Keith Rowlands
Encyclopedia
Keith Alun Rowlands was a Welsh
international lock rugby union
player, later administrator who was the first Chief Executive Officer of the International Rugby Board
.
Police Inspector. After attending Cowbridge Grammar School
, on his father's transfer to Aberdare
, Rowlands entered the second year at Aberdare Boys' Grammar School and went on to captain both the rugby (1953–54) and cricket
teams (1954 and 1955). He won a Welsh Secondary School Cap in 1955, playing against England at Cardiff
. He graduated from University of London
and served National Service
with the 1st Battalion of The Welch Regiment from 1958 to 1960.
Rowlands played for Aberaman
and then London Welsh. He transferred to Llanelli
for one season in 1958, before Cardiff
signed him in September 1961. He played 147 games for the Welsh capital side until 1967.
In March 1962 he gained his first of five caps for Wales
when he played in the winning side which beat France. He made his debut for the Barbarians
at Leicester in March, 1962, later captaining the side in 1966. Rowlands represented the British and Irish Lions
on 19 occasions, including all three tests in the 1962 Tour of South Africa, where he scored a try in the final international. He also played in the non-cap Lions match with Kenya
.
He played his last rugby for Newport RFC in 1973/74.
. He was chairman for the 1974 season and continued to serve Cardiff until 1986.
Whilst serving on the Cardiff committee, he became a member of the Welsh Rugby Union
. Rowlands was appointed as one of the WRU's two representatives on the International Rugby Board
in 1983 and became the IRB's first General Secretary in 1988. Under Rowlands guidance, its headquarters moved from Bristol
to Dublin, Ireland
. This was key in turning the Rugby World Cup
into one of the leading sporting events in the world, which Rowlands was at the heart of as one of its directors.
Rowlands decided to retire at the end of the 1995 Rugby World Cup. However, IRB chairman Vernon Pugh and the RWC chairman Leo Williams
persuaded Rowlands to take on the Chief Executive's role at the 1999 Rugby World Cup
in Wales
. He resigned all positions with the IRB and the RWC after the tournament ended.
In 2004 Rowlands beat WRU Secretary David East
in the contest to succeed Sir Tasker Watkins
as Welsh Rugby Union
president.
As he played his rugby in amateur days, Rowlands worked in sales and marketing for Arthur Guinness Ltd
and the Taunton Cider
before becoming a full-time professional at the IRB.
In his retirement Rowlands had roles as Patron of Aberaman RFC, President of Rhiwbina RFC, the Welsh Academicals and the Welsh Deaf Rugby Association. He was also President of the Cwmbach Male Voice Choir.
Rowlands collapsed at his home in Cardiff and died at lunchtime on 18 November 2006, less than 24 hours after watching Wales beat Canada 61-26 at the Millennium Stadium
.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
international lock rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player, later administrator who was the first Chief Executive Officer of the International Rugby Board
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
.
Playing career
Rowlands was born in Brithdir, Bridgend, the son of a Glamorgan ConstabularySouth Wales Police
South Wales Police is one of the four territorial police forces in Wales. Its headquarters are based in Bridgend.Covering Wales' capital city, Cardiff, as well as Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Swansea, and the western South Wales Valleys, it is the largest police force in Wales in terms of population,...
Police Inspector. After attending Cowbridge Grammar School
Cowbridge Grammar School
Cowbridge Grammar School was one of the best-known schools in Wales until its closure in 1974. It was replaced by a comprehensive school.Founded in the 17th century by Sir John Stradling and refounded by Sir Leoline Jenkins, it had close links with Jesus College, Oxford. The school took both...
, on his father's transfer to Aberdare
Aberdare
Aberdare is an industrial town in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Dare and Cynon. The population at the census was 31,705...
, Rowlands entered the second year at Aberdare Boys' Grammar School and went on to captain both the rugby (1953–54) and cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
teams (1954 and 1955). He won a Welsh Secondary School Cap in 1955, playing against England at Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. He graduated from University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
and served National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
with the 1st Battalion of The Welch Regiment from 1958 to 1960.
Rowlands played for Aberaman
Aberdare RFC
Aberdare Rugby Football Club are a Welsh rugby union club based in the town Aberdare in South Wales. Aberdare RFC plays in the Welsh Rugby Union Division Three South East league and is a feeder club for the Cardiff Blues.-Club history:...
and then London Welsh. He transferred to Llanelli
Llanelli RFC
Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
for one season in 1958, before Cardiff
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
signed him in September 1961. He played 147 games for the Welsh capital side until 1967.
In March 1962 he gained his first of five caps for Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
when he played in the winning side which beat France. He made his debut for the Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
at Leicester in March, 1962, later captaining the side in 1966. Rowlands represented the British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
on 19 occasions, including all three tests in the 1962 Tour of South Africa, where he scored a try in the final international. He also played in the non-cap Lions match with Kenya
Kenya national rugby union team
The Kenya national rugby union team is the Kenyan national team in Rugby. it is controlled by the Kenya Rugby Football Union.The team participates Confederation of African Rugby tournaments, but has never qualified for the Rugby World Cup....
.
He played his last rugby for Newport RFC in 1973/74.
Post playing
Rowlands finished playing in 1967, and immediately became a committee member at Cardiff R.F.C.Cardiff Blues
Cardiff Blues are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, the team have played at Cardiff City Stadium since the start of the 2009/2010 season and are owned by Cardiff Rugby Football Club....
. He was chairman for the 1974 season and continued to serve Cardiff until 1986.
Whilst serving on the Cardiff committee, he became a member of the Welsh Rugby Union
Welsh Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...
. Rowlands was appointed as one of the WRU's two representatives on the International Rugby Board
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
in 1983 and became the IRB's first General Secretary in 1988. Under Rowlands guidance, its headquarters moved from Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
to Dublin, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. This was key in turning the Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
into one of the leading sporting events in the world, which Rowlands was at the heart of as one of its directors.
Rowlands decided to retire at the end of the 1995 Rugby World Cup. However, IRB chairman Vernon Pugh and the RWC chairman Leo Williams
Leo Williams (rugby union)
Leo Gerard Williams AO was an Australian rugby union player and official, who played for the Queensland Reds , managed the team , then was president of Queensland Rugby Union , chairman of Australian Rugby Union and chairman of Rugby World Cup .Williams was chair of...
persuaded Rowlands to take on the Chief Executive's role at the 1999 Rugby World Cup
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. He resigned all positions with the IRB and the RWC after the tournament ended.
In 2004 Rowlands beat WRU Secretary David East
David East
David East QPM is a retired British police officer who served as Chief Constable of South Wales Police, and was also Secretary of the Welsh Rugby Union.-Pre-South Wales:...
in the contest to succeed Sir Tasker Watkins
Tasker Watkins
The Rt Hon Sir Tasker Watkins VC GBE PC was a Lord Justice of Appeal and deputy Lord Chief Justice...
as Welsh Rugby Union
Welsh Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...
president.
Outside rugby
Rowlands was married to wife Jean, with whom he had one child.As he played his rugby in amateur days, Rowlands worked in sales and marketing for Arthur Guinness Ltd
Guinness
Guinness is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost...
and the Taunton Cider
Blackthorn Cider
Blackthorn Cider is a cider produced by Gaymer Cider Company, a subsidiary of C&C Group. Previously it was known as Blackthorn Dry or Dry Blackthorn...
before becoming a full-time professional at the IRB.
In his retirement Rowlands had roles as Patron of Aberaman RFC, President of Rhiwbina RFC, the Welsh Academicals and the Welsh Deaf Rugby Association. He was also President of the Cwmbach Male Voice Choir.
Rowlands collapsed at his home in Cardiff and died at lunchtime on 18 November 2006, less than 24 hours after watching Wales beat Canada 61-26 at the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
.