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Feature: Dr James Robson

Published

9 months ago

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By Chris Jones

15 December 2023 12:00 Reading Time: 12 mins

Dr James Robson, a British & Irish Lions legend, has announced that he will be retiring after more than 30 years in the sport, stepping down from his role as Scottish Rugby’s Chief Medical Officer after the 2024 Guinness Six Nations.

Robson’s skill and experience underpinned every Lions Tour from 1993 to 2013, putting him at the heart of some of the greatest highs and debilitating lows in the history of the most famous touring team in the world.

Robson has unique skills. He qualified as a physiotherapist and then became a doctor. He is the man who saved Will Greenwood’s life when the young centre crashed onto the rock hard pitch in Bloemfontein on the 1997 Tour.

The anguish and concern felt by everyone was captured on the Living with Lions video which helped Greenwood understand what had happened after he was knocked out. “I have no hesitation in repeating, with the information we got after that injury, that he saved my life,” said Greenwood, who went on to become a Rugby World Cup winner in a 55-cap England career.

That 1997 Tour, which saw the Lions defeat World Cup winners South Africa 2-1, was a mixture of tumultuous triumph and pain and remains Robson’s favourite rugby experience. There was the joy of Jeremy Guscott’s series winning drop goal in Durban, the serious injury to Greenwood and also the desperate disappointment of losing Scotland lock Doddie Weir, whose knee ligaments were ruptured in a mid-week game.

A Lions Tour asks so much of every member of the party. Players and management become a single unit, a family sharing a multitude of emotions and problems and at the heart of this was Robson for six tours that took him to New Zealand (1993, 2005), Australia (2001, 2013) and South Africa (1997, 2009).

Robson received an MBE for services to rugby and in 2010 he was awarded a Fellowship ad hominem from The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, an extremely rare accolade which recognised the Whitehaven-born GP had provided special service to the “art and science of surgery”.

That year he had protected Thom Evans from possible paralysis with the treatment he gave the Scotland wing on the pitch after he was injured against Wales. Evans’ match jersey, presented to the man who helped save him, is the only memento of Robson’s rugby life that hangs on the wall of his family home in Dundee.

I had the privilege of touring with Robson on those six Lions campaigns and presented him with a Rugby Union Writers’ Club tie in 1993 in recognition of the fact he had treated more members of the travelling media for various ailments than players in New Zealand during a particularly wet trip.

Robson’s debut with the Lions

Dr James Robson

His rugby medical journey had started with Dundee High School FP, the North and Midlands, Scotland’s North American tour in 1991 and the first of his Rugby World Cup’s that year.

During his Lions career Robson oversaw remarkable changes in the medical support for touring teams. 1993 was the last undertaken in the amateur era and he has been at the heart of many of those improvements, using his vast knowledge of the demands of international rugby to shape the care and attention that is now standard practice.

However it was very different then as Robson explained: “In the amateur days I was able to help out at Dundee FP, I was both doctor and physio for North and Midlands which was unusual in those days and also covered Scotland sevens, Scotland B and the national team using my holidays.

“For the 1993 Lions Tour I was put forward by Scotland and Ian McGeechan was going to be the coach. My first involvement with Scotland had been sitting on a plane next to Doddie Weir going to Canada (1991) because the Scotland physio at the time was working in the NHS and couldn’t get the time off.

“For the Lions Tour we had one physio – Kevin “Smurf” Murphy – and me as the doctor. What helped me is that in effect we had two physios and a doctor on Tour because of my dual qualification. I learnt so much from “Smurf” and he had a way with the players that I, perhaps, absorbed. He was also a wonderful guy.

“All of a sudden I found I was in the company of legendary players I had only watched on TV which was quite surreal. There were real characters on that trip. That Tour was played in largely awful weather and I have talked to my wife about going back when it’s dry! It is easily as wet as Scotland.

“The flight into New Plymouth in 1993 was memorable. We had to circle the airport because they hadn’t landed a plane of that size on the runway before and I was sitting next to a couple of players, one of whom was offering up prayers. In that series I felt we should won that first Test and the second Test was just an amazing win. The press organised champagne for us after the game back at the hotel. Geech had pre-warned me about becoming quite institutionalised on a long Tour because you are living in that bubble and get drawn in the vernacular. In those amateur days I came back home on the Saturday from New Zealand and was at my practice on the Monday and had to be careful with some of the elderly patients in terms of the language I used!”

Dr James Robson

The Lions had to deal with the disappointment of a 2-1 Test series loss in New Zealand, but there were better times ahead.

When the tour party for the first professional trip to South Africa was announced in 1997, McGeechan was again the coach with Robson the Tour doctor and Mark Davies of Wales, as physio.

“Once you have gone on one Lions Tour you are desperate to go on another. We were just into the professional era and were joined by ex-league players such as John Bentley and Allan Bateman. We also had Richard Wegrzyk as masseur.

“Losing Doddie in the Mpumalanga game was a piece of skulduggery and I remember thinking, ‘the ACL has gone’. A scan showed that was the case – it was devastating. That was the most even Tour party I ever went on and you could have had a starting Test XV from anyone in the party. Guys like Bentos [John Bentley] brought a different attitude to training and the other players learnt from the former league guys. The Living with Lions video made such an amazing impact and giving Bentos a camera to carry around was a masterstroke. I had never met anyone like him before and people talk about larger than life characters and he was – and still is.”

Will Greenwood 1997

Two moments from the video still hit home at every watching – the speech by forwards coach Jim Telfer on the eve of the first Test match and the scenes of real worry as Greenwood was carried from the pitch. While Robson was at the heart of the treatment to save Greenwood’s life, it wasn’t until he watched the video that he was aware of Telfer’s famous speech.

Feature: The story of Everest

“Jim had gone to one side with the forwards and it was much later that I realised what a momentous speech that was.

“Winning the first Test was followed by the South African press writing ‘wait to the next game’. They were saying the Lions were pussycats and then we got to Durban and Jeremy’s drop goal was the icing on the cake and the series was won. That is undoubtably the best Lions Tour I have been on and has created the longest lasting bonds.”

The Greenwood injury

“When you are on the touchline your focus is on the players and at the game when Will (Greenwood) was hurt, it was clear something was wrong from Rob Wainwright’s reaction because he was medically qualified. It was horrendous really and your medical training kicks in and looking back now, you think ‘did I do that?’. The big thing for me was unlike now, where we have specialist doctors in the stadium on match day, there was just the two team doctors. You realise that ‘I am it’.

Robson

“In the medical room we were waiting for Will to come around, protecting his airways while outside the room you could hear his parents and it still gives me shivers. You cannot help thinking ‘what if?’ When you get injured like that you lose the ability to protect your airways so they have to be put into the recovery position. Thoughts go through your head ‘do I have to put a blade through his throat?’ At that point he came around.”

Serious illness has struck down two Scotland players since that 1997 Tour – Doddie Weir and Tom Smith – and Robson has been deeply affected.

“Doddie has been one of the nicest guys I have ever had the pleasure of being involved with and when I heard about his diagnosis I was devastated. The way he has conducted himself has been incredible. We then learnt about Tom’s illness and his continuing treatment and I really don’t think I could have coped the way Doddie and Tom have done with their illnesses. Tom is more of a quiet individual but such a combative prop in the heat of battle.”

The incredible high of the 1997 Lions 2-1 series triumph over the Springboks was followed four years later by the disappointment of losing 2-1 to Australia with Graham Henry, the first New Zealander to take charge of the Lions, as head coach. A wonderful solo try by Brian O’Driscoll lit up the first Test triumph but then a sickening blow to the head of England flanker Richard Hill impacted the second Test which the Wallabies won and they took the decider in Sydney.

Dr James Robson

“It was a different Tour with a non-Home Unions head coach but there was continuity in the medical and physio team with the three of us touring again. It was trip with a lot of injuries and while all Tours are great, it was marred by injury niggles that started from the first session.

“Richard Hill suffered one of the most severe concussions and didn’t really know where he was and it changed the complexion of the Test match. What I do remember from that Tour was the arrival of the Red Army and by the second Test the Australians were handing out gold scarves to try and match the visiting fans. By the time we got to the final Test we were almost on our knees and had to draft Andy Nicol in on the bench from outside the party. Desolation would be the best way to describe the feeling after the series was lost.”

Sir Clive Woodward was handed control of the 2005 Tour to New Zealand and took the largest ever playing squad and recognised the need to increase the medical support taking three physios, two doctors and Wegrzyk again as the masseur.

Robson was in charge of the medical group which included a young Gary O’Driscoll, cousin of Brian who is now the Arsenal team doctor. It was yet another Tour where an injury made the headlines with Lions captain O’Driscoll upended by two All Blacks, landing on his shoulder. It was an injury that ended O’Driscoll’s Tour and Robson remembers: “I can come off the pitch at the end of the game and while I know if we have won, if you ask me who has scored and I wouldn’t be able to tell you. However, ask me who has had an injury and I will know.

“That is where your concentration is during a game and when Brian was injured your senses take a real high until you make your assessment. With Phil Pask, the physio, also there it is like having a comfort blanket and we were making the assessment and it was a small relief to find out it was his shoulder and not his neck which sounds perverse because it is still a very serious injury. I learnt a lot from Clive on that tour, but bigger Tours are not necessarily better Tours because you do lose that touch of intimacy and the Tour was unrelenting.”

Four years later, McGeechan was back in charge with a management that included Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards for the challenge of South Africa in 2009. The party was scaled down. It was a Tour that included a second Test that has gone down as one of the most physically combative in the game’s history.

Robson was in the middle of the maelstrom

“We took five Lions players to hospital and I remember saying that I had never been involved in such a brutal game of rugby. Thankfully, we had good medical back up and after that match we started to question the sheer physicality of the sport and the desire to get back to a more skill-based game globally. That was the early days of a concussion protocol.”

Robson’s final Lions Tour took him back to Australia which meant he had completed two whole cycles of campaigns and Gatland was head coach for a series that brought a 2-1 triumph – a fitting finale for the much-travelled team doctor.

“We are blessed with the fact we get to tour in wonderful countries and are treated fantastically well. Gats settled into the role and it was seamless, and as we got a bigger medical team we tried to make sure we had elements from all four countries because that helped with an intimate knowledge of the players.

“By 2013, the players had gained an increased medical knowledge because they are exposed to not only their own injuries but those of teammates. That knowledge base is like chalk and cheese compared to years ago. On that Tour we got to the deciding Test and the Red Army really did play a role with the players performing so well to win the match and the series.”

Robson is able to reflect on six incredible Lions Tours and as he recalled his remarkable service to the cause it’s the intensity of the challenge that stands.

“They are the most draining of times, but also the most exhilarating of times.”

This article was originally published in 2020 as part of the British & Irish Lions Freelance Writers Project.

Chris Jones has covered seven Lions Tours and was rugby and tennis correspondent for the Evening Standard for 22 years. He now writes for the Sunday Times, ESPN, the Mail on Sunday and the Express among others.

Source – British & Irish Lions


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British & Irish Lions announce landmark player profit share agreement for 2025 Tour

Published

4 days ago

on

October 7, 2024

By

By British & Irish Lions

7 October 2024 10:50 Reading Time: 4 mins

The British & Irish Lions has today announced details of a new player agreement which will see players selected for the 2025 Tour to Australia benefit from a profit share model for the first time. The agreement will see the creation of a new partnership model whereby a portion of distributable post-Tour profits will be made available for sharing between players.

In addition to the new financial model, the agreement will also result in increased collaboration between The British & Irish Lions and the players particularly around scheduling and preparation. Working together, they will create the optimum schedule to give the players the best chance to prepare for a successful Tour. For 2025, this will include a training camp and the pre-Tour Lions 1888 Cup match in June, following a squad announcement day and a player administration day to induct players into the Lions squad. Players will also engage in a debrief session after the Tour to review all aspects of it in detail.

Alongside on-the-pitch-preparation, the new agreement will see The British & Irish Lions support players off the pitch through a range of activity and initiatives. Each Lions player will be provided with personally tailored high-quality digital content daily during the Tour and will also be provided with content post-Tour for use on their own personal social media channels.

Ben Calveley, British & Irish Lions CEO, said: “We know that players love playing for the Lions, and it is the pinnacle of their professional careers, and this landmark agreement highlights how they are at the centre of our thinking.

“I would like to thank Simon Keogh of Rugby Players Ireland who acted on behalf of all the Unions from a player representative perspective and was integral in bringing all of this together. I would also like to thank our Unions who each played a key role in the development of this agreement which crucially reflects the value we place on our players.

“This announcement reflects the Lions integral role within an aligned professional rugby ecosystem and follows the announcement of our strategic partnership with Premiership Rugby and United Rugby Championship, and the joint venture with Rugby Australia for next year’s Tour.”

Ieuan Evans, British & Irish Lions Chair, said: “This is a significant development for the players who are integral to the success of every Lions Tour, and it is right that their efforts on and off the pitch are recognised.

“With less than nine months to go until the first Test in Australia, anticipation is building, and we are committed to creating the very best environment for our players both on and off the pitch, supporting them all the way and ensuring they have an amazing Lions experience.

“I am delighted that we have reached this agreement with the players and want to thank everyone for their efforts in making it happen.”

Simon Keogh, Rugby Players Ireland CEO, said: “Players are central to the ongoing success of The British & Irish Lions Tours and we are delighted that their views – including those of Lions heroes of the past – have been heard throughout this process. I’d like to thank The British & Irish Lions for their honesty, transparency, and genuine consideration of the players’ voice. As a result, I believe that we have reached an agreement that is both fair and reflective of the strong collaboration between all stakeholders in rugby.”

Jamie George, England men’s team representative, said: “Being selected as a Lion is considered by many players to be the pinnacle of their career. Wearing the jersey brings with it a unique duty, not only to perform on the day, but to uphold a legacy for the generations of Lions to come. To have the players’ voice heard and valued in shaping the team’s future is a very welcome development.”

Peter O’Mahony, Ireland men’s team representative said: “This agreement recognises the role players play across the Lions Tour, both on and off the field. It’s great to see a commitment to ensuring everyone benefits from the success of each Tour.”

Finn Russell, Scotland men’s team representative added: “The Lions have built a great legacy that goes beyond the game itself. The players have always been at the heart of it and it’s only right that we create an environment where players are recognised for their efforts.”

Jac Morgan, Wales men’s team representative, said: “Being part of these discussions on behalf of players across the four countries has been a privilege. As a proud team player and international, I understand the importance of bringing people together. I think this agreement is therefore a great reflection of what the Lions really stands for.”

Source – British & Irish Lions


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British &Irish Lions Trust Announce Charity Partnerships

Published

8 months ago

on

February 13, 2024

By

13 February 2024 10:58 Reading Time: 6 mins

The British & Irish Lions Trust has today announced its five charity partnerships all of which have rugby at the heart of what they do and make a real impact on communities.

• Dallaglio RugbyWorks
• LooseHeadz
• Matt Hampson Foundation
• My Name’5 Doddie Foundation
• Wooden Spoon

The two-year partnerships will allow the charities to use The British & Irish Lions digital platforms and the Lions Charitable Trust branding for promotion.

The Lions will also collaborate with the charities on fundraising and awareness events. In addition, merchandise from the Lions Tour to Australia, signed by the 2025 squad, will be provided to each charity for auction.

“One of the key objectives of The British & Irish Lions is to have an impact off the pitch as well as on the pitch, and we are proud to be partnering with five incredible charities who all have a connection with rugby at their core.” said Ben Calveley, British & Irish Lions CEO.

“We look forward to supporting these charities and highlighting the important work they do.”

Gavin Hastings, British & Irish Lions Trust Chairperson, added: “The Lions charity programme was first established in 2021 and has been a great success. It is a privilege to announce the five charity partnerships today and we are looking forward to working closely with each of these outstanding charities to support them raise much-needed funds for their charitable causes.”

Dallaglio RugbyWorks

Dallaglio RugbyWorks was founded by former England international and three-times Lions tourist Lawrence Dallaglio. The charity grew out of Lawrence’s vision to offer a long-term skills-development programme for young people, based on the values of rugby. Each year, it helps hundreds of teenagers outside of mainstream education to develop the skills they need to get into sustained employment and training.

Zenna Hopson, CEO, Dallaglio RugbyWorks said: “We are thrilled to embark on this incredible journey as a new partner of The British & Irish Lions Trust. Together, we are aligned in our values, our mission, and also the power of rugby to make a lasting impact for young people, fostering resilience, and positive change. This partnership symbolises our shared commitment to harnessing the transformative spirit of the sport, creating a legacy that extends far beyond the field, to ensure that despite our young people being excluded from school, they will not be excluded from society.”

LooseHeadz

LooseHeadz is rugby’s mental health charity on a mission to place a mental health lead in every rugby club around the world, using rugby as a vehicle to tackle the stigma and help the rugby community talk openly about what can be a challenging subject.

The charity provides each partner rugby club with a toolkit of free resources to support the mental fitness of players, coaches and supporters. LooseHeadz currently works with around 1,000 rugby clubs in 20 different countries to help get people talking and #TackleTheStigma.

Rob Shotton, Co-Founder, LooseHeadz said: “LooseHeadz started as a conversation at the end of our local rugby club bar whilst watching the Lions Tour of New Zealand back in 2017. Just 6 and a half years later, to partner with the Lions is a monumental milestone in our journey. When we first penned our ambitious 10-year business plan, the vision of joining forces with the Lions for this Tour was a cherished dream. And now, as this dream becomes a reality, it stands as our crowning achievement. This partnership, deeply rooted in the very essence of rugby, ignites our fervent belief that alongside an organisation as iconic as the Lions, we can take LooseHeadz to the next level. We’re excited to join the pride and tackle the stigma together.”

Matt Hampson Foundation

The Matt Hampson Foundation inspires and supports young people seriously injured through sport. Through expert physiotherapy, specialist personal training, wellbeing support, mentoring and advice, the Foundation helps people with life-changing injuries to get busy living again.

The Foundation was established in 2011 by ex-England and Leicester Tigers rugby player Matt Hampson OBE, who himself experienced a life-changing injury in 2005 leaving him paralysed from the neck down, aged just 20.

Matt Hampson OBE, Creator of Matt Hampson Foundation said: “We are incredibly grateful and excited to be named as an official charity of the Lions Trust. As rugby fans, it means such a lot for us at the Foundation to be involved with a name known throughout the world and we look forward to working closely with the team to increase awareness of both our Foundation and the Trust as well as, of course, supporting the squad on their 2025 Tour. The British & Irish Lions stands for so much that is good about the game of rugby and their values of respect, unity, integrity and friendship reflect how our Foundation works to bring people together in a special and supportive community.”

My Name’5 Doddie Foundation

The My Name’5 Doddie Foundation was founded in November 2017, following former Scotland international Doddie Weir’s diagnosis with motor neuron disease (MND). Doddie Weir earned 61 caps for Scotland, along with representing The British & Irish Lions on their 1997 Tour of South Africa. The Foundation aims to raise funds to aid research into the causes of MND and investigate potential cures, and to make grants to individuals suffering from MND, to enable them to live as fulfilled a life as possible. To date, My Name’5 Doddie Foundation has committed over £11 million to MND research, as well as providing grants to support people living with the disease.

Jill Douglas, CEO, My Name’5 Doddie Foundation said: “Partnering with The British & Irish Lions Trust in 2021 was an incredibly significant moment for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, and one that meant a great deal to Doddie too. To be asked to be a charity partner again for the 2025 Tour to Australia is an honour and one that will make a real difference as we seek effective treatments to MND. We’d like to thank The British & Irish Lions Trust for their ongoing support and look forward to creating an exciting calendar of activations with them.”

Wooden Spoon

Wooden Spoon, the children’s charity of rugby, aims to positively transform the lives of vulnerable children and young people through the power of the rugby community. Projects include specialist playgrounds, sensory rooms for children with autism, out of school educational programmes and specialist adapted sports equipment.

Sarah Webb, CEO, Wooden Spoon said: “The British & Irish Lions gravitas in the rugby community is legendary and this partnership’s endorsement of Wooden Spoon’s grant making activities, really bolsters the ambitions of our volunteers and supporters. The Lions embodiment of coming together to support each other to succeed, resonates deeply with Wooden Spoon’s own community who tirelessly raise awareness and funds to positively transform the lives of children and young people facing disadvantage, through the power of the rugby.”

Source – British & Irish Lions


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Barry John: Rugby world and beyond pay tribute to ‘The King’

Published

8 months ago

on

February 5, 2024

By

By Nathan Edwards

5 February 2024 14:25 Reading Time: 5 mins

Figures from the rugby world and beyond have come together to pay tribute to Barry John following the British & Irish Lions star’s death aged 79.

John, nicknamed “The King” due to his brilliance from fly-half during the 1971 Tour of New Zealand, was considered one of the game’s greatest-ever players.

He was influential when the Lions beat the All Blacks 2-1 in a historic Tour and formed a legendary half-back partnership with fellow Welshman Sir Gareth Edwards.

Obituary: Barry John

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, Edwards said: “He was a one-off, no doubt about that.

“He was carefree but had such vision when it came to playing the game. Even under the most immense pressure he would just stand there, look up and do something unbelievable.

“He was friendly and always wanted to chat, but he was also lethal on the rugby field when he decided to do something.”

Along with his five appearances for The Lions across the 1968 and 1971 Tours, he earned 25 caps for Wales in a hugely successful period for the national side, winning three Five Nations, a Grand Slam and two Triple Crowns.

He called time on his career aged just 27 but provided inspiration for many who have gone on to wear the famous Wales or Lions shirts.

Former Wales and Lions captain Sam Warburton said: “What he contributed to the game, even now, 50 years later, still transcends rugby across the world and he hasn’t picked up a ball for 50 years.

“They are heroes for so many people.  The legacy that they’ve left Welsh rugby means when you pick up that shirt that you’re following in their footsteps.”

His outlandish talent brought many new eyes to the sport, and a year before he retired, he finished third in the 1971 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, pipped only by Princess Anne and George Best.

Much like Best, he was not just adored on the field but loved off it with many stating he was rugby’s first star.

Along with his established international career, he brought joy to Cefneithin, Llanelli, Cardiff and Barbarians fans across the country.

Former players and journalists from across rugby also shared their memories of one of Wales’s greatest athletes.

ITV’s Chris Skudder said: “He was so gifted as a fly-half, it was said he could side-step a player in a telephone box.

“There was only one Barry John.”

Welsh Rugby Union’s president Terry Cobner added to the tributes, he said: “To be crowned ‘The King’ in New Zealand when every back row forward in both the North and South Islands is trying to take your head off is quite some accolade.”.
“For me, he has got to be right up there among the greatest outside halves who have ever played the game – probably the greatest.

“He was a glider, rather than a sidestepper, who had a subtle change of pace and direction. Coming on top of the recent deaths of Brian Price and JPR Williams, this is another huge blow for Welsh rugby.

“After what he did for Wales and the Lions in 1971, those of us who followed him into both teams always felt we had huge shoes to fill. He was and will remain a legend of our game.”

Source – British & Irish Lions


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