Wales and British & Irish Lions legend and former BBC rugby union commentator Cliff Morgan has died aged 83 after a long illness.
Morgan, who grew up in a mining family from south Wales, played for Cardiff, Wales and the British Lions in an illustrious career, winning 29 caps for his country as well as captaining the Lions in 1955.
After retiring from rugby, he carved out a successful broadcasting career where his commentary of the famous Barbarians victory over New Zealand in 1973 is still revered around the rugby world.
His post-rugby career included a stint on ‘A Question of Sport’ and commentary duties on countless games for BBC television.
Arguably his most memorable moment behind the microphone came in January 1973, when Gareth Edwards scored his famous try for the Barbarians against the might All Blacks.
The try by his fellow Welshman was accompanied by Morgan’s exultant: “This is Gareth Edwards, a dramatic start. What a score!”
As well as being a respected commentator and writer, he also became head of BBC’s outside broadcasts.
His easy-going charm and passionate love of sport was familiar to both rugby supporters and radio and television audiences.
Although he will be best remembered for his celebrated Barbarians commentary in 1973, his broadcasting career was far more wide-ranging and influential than that single event would suggest.
In 1958 he joined BBC Wales as Sports Organiser in Cardiff. His ability as a programme-maker and story-teller briefly took him outside the familiar world of BBC Sport in the mid-1960s when he spent two years as editor of ITV’s current affairs programme ‘This Week’.
Returning to the BBC he then produced established TV sports programmes such as ‘Grandstand’ and ‘Sportsnight With Coleman’.
From 1970, he was himself one of the original team captains alongside heavyweight boxer Henry Cooper on the long-running TV quiz ‘A Question of Sport’.
Behind the scenes, his enduring influence in the world of sport and beyond helped him rise to join the ranks of leading BBC executives.
In 1974 he became head of BBC Radio outside broadcasts, and from 1976 to 1987 he was head of sport and outside broadcasts for BBC Television.
Through this role he supervised coverage of several football World Cups, Commonwealth and Olympic Games, royal weddings and other national ceremonial occasions.
After his retirement from BBC TV in 1987 he returned to radio, where his warm and friendly voice, together with his natural conversational style and his wide range of contacts in sport and entertainment, greatly benefited several BBC Radio 4 series including ‘Sport on Four’.
Morgan suffered a stroke when he was 42 and recently coped with cancer of the vocal cords and removal of his larynx, which limited his ability to speak.
In an interview with The Independent in 2003, Morgan said: “The commentary should have been done by Bill McClaren, the greatest, but he couldn’t do it.
“The game had everything. It had all the qualities of an exhibition game, yet great toughness and both sides wanted to win.
“I was thrilled to be able to convey something of the atmosphere to a live audience in New Zealand, as well as Great Britain.”
In 2009, Morgan was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame while for his contributions to broadcasting, he was also honoured with an OBE and a CVO.
Leading the tributes to the great Wales and Lions legend, Dennis Gethin, president of the Welsh Rugby Union said: “I have lost a friend and we have all lost one of rugby’s greats who was also a true gentleman.
“His exploits as a player for Cardiff, Wales, the Barbarians and the British and Irish Lions are legendary but he also achieved so much off the field of play.
“As a broadcaster he became one of the best known faces and voices of radio and television in the UK and as a producer and editorial executive he reached the top of his profession.
“Despite all that success he remained a true gentleman throughout his life and always remained a true son of the Rhondda.
“He was rightly honoured during his life and he will definitely be remembered for all his contributions in so many fields of excellence.”
Roger Lewis, WRU Group Chief Executive, said: “Cliff Morgan epitomised the values of Welsh rugby and throughout his life remained a great ambassador for our sport and for Wales.
“He possessed remarkable ability as an outside half whose flair was rightly recognised with the top honours rugby has to offer with Wales and the British and Irish Lions.
“His face was known to millions because of his successful career and perhaps that famous voice of his will live on forever particularly when we recall his magnificent commentary of the Gareth Edwards try against New Zealand for the Barbarians in 1973.
“He was a quintessential Welshman and in his company the sun always shone and Wales is a much darker place today.”
Former BBC sports presenter Desmond Lynam issued a glowing tribute to the Welsh rugby legend and his former boss at BBC Radio.
“Cliff was one of the most charismatic men I ever met”, said Lynam.
“I knew him as a brilliant rugby player for Wales and the British Lions only through those grainy black and white images from the Fifties but later he was my boss at BBC Radio, became my mentor and we formed a friendship that lasted for forty years.
“A brilliant broadcaster himself, his advice to those of us trying to make our way in the business was wise and invaluable.
“But underlying it all was his great sense of fun. “Enjoy yourself”, he would say, “it’s not working down the mine, is it?” Many of his family had done precisely that.”
Tributes were expressed by many on Twitter shortly after the news was announced.
Sport On The Box’s regular contributor Vernon Grant said: “Sorry to hear of the death of #CliffMorgan A fine rugby player, a true man of sports broadcasting. A pleasure to work with. For me at least.”
England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup winner and BT Sport commentator Ben Kay said: “This is Gareth Edwards! A dramatic start! What a score! Oh, that fellow Edwards! Cliff Morgan a voice to make you fall in love with the game”
Fellow BT commentator Nick Mullins added: “Cliff Morgan, the saddest news. My time as a young Sport on 4 producer in the ’90s was the most challenging & instructive imaginable…”
Sports journalist Richard Williams said: “RIP Cliff Morgan, a truly, truly great man. As a player, the epitome of Welsh rugby. As a broadcaster, unique. Wales will be in mourning.”
talkSPORT presenter and former BBC radio host Mark Saggers: “When Cliff Morgan asked me to write and broadcast for Sport on Four I felt I’d won the Ashes and the FA Cup all at once.”
BBC 5 live commentator Conor McNamara added: “The beauty of Cliff Morgan’s Barbarians commentary is the control in his voice in the build-up. Would’ve been easy to peak too soon. Genius.”
Fellow 5 Live colleague Mark Pougatch said: “To work in the same room as Cliff Morgan was to know you were working in the right place alongside the very best.”
.
‘Cliff Morgan: A Lifetime of Achievement’ – a special tribute programme narrated by Desmond Lynam, first shown in 2007, will be broadcast on BBC One Wales at 10.40pm on Thursday, August 29.
BBC One Wales is available nationwide on Sky channel 952 and Virgin Media 862. The programme will be made available via the BBC iPlayer shortly after broadcast.
It will also be repeated nationally on BBC Two at 11.20pm on Tuesday, September 3.
BBC Radio 5 live will also broadcast its own tribute to Morgan in a special show within 5 live Sport at approximately 7.30pm.
