MIKE ‘SPIKEY’ WATKINS

​Described as one of the most colourful and controversial characters in Welsh rugby history, mike ‘spikey’ Watkins is retired from the game he loved with a passion and now lives in Bangkok with his Thai wife. Spikey is a great socializer and enjoys nothing more than recalling his life and career at the highest levels of rugby.

NAME: MICHAEL JOHN WATKINS
• AGE: 60 PLUS
• BORN: ABERCARN, WALES
• NICKNAME: SPIKEY
• PERSONAL MOTTO: NICE TO BE IMPORTANT, BUT MORE IMPORTANT TO BE NICE
• COMPANY: RETIRED BUT WORK IN P.R. FOR RSM
• EDUCATION: CWM CARN HIGH SCHOOL, WALES
• FAMILY: TWO DAUGHTERS, FIVE GRANDSONS BACK IN WALES; THAI WIFE ‘K MAEW’ AND TWO ADOPTED CHILDREN
• HOW LONG IN THAILAND: 12 YEARS
• WHAT BROUGHT YOU HERE: FIRST VISIT ON HOLIDAY 30 YEARS AGO AND THEN RETURNED TO PLAY GOLF AND SPORTS
• DESCRIBE YOURSELF: EX RUGBY PLAYER AND RACONTEUR
• SPECIAL TALENTS: HOOKER
• WHAT AGE DID YOU FIRST PLAY RUGBY: TWELVE
• WHO DID YOU PLAY FOR: AFTER SCHOOL, JOINED CARDIFF AGED 18, PLAYED FOR FIRST TEAM AT 21 AND AFTER ONLY SIX GAMES IN FIRST TEAM GOT INTO THE WELSH TEAM SQUAD. PLAYED FOR NEWPORT AND CAPTAINED THE TEAM 1981-87
• CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: ONLY PLAYER IN HISTORY OF WELSH RUGBY WHO CAPTAINED WALES ON HIS DEBUT AND WON (AGAINST IRELAND IN 1984). GOING ON TO WIN THREE MORE CAPS FOR WALES

​• MAGIC MOMENTS: PLAYED FOR CARDIFF AGAINST NEW ZEALAND TWICE, ARGENTINA, ITALY, ROMANIA, JAPAN AND THE BARBARIANS (FOR NEWPORT). ALSO BEATING ENGLAND BY A RECORD SCORE AT TWICKENHAM. IT WAS PLAYED DURING THE MINERS’ STRIKE SO HAD SPECIAL SYMBOLISM
• ANYTHING ELSE: I PLAYED DURING THE AMATEUR ERA – SO NO BIG MATCH FEES. LUCKILY MY FAMILY HAD A HAULAGE BUSINESS SO I COULD GET TIME OFF, BUT FELL OUT WITH MY DAD OVER PLAYING TOO OFTEN
• ANYTHING MORE: I WAS ON THE BENCH DURING WALES’ GOLDEN ERA 17 TIMES BEFORE GETTING BANNED. AND I TOURED AUSTRALIA WITH WALES IN 1978
• BEST PLAYER YOU EVER FACED: TERRY HOLMES
• BEST PLAYER TODAY: RICHIE MCCAW, THOUGH HE RETIRED RECENTLY
• BEST EVER TEAM: NEW ZEALAND IN THE DAYS OF MURRAY MEXTED AND ANDY DALTON
• DIRTIEST PLAYER: APART FROM ME?
• WORST MOMENT: GETTING ARRESTED IN A CARDIFF NIGHTCLUB FOR BEING DRUNK AND DISORDERELY. IT WAS BEFORE AN UPCOMING INTERNATIONAL MATCH. I WAS BANNED UNOFFICIALLY BY THE WELSH RUGBY UNION FOR FIVE YEARS, SO HAD TO WAIT TO 1984 TO GET PICKED
• BEFORE YOUR FIRST WELSH CAP: I NEVER LOST HEART ABOUT PLAYING FOR WALES. MEANWHILE I MADE SURE I WAS A NIGHTMARE FOR ANYBODY I PLAYED AGAINST
• RUGBY IN YOUR DAY OR AS IT’S PLAYED TODAY: AS IT WAS, BUT WITH TODAY’S PAY
• WHEN ENGLAND PLAY SCOTLAND OR IRELAND OR EVEN FRANCE AND THE ALL BLACKS, WHO DO YOU CHEER: ENGLAND AGAINST SCOTLAND, IRELAND AGAINST ENGLAND; ENGLAND AGAINST FRANCE; ENGLAND AGAINST THE ALL BLACKS

• WHO’S GOING TO WIN THE RUGBY WORLD CUP 2019: NEW ZEALAND
• REGRETS IN RUGBY: WAS OFFERED A LOT OF MONEY TO PLAY RUGBY LEAGUE BUT TURNED IT DOWN BECAUSE I WANTED TO PLAY FOR WALES. HAD I BEEN ALREADY CAPPED, I WOULD HAVE ACCEPTED THE OFFER AND GONE OVER.
• IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOURSELF, WHAT WOULD IT BE: TALLER
• MOST INTERESTING EXPERIENCE: LIVING IN THAILAND AND CHANGING MY LIFE
• MOST SHOCKING EXPERIENCE: BANNED THREE TIMES FOR DRINK DRIVING
• MOST INTERESTING PERSON YOU’VE MET IN THAILAND: GARETH HUGHES OF RSM
• BIGGEST BORE: WHO WOULD YOU LIKE?
• HIGH POINT IN LIFE / WHILE IN THAILAND: MARRYING MAEW, ALSO WALKING DOWN THE AISLE MY STEPDAUGHTER DURING HER RECENT MARRIAGE
• LOW POINTS IN THAILAND: NONE
• OTHER THAN THE TRAFFIC, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE DIFFERENT IN BANGKOK: FEWER DOGS
• BEST PLACE FOR HOLIDAY IN THAILAND: SO MANY TO CHOOSE FROM
• BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED: NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAM
• WHERE DO YOU HANG OUT: MOLLY MALONE’S
• MOST HATED THAI DISH EVER: PALAA
• WHERE ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE: EL SALVADOR
• FINALLY: WHILE LIVING IN THAILAND I’VE WRITTEN MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY ‘SPIKE 2 HARD TO HANDLE’ – WHICH I WOULDN’T HAVE DONE LIVING IN THE UK