Eddie Butler (rugby player)
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| Full name | Edward Thomas Butler | ||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 8 May 1957 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Newport, Wales | ||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | |||||||||||||||||
| Position | Number eight | ||||||||||||||||
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| Amateur clubs | |||
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| Years | Club / team | ||
| 1976–1990 | Pontypool RFC | ||
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Correct as of 13 September 2008
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| National team(s) | |||
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| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 1980–1984 | Wales | 16 | (8) |
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Correct as of 14 September 2008
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Edward Thomas "Eddie" Butler (born 8 May 1957) is a journalist, sports commentator, and former Welsh rugby union player, who won 16 caps for the Wales team between 1980 and 1984 and scored 2 tries. Butler was educated at Monmouth School and Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge.
He played as a number eight and was at Cambridge for Blues in 1976, 1977 and 1978, and captained Wales on six occasions. He captained Pontypool RFC side between 1982 and 1985, in succession to Jeff Squire. He was chosen for the Barbarians and the British Lions.
Though retired from playing the game, Butler has written a weekly column in the Rugby Union section of The Observer Sport since 1991 and also writes for The Guardian, as well as being a BBC sports commentator with Brian Moore, the former England hooker. He received some attention when it became public knowledge that Austin Healey's newspaper column had been written by Butler whilst Healey was on tour with the British and Irish Lions Rugby squad in Australia in 2001.
Before commentating on a match, Butler prepares for several hours, absorbing as much information as he can, but taking few notes, and likens it to cramming for an examination. He describes writing a match report, often under time pressure, as telling a story which does not necessarily have to follow the timeline of the match so long as it is entertaining and complete.
Butler presented the history series: Wales and the History of the World (BBC1 Wales), Hidden Histories (BBC2),Welsh Towns at War (BBC1) in 2014 and two series of Welsh Towns (BBC2 Wales) in 2015.
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