Former England and British and Irish Lions’ legend David Duckham has died aged 76. Considered by many as one of the most entertaining and skilful backs of a generation, Duckham’s prowess to glide past opponents will long be remembered.
In an old-school era where rugby was fabled for heavy jerseys, bruising collisions and no-nonsense physicality, Duckham was a shining light of pace and agility. With tricky footwork and the ability to step the most astute defender in a telephone box, Duckham was a star for his country in the early 70s. Duckham earned 36 caps between 1969 and 1976, and scored 10 tries.
Duckham’s most iconised moment came against a combined New Zealand and Barbarians outfit in Cardiff. His long striding and evasive runs earned David the Welsh name ‘Dai’. He was embraced under this moniker by the local supporters, who believed he played like their fellow countrymen.
Duckham shone brightest when playing alongside Welshman… and Irishmen and Scots for that matter. A stand out performer of the legendary 1971 Lions tour, he scored 11 tries in 16 games in the victorious series against the All Blacks. Six of those tries came in one match, against a combined team of West Coast and Buller RFC.
At domestic level, Duckham was a fan favourite for Coventry. He dedicated his entire playing career to the Warwickshire club, who in a club statement consider him as; âarguably the âgreatestâ ever Coventry playerâ. Coventry will hold a minutes silence before their RFU Championship match against Jersey Reds this Saturday.