Charvis
An exceptional player and former captain of the Wales national team, many consider Colin Charvis a true great of the game.
Colin Charvis Bio
Colin Charvis is a former rugby union player and captain of the Wales national team. A natural leader and a popular figure on and off the pitch, he was equally adept as both a flanker and a number 8 and is often considered to be one of the Welsh greats.
Born in Sutton Coldfield in December 1972, Colin Charvis played rugby as a youngster for local sides before beginning his professional club career in 1992 with London Welsh during his studies at the University of Westminster. In 1995 he then moved to Swansea RFC where he would spend the longest part of his career and at the same time making the city his spiritual home.
Colin Charvis became a fan favourite for the Welsh side and during his stay with the club made over 150 appearances and scored over 300 points. He also achieved numerous honours including being crowned Welsh Premier Division champions in the 1997-98 and 2000-01 seasons and winning the Welsh Cup in the 1998/99 season.
He left Swansea in 2003 due to club structure changes and briefly played with French team Tarbes, before next signing for Newcastle Falcons in 2004 where he would be named club captain. After two years with the Falcons, Colin Charvis returned to Wales with Newport Gwent Dragons, before finally retiring from club rugby union in 2009. Although he remained as a coach with the side until September 2010.
Despite being born in England and with parents of Jamaican heritage, Colin Charvis chose to play for Wales having moved there to play for Swansea. He was later implicated in the ‘Grannygate’ scandal having apparently initially being ineligible on his debut for the national side in 1996. The charges were later dropped as he had completed his three year residency.
He represented Wales 94 times and scored a total of 22 tries in his 11-year tenure. He was first made captain in 2003 and went on to captain Wales in the 2003 World Cup, where his tenacious performances were instrumental in getting the side to the quarter-finals. Charvis earned subsequent call ups to many Six Nations tournaments as well as the 2007 World Cup. He also played two tests for the British & Irish Lions in the 2001 tour to Australia.
After stepping away from the game, Colin Charvis is now a regular rugby union pundit and popular after dinner speaker. He’s also an astute businessman and has run a flooring company back in his beloved Swansea.
