Prior to his death at his home in Harpenden on Monday (5 January) Jenkins was the oldest living Glamorgan cricketer and the second oldest living British Lion. He was vice-captain of Sam Walker’s 1938 British and Irish Lions tour party to South Africa, playing in the first test.
Educated at Llandovery College and Oxford University, Jenkins was a double Blue at university, playing at centre for Oxford in 1930, 31 and 32, winning two and drawing one, and then figuring in the varsity cricket match at Lords in 1933.
He played county cricket for Glamorgan between 1931-37, scoring 1,072 runs in 69 innings.
He won the first of his 14 caps in Wales’ first win over England at Twickenham on January 21, 1933 and kicked two conversions in the famous 13-12 victory over Jack Manchester’s 1935 New Zealand All Blacks in Cardiff. His final cap was the 3-0 defeat by England at Twickenham on January 21, 1939.
A schoolteacher in Dover and London in his playing days, Jenkins served in the anti-aircraft command in World War 2. After the war he became one of the world’s most repsected rugby writers, beginning his career on the News of the World before switching to the Sunday Times.
‘Viv Jenkins is one of the true great Welsh rugby internationals. His life was dedicated to sport and he achieved many great things,’ said WRU chief executive David Moffett.
‘His was a name revered around the world both as a player and as a writer. He was a great sportsman and a great Welshman.’
The Thanksgiving for the life of Viv Jenkins will be at St Nicholas Parish Church, Harpenden, on Thursday, 15 January at 12.15pm.
