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Given his current career, it is surprising to hear that Eddie Butler’s greatest moment as a Welsh rugby player was made so special because it enabled him to gloat at journalists.
The current BBC rugby commentator and freelance journalist is now sitting on the other side of the microphone as it were and so it is surprising to hear he took so much pleasure from it.
The moment came after Wales drew with England during the 1983 Five Nations Championship, when Butler was Welsh captain.
Butler takes up the story, “We hadn’t lost at home to England since 1963 and a draw was almost as close to defeat as you can get. We were panned savagely by the press.
“The next game was Scotland away and everybody said we would lose, but we won,” explains Butler. “We went on to beat Ireland and [only just] lost to France. It was quite a sweet feeling and you can’t help but gloat when you meet the journalists afterwards.”
Butler has a slightly different opinion of the press these days. “Once I started working as a journalist I found they were actually quite nice,” he says. “They’re not quite the monsters I thought they were.”
Butler was raised in Newport, South Wales and played rugby at Cambridge University and for Pontypool RFC. He went on to win 16 caps for Wales and captained the side sporadically between 1980 and 1984. His move into journalism came after working for the BBC during his playing days.
“Back in 1984, I was being criticised by a little hardcore of journalists and by then playing had started to become a bit of a chore,” says Butler. “There was a crossover point when I wasn’t looking forward to playing as a release from a mundane job and I liked working for the BBC.”
The pitfalls of journalism
It wasn’t all plain sailing for Butler after that however. In 1988, he left BBC Wales because he felt undervalued. “In the end it turned into a huge anti-climax and I ended up basically making the tea. I stormed out after about three years,” says Butler.
In the end though, that turned into his lucky break. “The Sunday Correspondent were recruiting and all of a sudden, there was a rapid change at BBC Wales. Gareth Davis became head of sport and asked me to go back,” explains Butler.
For former players that cross over into the world of journalism, there are many pitfalls they can fall into and Butler admits that in trying to avoid them, he has sometimes got it wrong.
“Everybody says the greatest obstacle you have to overcome is becoming the person that has to criticise players. You’re so conscious to prove yourself in your new industry, I think you lash out a bit too ferociously,” says Butler.
“I find it quite difficult to be upbeat about Wales doing well [too],” adds Butler. “I overcompensate for what I feel naturally. Luckily, when you have [fellow BBC commentator] Brian Moore alongside you, it gives some balance because he is so English in his outlook.”
Butler would never accuse a player of lacking passion however. “It riled me [as a player], this accusation levelled that you somehow went out lacking the necessary passion for the job. The journalists cannot have had any inkling about what playing for your country is,” says Butler.
Climbing for charity
Butler’s next project is to climb Mount Kilimanjaro with 14 Welsh rugby captains to raise funds for Velindre Cancer Hospital’s Stepping Stones Appeal in September.
Butler has started a fitness programme in preparation for the assault. “I’m jogging up the Black Mountains at my very own slow pace,” says the 52-year-old who admits he is finding it difficult. “If you go up [the Black Mountains] you will see a mountain stream of pure sweat there, that’s me.”
Butler has no plans to retire any time soon. After presenting the historical series Wales and the History of the World aired on BBC 1, he has been involved in a variety of different projects. This year he plans to do another history series for BBC Wales and be involved in the BBC’s coverage of the Ryder Cup in October.
“I never imagined in my wildest dreams at 22 playing rugby that in 30 years time I would still be involved in rugby as a career,” he says. “You can only extract so much out of one thing so these projects offer me something different to do.”
Butler adds: “Nothing beats playing, but broadcasting and journalism is a hoot.”
You can donate to the Stepping Stones Appeal in support of Eddie’s climb through just giving.
Eddie Butler talks about life behind the mic
In Uncategorized on June 9, 2010 by andrewpapworth Tagged: 1983 five nations, BBC, Brian Moore, Commentating, Eddie Butler, Journalism, rugby, Stepping Stones, Wales, Welsh Rugby
Given his current career, it is surprising to hear that Eddie Butler’s greatest moment as a Welsh rugby player was made so special because it enabled him to gloat at journalists.
The current BBC rugby commentator and freelance journalist is now sitting on the other side of the microphone as it were and so it is surprising to hear he took so much pleasure from it.
The moment came after Wales drew with England during the 1983 Five Nations Championship, when Butler was Welsh captain.
Butler takes up the story, “We hadn’t lost at home to England since 1963 and a draw was almost as close to defeat as you can get. We were panned savagely by the press.
“The next game was Scotland away and everybody said we would lose, but we won,” explains Butler. “We went on to beat Ireland and [only just] lost to France. It was quite a sweet feeling and you can’t help but gloat when you meet the journalists afterwards.”
Butler has a slightly different opinion of the press these days. “Once I started working as a journalist I found they were actually quite nice,” he says. “They’re not quite the monsters I thought they were.”
Butler was raised in Newport, South Wales and played rugby at Cambridge University and for Pontypool RFC. He went on to win 16 caps for Wales and captained the side sporadically between 1980 and 1984. His move into journalism came after working for the BBC during his playing days.
“Back in 1984, I was being criticised by a little hardcore of journalists and by then playing had started to become a bit of a chore,” says Butler. “There was a crossover point when I wasn’t looking forward to playing as a release from a mundane job and I liked working for the BBC.”
The pitfalls of journalism
It wasn’t all plain sailing for Butler after that however. In 1988, he left BBC Wales because he felt undervalued. “In the end it turned into a huge anti-climax and I ended up basically making the tea. I stormed out after about three years,” says Butler.
In the end though, that turned into his lucky break. “The Sunday Correspondent were recruiting and all of a sudden, there was a rapid change at BBC Wales. Gareth Davis became head of sport and asked me to go back,” explains Butler.
For former players that cross over into the world of journalism, there are many pitfalls they can fall into and Butler admits that in trying to avoid them, he has sometimes got it wrong.
“Everybody says the greatest obstacle you have to overcome is becoming the person that has to criticise players. You’re so conscious to prove yourself in your new industry, I think you lash out a bit too ferociously,” says Butler.
“I find it quite difficult to be upbeat about Wales doing well [too],” adds Butler. “I overcompensate for what I feel naturally. Luckily, when you have [fellow BBC commentator] Brian Moore alongside you, it gives some balance because he is so English in his outlook.”
Butler would never accuse a player of lacking passion however. “It riled me [as a player], this accusation levelled that you somehow went out lacking the necessary passion for the job. The journalists cannot have had any inkling about what playing for your country is,” says Butler.
Climbing for charity
Butler’s next project is to climb Mount Kilimanjaro with 14 Welsh rugby captains to raise funds for Velindre Cancer Hospital’s Stepping Stones Appeal in September.
Butler has started a fitness programme in preparation for the assault. “I’m jogging up the Black Mountains at my very own slow pace,” says the 52-year-old who admits he is finding it difficult. “If you go up [the Black Mountains] you will see a mountain stream of pure sweat there, that’s me.”
Butler has no plans to retire any time soon. After presenting the historical series Wales and the History of the World aired on BBC 1, he has been involved in a variety of different projects. This year he plans to do another history series for BBC Wales and be involved in the BBC’s coverage of the Ryder Cup in October.
“I never imagined in my wildest dreams at 22 playing rugby that in 30 years time I would still be involved in rugby as a career,” he says. “You can only extract so much out of one thing so these projects offer me something different to do.”
Butler adds: “Nothing beats playing, but broadcasting and journalism is a hoot.”
You can donate to the Stepping Stones Appeal in support of Eddie’s climb through just giving.
Eddie Butler in action for the BBC
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