recognise as reflectively relevant to themselves on reflection as to you now.

At the moment I can think of only one rugby statue (however apocryphal) that is guaranteed to not be removed/just another forgotten memorial in 100 years time.
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=william+webb+ellis+statue&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1366&bih=606&tbm=isch&prmd=imvnso&tbnid=1GizqQUOfxEc3M:&imgrefurl=http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/webb-ellis-statue&docid=ORMhZQPDJyg9nM&imgurl=http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/files/images/webb-ellis-statue.jpg&w=426&h=639&ei=sd2bT_r2D6nL0QX9-tTyDg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=673&sig=100403593874827876514&page=1&tbnh=126&tbnw=84&start=0&ndsp=27&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:69&tx=33&ty=65

So best maintain the relevance of the statue to fifty years...

Sin é wrote:

Portnoy wrote:To me, a rugby player/representative must be guaranteed a relevance which traverses the rugby/public consciousness. And is remembered as relelevant to future generations long after retirement.

Ideally the statue would be in a non-rugby open space.

Very, very few sportsmen of any persuasion manage to do that:

Staney Matthews (Eng, football), Jesse Owens (US, Athletics), Babe Ruth (US, baseball), Kip Keino (Ken, athletics), Don Bradman (Aus, cricket) etc.are the type of candidates are of the order of calibre to require a public statue.

I can only think of one UK rugby player that has spanned that divide from rugby to lasting public recognition (and he's still alive) - Gareth.

Looks like the people of Cork got Christ Ring right then (Ireland's greatest hurler). Its quite funny really because its used a lot by Munster Rugby as a backdrop for photos when new players arrive in Cork. The first thing they will learn is that they are in hurling country! (scroll down to 2nd pic).

http://www.google.ie/imgres?imgurl=http://www.munsterrugby.ie/images/content/Save_Tokula_Garrett_Fitzgerald_Content.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.munsterrugby.ie/news/10142.php&usg=__VF3aGOP9cnznj13Pw5B2BIKOmzY=&h=333&w=500&sz=40&hl=en&start=7&zoom=1&tbnid=Ka7oq0YAva07qM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=130&ei=SfKjT67uJMq3hQfj3_21CA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dwill%2Bchambers%2Bcork%2Bairport%26hl%3Den%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1

Christy Ring is a true legend. Mr Hurling. Well deserved.

There's a generic statue of a footballer, cricketer and rugby player in the centre of Leicester - I think it commemorates the wendyballers winning the League Cup, the cricket team winning a one dayer and the Tigers winning the Prem ?

dr jack mathews a great center for cardiff ,wales, lions was doctor on the 1980 lions tour to south africa. also when in the RAF fought a certain rocky marciano to a draw in a inter services boxing match against the american army

I am from the same town as Gordon Brown, Lions legend and nobody deserves a statue in Ayrshire more than him. Lovely man.

Incidentally, I was very pleased to see in Dunedin that there is a good statue of Robert Burns in the city centre.

Mervyn Davies (Merv the Swerve) RIP
JPR Williams
Shane Williams
Gareth Edwards
Serge Blanco
Dame Edna Everidge (Just had to put at least 1 Australian in there)

druid68 wrote:Mervyn Davies (Merv the Swerve) RIP
JPR Williams
Shane Williams
Gareth Edwards
Serge Blanco
Dame Edna Everidge (Just had to put at least 1 Australian in there)

Dame Edna lacks the digtnitas to represent Australia. Sir Les Patterson is much more suitable,

Portnoy wrote:

druid68 wrote:Mervyn Davies (Merv the Swerve) RIP
JPR Williams
Shane Williams
Gareth Edwards
Serge Blanco
Dame Edna Everidge (Just had to put at least 1 Australian in there)

Dame Edna lacks the digtnitas to represent Australia. Sir Les Patterson is much more suitable,

Or Steve Irwin with a giant bronze croc next to him.

Does anyone really deserve a statue for playing a sport?

I am not sure that players are the ones who need the recognition - they get it when they play.

Lunar_Simian wrote:Does anyone really deserve a statue for playing a sport?

I am not sure that players are the ones who need the recognition - they get it when they play.

Playing a sport may be the primary role but via that role some players have had a significant positive influence on a nations culture often becoming role models and appropriate figures to look up to for young people. Potentialy they can engender greater influence than political leaders and others who purport to be serving the community, they can even bring joy and hope to people in times of economic and political uncertainty. On the odd occasion therefore a statue is certainly not inappropriate, however it should be rare rather than starting a superficial trend

Then really the statue is not for their sporting achievements but what they have done additionally.

sounds cool to me

Lunar_Simian wrote:Then really the statue is not for their sporting achievements but what they have done additionally.

sounds cool to me

I would say that the good it has brought as a consequence of their sporting achievements and not what they have done additionally -

RubyGuby wrote:

Lunar_Simian wrote:Does anyone really deserve a statue for playing a sport?

I am not sure that players are the ones who need the recognition - they get it when they play.

Playing a sport may be the primary role but via that role some players have had a significant positive influence on a nations culture often becoming role models and appropriate figures to look up to for young people. Potentialy they can engender greater influence than political leaders and others who purport to be serving the community, they can even bring joy and hope to people in times of economic and political uncertainty. On the odd occasion therefore a statue is certainly not inappropriate, however it should be rare rather than starting a superficial trend

Ben Cohen and his StandUp Foundation springs to mind. A successful rugby career and now doing a lot of good work fighting bullying and homophobia. He's also campaigned to make rugby more accessible for deaf players.

Good man!

David Campese and Phil Bennett should have oine at the Parc Y Scarlets stadium. No offense but if Ray Gravell has one then Phil should also.

grav was one of the hardest centers wales had . he also went on and made himself as a pundit actor and in the eistreford grav did it all phill benett great player but gravel did more so is more deserving and im a cardiff supporter

Grav did do more off the field than Bennett has, and he was a larger than life character. Personally I'd be happy for Bennett to have a statue at PYS.

There is a statue of Sir Tasker Watkins outside of the Millenium Stadium which is fully deserved.

The son of a coal miner, he won a scholarship to the Grammer school before becoming a teacher in London. He volunteered for service during WW2 and received a VC. His citation reads

"On 16 August 1944 at Barfour, Normandy, France, Lieutenant Watkins' company came under murderous machine-gun fire while advancing through corn fields set with booby traps. The only officer left, Lieutenant Watkins led a bayonet charge with his 30 remaining men against 50 enemy infantry, practically wiping them out. Finally, at dusk, separated from the rest of the battalion, he ordered his men to scatter and after he had personally charged and silenced an enemy machine-gun post, he brought them back to safety. His superb leadership not only saved his men, but decisively influenced the course of the battle."

He went on to be a barrister and judge. In rugby he was outside half for the Army, Glamorgan Wanderers and Cardiff RFC but never got a Welsh cap. He was however President of the WRU for 11 years.

SubsBench,

Did I tell you that when Rugbydreamer took me on a tour of Millennium Stadium the tour guide knew NOTHING about Ray Gravell.

It made matters worse because we were in the Ray Gravell room at the time.

That's Cardiff for you Stag, if it does'nt happen in Cardiff or is not done by someone from Cardiff, then basically it never happened.

Generations of LLanelli RFC players were ignored because they wore red instead of blue and black!

You should have heard this fellas reaction when she said that she didnt go to Wales v Australia in December as it was a money making game that hurt the regions chances in the Heineken Cup!!! He was SPEECHLESS "But . . .. but its Shanes . . . . .its his last match . . ."

You got yourself a good one there working for your company. One email from her had us emptying our pockets to pay you!! - she's a pitbull

red_stag wrote:You should have heard this fellas reaction when she said that she didnt go to Wales v Australia in December as it was a money making game that hurt the regions chances in the Heineken Cup!!! He was SPEECHLESS "But . . .. but its Shanes . . . . .its his last match . . ."

You got yourself a good one there working for your company. One email from her had us emptying our pockets to pay you!! - she's a pitbull

Glad you said that not me! Mind you, something tells me you wouldn't have said it if you didn't have the Irish Sea between you and Dreamer!

No I would not. I may have to stay home if we draw Scarlets again in the ERC.

BTW are you coming over to Ireland with the kids?

Not this year, we were going to but have had a change of plans and going to sunny Guernsey instead! not exactly exciting but relatively easy with a 4 and 5 year old.

Still hoping to go out to Paris for next years 6N. Glas or I will be in touch about it.

Do sure. I've managed to string along the hotel for quite a while. They gave me a deadline of June 1st to reply to them but so far havent cancelled on me!!

Jonny Wilkinson. Has to be.

OK.... I know the Welshmen are going to be on this like a rash, but that's only to be expected, so consider your vitriol already ignored, boyos.

The statue would be in the manner of him kicking THAT goal, but would quite rightly commemmorate a player who was more than just a one kick wonder. He contributed more than just one kick, towards England becoming the first (and only) northern winner of the IRB World Cup. He was the outstanding player of that tournament and that alone should be grounds for a permanent memorial.

But he has significant other qualities too.

As a sportsman he has almost ambassadorial status.... the greatest possible sporting role model to young players since Bobby Charlton. He is the highest test points scorer of any nation in the northern hemisphere (sorry, Jenks), he trained and worked with relentless dedication to be the best player he possibly could be and he fought back from a catalogue of injuries which would have slain a lesser mortal. Had he not missed all those years through injury, it's possible he may have been the first to pass 2000 test points.

It wasn't his fault his career ended in ignominy at the last world cup. That entire campaign was blighted, but when players were being hauled up in droves for disciplinary offences, J P Wilkinson wasn't amongst them. As everything else to do with England collapsed around him, he was still a model professional.

Jonny Wilkinson is a modest man and were anybody to ask him if he wanted a statue in his honour, he would probably blush at the thought. Humility is also a virtue he possesses in great quantity.

Richard Parks. should be knighted too

Steve Shingler?

As a Cardiff supporter since the mid-1950s I followed Gareth Edwards's career throughout, and was delighted when his statue was put up in the St David's shopping centre. That was some years ago and the statue was originally in another spot from where it is now. In its early days I was quite impressed once to see Edwards walk straight past the statue without looking at it - but then wondered why he was there at all. I suppose shopping was the answer!

Jennifer1984 wrote:Jonny Wilkinson. Has to be.

OK.... I know the Welshmen are going to be on this like a rash, but that's only to be expected, so consider your vitriol already ignored, boyos.

The statue would be in the manner of him kicking THAT goal, but would quite rightly commemmorate a player who was more than just a one kick wonder. He contributed more than just one kick, towards England becoming the first (and only) northern winner of the IRB World Cup. He was the outstanding player of that tournament and that alone should be grounds for a permanent memorial.

But he has significant other qualities too.

As a sportsman he has almost ambassadorial status.... the greatest possible sporting role model to young players since Bobby Charlton. He is the highest test points scorer of any nation in the northern hemisphere (sorry, Jenks), he trained and worked with relentless dedication to be the best player he possibly could be and he fought back from a catalogue of injuries which would have slain a lesser mortal. Had he not missed all those years through injury, it's possible he may have been the first to pass 2000 test points.

It wasn't his fault his career ended in ignominy at the last world cup. That entire campaign was blighted, but when players were being hauled up in droves for disciplinary offences, J P Wilkinson wasn't amongst them. As everything else to do with England collapsed around him, he was still a model professional.

Jonny Wilkinson is a modest man and were anybody to ask him if he wanted a statue in his honour, he would probably blush at the thought. Humility is also a virtue he possesses in great quantity.

i agree that wilko should have a statue, he is one player i truly respect and admire.

another would be shane, i mean after its not like you need many building materials to make a lifesize one!

Garth has one in Cardiff as does Sir Tasker Watkins VC.

I reckon that the one and only Bill McLaren should get one at Murrayfield.

bedfordwelsh wrote:Garth has one in Cardiff as does Sir Tasker Watkins VC.

I reckon that the one and only Bill McLaren should get one at Murrayfield.

What, the cartoon strip character?

Shouldn't Sir Clive have one outside twickers?

mowgli wrote:Shouldn't Sir Clive have one outside twickers?

Ha! It could be facing the Blazers with middle digit proudly raised aloft!

Drico outside Blackrock, UCD, Donnybrook, RDS, Aviva Stadium and Croke park for fun.

Mrs Tuilagi, for services to world rugby...