Sir,

Re: your article on page 2 last week reporting the 65th wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Sonny Perkins. The report mentioned that Sonny played rugby for Tenby United RFC for a number of years. Perhaps, like myself, other Tenby people of a certain age might consider that assessment to be something of an understatement. Sonny would have been too modest to have enlarged on that appraisal when he was interviewed by your reporter.

Sonny resumed playing rugby for Tenby following his service in World War II and at that time, the late 1940s, Tenby was very much a breeding ground for aspiring rugby players and supporters in comparison to other winter sports.

Every other Saturday afternoon the faithful made their way to Heywood Lane to support the ‘blood and thunders’ (Tenby then played exclusively in black and red hooped jerseys, hence the nick-name).

One of the main attractions in the Tenby team was always J.C.T (Sonny) Perkins. He was one of the finest players ever to represent Tenby and Pembrokeshire county and was the supreme scrum-half in West Wales for the best part of 10 years.

G. Childs,

Tenby

Footnote from Tenby United: Sonny Perkins played 244 games for Tenby United between the years 1938 and 1956, scoring 30 tries, 15 conversions, 10 penalties and four drop goals, for a total of 164 points. He also captained the side in 1948 and again in 1950 and 1951.