The Club is devastated to report the sudden passing of Eddie Butler (1967-74) and sends deepest and heartfelt condolences to his wife, children, family and close friends.
Eddie captained the school 1st XV and went on to study French and Spanish at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge where he gained Blues in 1976, 1977 and 1978. His skills were further developed at Pontypool RFC, which brought him the recognition that resulted in 16 caps for Wales between 1980 and 1984, and captaincy of the national side on six occasions.
When his playing days were over, Eddie became a highly respected sports columnist for The Observer and The Guardian newspapers. He took over as ‘the voice of rugby’ following the retirement of the great Bill McClaren, and formed a memorable broadcasting partnership with Brian Moore and Jonathan Davies. His easy manner, superb command of English (and French), and readily identifiable tones meant that he would often be heard on the BBC in other contexts beyond sport: he presented five series on the history of Wales. He also published two rugby-based novels.
Eddie was a great friend of Monmouth School and was a trustee of the Monmouth Schools Charitable Trust. When the school celebrated its 400th anniversary with a concert at the Millennium Centre, Cardiff, he faultlessly delivered the monologue from Shakespeare’s Henry V.
Ever generous with his time, Eddie was an ambassador for Prostate Cymru and had joined 25 fundraisers, including his daughter Nell, walking the Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu, when he died peacefully in his sleep in the early hours of 15th September. He was 65.
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