Overview
John Devereux burst into rugby's big-time as a 19-year-old student when he terrorised a Cardiff team packed with Lions and Wales stars for his South Glam Institute side in a Welsh Cup tie. His powerful piston-pump hand-off saw him nicknamed the 'Dalek' and two months later, in January 1986, he was making his Wales debut against England. He was one of the stars of the 1987 union World Cup as Wales finished third, the nation's highest ever position in the tournament, and appeared for the British and Irish Lions before being lured to rugby league by a big-money offer exceeding GBP350,000. Devereux was a huge hit for Widnes, playing 185 games and scoring 120 tries, and Manly Sea Eagles in Australia, and became a dual-code international - scoring six tries in eight games for Great Britain, and three tries in 12 games for Wales RL. He was also the last Wales union international to appear in a RL World Cup final when he lined up for Great Britain against Australia at Wembley in 1993. Held in the highest regard by former teammates and opponents alike, John Devereux is revered by followers of rugby league and rugby union and, in his official biography, Devs, tells the fascinating story of his life in rugby.
Full Product Details
Author: Andy Howell ,
John Devereux
Publisher: St David's Press
Imprint: St David's Press
Dimensions:
Width: 15.60cm
, Height: 2.00cm
, Length: 23.40cm
ISBN: 9781904609056
ISBN 10: 1904609058
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 14 December 2023
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
'John is right up there when it comes to Welsh players making a mark on the Rugby World Cup' Tony Gray; 'a guy you wanted alongside you in the trenches, a hard man who wouldn't take a backward step and who you knew you could rely on.' Jonathan Davies; 'John was up there with Billy Boston, who was the best player I've seen' Dougie Laughton; 'Devs was big, explosive, fit and full of enthusiasm. You could see he could become something special.' Derek Quinnell
‘John is right up there when it comes to Welsh players making a mark on the Rugby World Cup’ Tony Grey; ‘a guy you wanted alongside you in the trenches, a hard man who wouldn’t take a backward step and who you knew you could rely on.’ Jonathan Davies; ‘John was up there with Billy Boston, who was the best player I’ve seen’ Dougie Laughton; ‘Devs was big, explosive, fit and full of enthusiasm. You could see he could become something special.’ Derek Quinnell
Author Information
Andy Howell was a student at South Glamorgan Institute with John Devereux in the 1980s before becoming a journalist with the South Wales Argus and then the rugby correspondent for the Western Mail for over 20 years.
