Scarlets great Gareth Jenkins has paid tribute to Alan James, one of Llanelli RFC’s most respected and much-loved figures, who passed away recently at the age of 82.
Alan made 255 appearances for the club, scoring 33 tries, and gave outstanding service, both on and off the field. Following his playing career, he continued his dedication to the Scarlets through 15 years of service on the club’s management committee.
Alan’s contribution to Llanelli and Scarlets rugby was immense, and he will be remembered with great affection and respect by all who had the privilege of knowing him, serving the club with distinction as a player, committee member and match secretary, dedicating decades of his life to the Scarlets cause.
Former Scarlets head coach and player Gareth Jenkins has paid a heartfelt tribute to Alan, describing him as one of the most influential figures in both his rugby career and the history of Llanelli RFC.
Gareth first met Alan in the late 1960s when he was a young player coming through the ranks at Furnace RFC then onto Stradey Park.
“My relationship with Alan goes back to 1967 when I was still a youth player,” said Gareth. “He was one of the senior players at Llanelli RFC and from the very beginning he took an interest in helping younger players.
“Alan invited me to train with him during the summer alongside David Jenkins. In those days there wasn’t so much organised conditioning, but Alan wanted to be the best player he could be and he encouraged others to improve alongside him. That was the start of a friendship that lasted a lifetime.”
When Gareth broke into the Llanelli first team in 1969, Alan was already established in the back row and quickly became a mentor.
“He took me under his wing and focused me on all the things I needed to consider as a young player. On a personal level, he was probably the single-most important influence on my development as a player. He mentored me through those early years and helped shape the person and player I became.”
As a player, Alan earned enormous respect throughout Welsh rugby over a decade-long career.
“He was a big man and a completely uncompromising player,” Gareth recalled. “He didn’t need the ball to influence a game. All he wanted to do was impose himself physically on the opposition. We all regarded him as the backbone of the back row.
“He was respected by everyone who played with him and against him. He was a magnificent club player and one of the finest back-row forwards of his era.”
Gareth also remembers the character Alan showed when faced with disappointment, particularly when he was left out of the starting side to face the 1972 All Blacks, settling for a place on the bench.
“It was a devastating moment for him, but he dealt with it magnificently. He put his arm around the younger players and continued to support the team. That showed the quality of the man. It was then that I really understood his strength of character.”
Following his playing career, Alan continued to serve Llanelli RFC with the same commitment, spending 15 years on the club committee before becoming match secretary during Gareth’s coaching tenure.
“When I became head coach, Alan was one of the people who convinced me to take the job. He told me not to let the politics of the time put me off and said I could do it.
“The first person I asked to become match secretary was Alan James. For the next five years he was outstanding. He was principled, balanced, dependable and utterly committed to the club.
“He was one of those people who provided integrity to everything we did. He cared deeply about standards, about how players behaved and about what it meant to represent Llanelli Scarlets.
“His judgement was exceptional. Everyone who worked with him realised very quickly that he always had the best interests of the Scarlets at heart.
“Alan was flawless in his commitment and the standards he set for those who wanted to represent Llanelli RFC. Sometimes stubborn, and he would often share an opinion with you, but everything he did was about protecting the values and standards of the club and ensuring those who wore the jersey understood what it meant.
“I owe him a great deal personally. He was a mentor, a friend and one of the most significant people in my rugby life. He was a great servant to our rugby club.”
As a club, our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with Alan’s family, friends and former team-mates at this time.
Picture: (from right) John Vaughan, Alan James, Gareth Thomas, Roy Mathias and Alan Lewis.