Wales rugby legend Barry John has died aged 79, his family have confirmed.
Nicknamed ‘The King’, John was considered one of the sport’s all-time greats, winning three Five Nations titles, a Grand Slam and two Triple Crowns with Wales.
He played 25 times for his country and five times for the Lions, while he also represented Llanelli and Cardiff at club level.
He died in hospital on Sunday. A family statement read: “Barry John died peacefully today at the University Hospital of Wales surrounded by his loving wife and four children. He was a loving Dadcu to his 11 grandchildren and much-loved brother.”
John had made his Wales debut in the victory over Australia in December 1966, but he would have to wait a year before being partnered up with Sir Gareth Edwards – forming one of the greatest half-back combinations the game has ever seen.
From John’s first piece of dry advice to Edwards when the scrum-half asked how he’d like the ball delivered to him – “You throw it, I’ll catch it” – the partnership became a defining one in Welsh rugby’s golden era.
John was central to Wales’ 1971 Grand Slam – their first since 1952 and sealed with a first victory in Paris in 14 years. Later that year, he cemented his legacy against the 1971 All Blacks by playing a starring role in the historic 2-1 win
The hosts would dub John ‘The King’. He finished 1971 finishing third in the 1971 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, beaten by winner Princess Anne and runner-up George Best.
However, a year later, he would retire from the sport before his 28th birthday – with his decision to walk away from the fame and adulation that sat so uncomfortably on his shoulders prompted by one interaction in north Wales.
“I was the first rugby pop star, superstar, call it whatever you want,” John told WalesOnline in 2022.
“I was third in BBC Sports Personality, then a month later I was the first rugby player to be the subject of ‘This is Your Life’. I was coming off the pitch against England at Twickenham and there is Eamonn Andrews with his big red book.
“I didn’t want to retire, but it was the circumstances. People didn’t understand how you had to go to work, how you had to be fit for international-level rugby.
“I was getting lethargic, tired. You can’t be like that on the international stage, especially at number 10.
“The invitations just flew in thick and fast. I had no time to myself, just knew I wasn’t as sharp mentally or physically as I wanted to be.
“I was up there (North Wales) doing a promotion for the bank. Youngsters were out, lots of people to greet me. I said a few words, and as I was being introduced to someone, she curtsied. Not a major one, a little one, but a curtsy nonetheless.
“That convinced me this was not normal. I was becoming more and more detached from real people. I didn’t want this any more.”
After retiring from the game, he was one of the inaugural inductees of the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 1997 and in 1999 was inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame. In 2015, John was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.
In recent years, he also wrote a regular column for the Western Mail and WalesOnline.
John’s passing comes just three weeks after JPR Williams died aged 74 .
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18:14John Jones
Barry John, in his own words
As we’ve already seen since the sad news was confirmed earlier this evening, there is no shortage of those wanting to pay tribute to the great Barry John. His was a remarkable life, a remarkable career and in 2021, we sat down with the man himself to mark his 76th birthday and 50 years since that phenomenal Lions tour in New Zealand.
You can read all he had to say about the glory and tragedy of his career right here.
18:13Mathew Davies
A tribute from Ringo
Mark Ring had the following to say on X this evening: “Best Rugby Player of all time. My absolute hero. The 1 player who’s sublime skills, i tried 2 replicate. No player i’ve seen had his time on the ball. Charismatic, had time 4 all. Still my fav BJ Quote “Have a guess happened to me, once? I dropped a ball in training!” RIP Barry.”
17:57John Jones
Scarlets remember “an icon of the game”
Tributes are still pouring in, with the Scarlets remembering John as “an icon of the game”. He played 87 times for Llanelli across four seasons and played a crucial role in their famous win over Australia in 1967.
17:54John Jones
Lions pay tribute
John was one of the Lions’ greatest ever players, representing them on five occasions. He played four matches during the 1971 tour of New Zealand having also featured in one match in South Africa in 1968.
The Lions have now paid tribute to the legendary fly-half, describing him as “truly one of the greatest”.
17:49John Jones
The greatest duo ever
Indeed, that partnership with Edwards was truly something special.
It even carried with it its own catchphrase, as John told his half-back partner during their first training session together: “You throw it, I’ll catch it”.
On the 50th anniversary of the formation of that partnership, the two greats shared the inside story of how the greatest rugby duo ever came to be. You can read the amazing interview here.
17:34John Jones
‘An absolute icon’
Cardiff Rugby, John’s former club, have paid tribute to “an absolute icon” and “one of the greatest players to pull on the Blue and Black”.
At Cardiff, he struck up a formidable half-back partnership with Sir Gareth Edwards, which is still regarded as one of the greatest the sport has ever seen.
17:26John Jones
‘An absolute charmer and a true gent’
In his retirement, the Wales legend also became a weekly columnist for WalesOnline and Wales on Sunday, providing his unique brand of analysis and hard-hitting opinion on the Welsh rugby scene.
WalesOnline’s former head of sport Paul Abbandonato – who wrote John’s autobiography – has paid tribute to the “THE Greatest”
17:20John Jones
‘The King’
John was one of rugby’s first superstars and is recognised as one of the sport’s greatest ever players, admired all around the world.
An electric runner and superb kicker with a brilliant rugby brain, he was simply untouchable on his day and formed a key part of that glorious Wales side of the 1970s.
But it was while playing for the Lions against New Zealand that he earned his nickname of ‘The King’, with the local press dubbing him so after he scored 30 of the Lions 48 points over four Tests. That side remain the only Lions team to win a series in New Zealand.
17:13John Jones
‘Another legend gone’
Former Wales fly-half James Hook has also shared a tribute to John.
The 79-year-old’s death comes just weeks after JPR Williams passed away after a short illness, with Hook writing: “another legend gone”.
17:09John Jones
Jiffy pays tribute
Jonathan ‘Jiffy’ Davies has paid tribute to “one of his heroes” on X/ Twitter
17:03John Jones
Barry John has died aged 79
Wales legend Barry John has died aged 79.
In a statement, his family said: “Barry John died peacefully today at the University Hospital of Wales surrounded by his loving wife and four children. He was a loving Dadcu to his 11 grandchildren and much-loved brother.”
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
