Clive Rowlands
Home is where the heart is for Welsh rugby legend
Rugby legend and Cwmtwrch bred Clive Rowlands joins Heledd Cynwal on S4C's nostalgic programme Cofio on Friday, 18 June as he takes a trip down memory lane to recall some of the highlights of his impressive sporting career.
Clive has enjoyed a career in rugby spanning decades. He's the only person in the history of Welsh rugby to chalk up a 'Grand Slam' of honours, becoming Welsh captain, coach, selector and Welsh Rugby Union president.
But after all the fame and glory that came with the accolade of Welsh rugby, the former scrum-half still lives in his home village of Upper Cwmtwrch in the Swansea Valley.
Clive Rowlands explains, "This village has been very good to me and I'm extremely happy that I was raised here. I've made great friends throughout the years here and had many worthwhile experiences."
Clive Rowlands recalls how the village rallied around the family some years ago when he was battling against bowel cancer and felt himself knocking on death's door.
"At one time I was close to death but luckily I've come back stronger. At the time, the village came together to support my wife, Margaret and my children, I don't know if you'd get that anywhere else in the world. Wales - and Cwmtwrch in particular - is a very special place," says Clive.
He also recalls his childhood battle against the life-threatening tuberculosis which hit his family as a child. The illness killed his eldest sister Megan at 24 years old and left Clive himself in a sanatorium where he spent two years recovering from his illness.
During the half hour show, Heledd takes Clive back to his days as coach with archive clips of players like Gareth Edwards, Gerald Davies and Barry John talking about their coach.