33 - 17

Former Wales centre Matthew J Watkins dies aged 41

07 Mar 2020

The late Matthew J Watkins

Former Wales centre Matthew J Watkins has died at the age of 41 after a long illness.

Watkins, who won 18 caps for Wales between 2003 and 2006, retired in 2011 and was diagnosed with a rare form of pelvic cancer in 2013.

One of his former clubs, Dragons, paid tribute to Watkins in a statement on their website which read: “Everyone at Dragons Rugby is deeply saddened at the passing of our former player Matthew J Watkins.

“Matthew will be missed by so many and our sincere condolences go out to Matthew’s wife Stacey, his sons Sior and Tal, family and friends.”

Former dual-code Wales international Jonathan Davies paid tribute to Watkins on social media.

Davies wrote on Twitter: “RIP Matthew. What a lovely guy who took on cancer with courage and always had a smile on his face. Lived life to the full and was always smiling. Thoughts and prayers are with his family and close friends.”

Wales flanker Dan Lydiate wrote on Twitter: “Gutted to hear the passing of Mj this morning thoughts are with his family class player and one of rugby’s great characters #gonetosoon #ripmate.”

https://twitter.com/JiffyRugby/status/1236231272906846218

Everyone at @dragonsrugby is deeply saddened at the passing of our former player Matthew J Watkins.
MJ was a hugely popular with everyone @rodneyparade and will be missed by so many #RIP
?? https://t.co/u7S7l3EApa pic.twitter.com/tUPNr6aa9r
— Dragons RFC (@dragonsrugby) March 7, 2020

O2 Inside Line: All In | Episode 5 | Making Waves

Confidence knocks and finding your people | Flo Williams | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Tackling reasons for drop-out in sport | Zainab Alema | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Krakow | Leg 3 | Day 2 | HSBC Challenger Series | Full Day Replay

Kubota Spears vs Tokyo Sungoliath | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Jet Lag: The biggest challenge facing international sports? | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 39 | The Investec Champions Cup is back

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry? | New Zealand & Australia | Sevens Wonders | Episode 5

Comments

0 Comments

Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Latest Features

LONG READ

The Champions' Cup - a paradise lost?

The venerable tournament has lost its way of late so is there any way back for a competition which used to stir emotions like few others?

LONG READ

Fur set to fly as Parisian duo dragged into Top 14 relegation dogfight

While Vannes and Perpignan battle to avoid the drop, Stade Français and Racing 92 are also scrapping for survival.

LONG READ

Why Jacob Stockdale 2.0 is ready for an Ireland renaissance this summer

The Ulster left-wing, along with Jimmy O'Brien and Cormac Izuckukwu are pushing hard for starring roles on Ireland's summer tour

Comments on RugbyPass

GrahamVF 8 minutes ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

The Boks scored freely against France in the first half of the QF before the bench came into play.

114 Go to comments

GrahamVF 9 minutes ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

In the late 90’s Nick Mallett coached the Boks and he had Honibal at fly - Rassie at 6 Skinstadt at 8 Breyton Paulse on the wing Joost at his best at scrum half how would they not play running rugby. The destroyed France in Paris and the French crowd started shouting “OLE” every time they touched the ball. The French rugby writers called them the Brazil of rugby. They won 18 on the trot. Then came the Boks’ kicking game phase with Fourie du Preez kicking for Bryan Habana to chase. Over the past three or four years the Boks skill sets are rapidly catching up with the rest of the world - Manie’s no look cross kick, SFM’s incredible skills last weekend - it is very difficult to pronounce on teams unless one watches them week after week. So I resist the temptation to say that without one or two superstars the French skillsets are not that much different to the other top teams.

114 Go to comments

NB 14 minutes ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

I think there was a match the other week in Fiji where all the players were out on their feet in the humid heat after one long passage of play! So it’s not the be-all and end-all when it ends in comedy…

Thanks for the Batty story - one of the great small men of the amateur era.

114 Go to comments

NB 17 minutes ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

True! And he had him playing #9 at plenty of rucks after a lineout!

114 Go to comments

Cantab 20 minutes ago

The All Black prop who played 80 minutes to sink the Blues

Crusaders front row out muscled the Blues when it mattered. This team has strength fore and aft and may well be the difference when it comes to the play offs.

2 Go to comments

GrahamVF 25 minutes ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

I think you’re back on the endless action topic. Boring and thank goodness it will never happen in rugby union. On another topic, was a sports reporter on the Cape Argus when Grant Batty injured his knee during the ‘76 tour of SA. I interviewed him a few times and became friendly with him - he was really interested in the Stellenbosch rugby setup. A top Cape Town orthotics man made the brace for his knee which allowed him to play the rest of the tour.

114 Go to comments

Julio Langworth 36 minutes ago

'Individuals are stepping up': Vern Cotter on Beauden Barrett's influence

In 2024, I received a substantial tax refund, which I saw as a golden opportunity to improve my financial situation. Eager to invest, I became interested in Bitcoin, a digital currency that many believe represents the future of finance. Unfortunately, my excitement led me to a fraudulent company that promised incredible returns on investments. Their persuasive tactics and seemingly legitimate operations drew me in, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that I had been deceived, and my hard-earned money $572,000 had vanished.Feeling devastated and hopeless after losing such a significant amount, I reached out to a friend who had faced a similar ordeal. They recommended a company called GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES , which specializes in recovering lost Bitcoin. Although I was skeptical, my desperation pushed me to contact them for help.From the very first interaction with GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES , I was impressed by their understanding and willingness to help. Their team guided me through the recovery process, providing the support I needed during this challenging time. They explained each step clearly and kept me informed throughout the entire journey. Their dedication rekindled my hope of recovering my lost funds.Thanks to the diligent efforts of GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES , I was able to reclaim my stolen Bitcoin. This experience not only restored my financial situation but also taught me invaluable lessons about the importance of conducting thorough research before making any investments. I now have a solid investment strategy in place and am much more cautious about where I allocate my funds.I want to emphasize the importance of being vigilant in the world of cryptocurrency. While Bitcoin offers tremendous potential as an investment, it also attracts scammers looking to exploit unsuspecting individuals. If you find yourself in a similar situation, I strongly encourage you to seek help from a trustworthy recovery service like GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES .Investing in Bitcoin can be a rewarding venture, but it is crucial to approach it with caution. Always perform comprehensive research and remain skeptical of offers that seem too good to be true,but if fallen victim to scam a GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES is available for you.You can reach them on whatsapp +18582759508, web at ( https://graywaretechservices.com/ ) also on Mail: (contact@graywaretechservices.com)

3 Go to comments

Mitch 40 minutes ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

The smart arse in me is waiting for Matt Williams to accuse Rassie Erasmus of discriminating against forwards by cleverly enlisting Cheslin Kolbe as a lineout thrower as we saw on a couple of occasions last year.

114 Go to comments

Ninjin 1 hour ago

South African rugby's top heavy house of cards

Paar Gim :-)

52 Go to comments

AJ 1 hour ago

Japan's proposed anti-diverse 'blood' eligibility law after foreign player influx

This is a pretty dirty headline.

The proposed changes have nothing to do with ethnicity or keeping foreign players out of Japan rugby circuit.

The proposal is for a quota of development positions for people coming through the Japanese education system, this is why people who have naturalized or resided in Japan following their education are not eligible for these positions. It is understood that for the most part these positions are not intended for veteran players who are “already developed but qualify”. The current suggestion of 11 positions is heavily debated by most coaches who think 6 is a more appropriate number.

This impacts the local league team not the national team, so there are plenty of positions available for everyone. I don't get what the agenda is but this article is just stirring problems that don't exist.

24 Go to comments

DR 1 hour ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

True, Wales struggling , maybe they need to import a few players to get them going again.

Things are happening in Aussie rugby, their Super Rugby teams are doing better as well. Aussies are too competitive to be left behind for too long. Good luck, we need a strong Aussie team.

I like your Italian analogy, enjoy the fight, give your best, no regrets !

Love the game. Play it like Kwagga!

114 Go to comments

Cantab 1 hour ago

New Zealand Sevens name squads for high-stakes World Championship

Only Aussie likely to possibly upset NZ as these 2 teams are way ahead of the others.

5 Go to comments

Cantab 1 hour ago

New Zealand Sevens name squads for high-stakes World Championship

Don’t think you need to worry about this AB 7s side climbing up off the canvas to win this tournament. They have not performed well at any stage and are mediocre at best.

5 Go to comments

NB 1 hour ago