New book to lift lid on most controversial ban in Welsh rugby history

Former Wales scrum-half David Bishop has lifted the lid on the incident that effectively ended his international career in a new autobiography set for release next month.

The Bish, set to be published on 10 October, revisits the notorious clash with Newbridge lock Chris Jarman during a Gwent derby in October 1985. In a match remembered for its physicality, Bishop struck Jarman, who later claimed to have suffered a broken cheekbone.

The immediate fallout was severe.

Bishop was dropped from the Wales squad and handed an 11-month suspension by the Welsh Rugby Union. The case escalated further when police became involved, leading to Bishop’s arrest and a prison sentence, though this was subsequently overturned on appeal. Despite that outcome, the WRU chose to extend his suspension for another 11 months, effectively closing the door on his Test ambitions.

The incident and its consequences are presented in the book as a turning point in Bishop’s life and career. At the time, the punishment stood out in comparison to the relatively light treatment of similar or worse acts of foul play across Welsh rugby. Punching, gouging, headbutts and kicking were not uncommon in the domestic game, yet lengthy suspensions were rare.

The book, written by Brendan Gallagher, argues that Bishop became a scapegoat at a moment when the game’s authorities were under pressure to address violent conduct. Pontypool’s reputation as a hard-edged side, coupled with long-running tensions between the east and west of Wales, also forms part of the narrative. Bishop suggests his club’s status as outsiders within the WRU contributed to the severity of his ban.

Coach Ray Prosser claimed to have seen “worse than the Jarman incident in hundreds of games,” while Eddie Butler reflected that Bishop “singlehandedly carried the weight of the nation’s attention on foul play.”

Bishop himself remains critical of how events unfolded. “If you asked supporters from that period who the dirtiest players in Wales were, I doubt if anybody would even have me in their top 20,” he writes. “In my entire senior career, I had one sending-off… Yet I was the villain, apparently.”

The autobiography situates the Jarman affair within the wider culture of Welsh rugby in the 1980s.

It references high-profile incidents at other clubs that passed with little or no official action, such as running fights involving Newport and Bristol, or serious assaults that went unpunished. Against this backdrop, Bishop maintains his treatment was out of step with prevailing standards.

Beyond the controversy, The Bish also reflects on Bishop’s playing career with Pontypool and his brief international opportunities. A talented scrum-half, he won a single Wales cap in 1984 against Australia, scoring a try, but the events of the following year left him permanently sidelined at Test level.

With his 65th birthday approaching, Bishop has chosen this moment to provide his own account of a career shaped by both sporting achievement and disciplinary upheaval. Co-author Brendan Gallagher, a long-time rugby journalist, places Bishop’s experiences in the context of a turbulent era for the Welsh game.

Advance copies of The Bish will be available at a launch event in Pontypool on 4 October, ahead of its official publication on 10 October. Further appearances are scheduled across south Wales during the autumn.