Edward Thomas Butler (8 May 1957 – 15 September 2022) was a Welsh

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

player, journalist and sports commentator. He won 16 caps for the Wales national team between 1980 and 1984 and scored two tries.

Early life and rugby career

Butler was born on 8 May 1957. He was educated at Monmouth School and Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, where he studied French and Spanish between 1976 and 1978. Butler played as a number eight and gained Cambridge

Blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

in 1976, 1977 and 1978, Butler played in 16 matches for the Welsh national side between 1980 and 1984 and captained the side in six of those matches. He captained Pontypool RFC side between 1982 and 1985, in succession to

Jeff Squire Jeffrey Squire (born 23 September 1951) in Newport, Wales, Newport, Monmouthshire (historic), Monmouthshire, is a former Wales, Welsh international rugby union player and British & Irish Lions, British Lion. Club career He started his playing ...

. He was chosen for the Barbarians and the British Lions, touring with the latter in 1983. Butler retired from international rugby in 1985.

Journalist and broadcaster

Whilst continuing to play for Pontypool Butler became a teacher at Cheltenham College. He joined BBC Radio Wales as a press and publicity officer in 1984 and later worked for a property developer. Butler entered journalism in 1988, writing for the ''

Sunday Correspondent ''The Sunday Correspondent'' was a short-lived British weekly national broadsheet newspaper. The newspaper first appeared on 17 September 1989; the title ceased publication with the last issue on 25 November 1990. It was edited by Peter Cole for ...

''. Butler wrote a weekly column in the Rugby Union section of ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

'' Sport since 1991 and also wrote for ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', as well as commentating for the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

with Brian Moore, the former England hooker. Butler had first commentated alongside veteran

Bill McLaren William Pollock McLaren (16 October 1923 – 19 January 2010) was a Scottish rugby union commentator, teacher, journalist and one time rugby player. Known as 'the voice of rugby', he retired from commentating in 2002. Renowned throughout th ...

and after McClaren's retirement Butler became the BBC's lead Rugby Union commentator. He received some attention when it became public knowledge that

Austin Healey Austin Sean Healey (born 26 October 1973 in Wallasey (now part of Merseyside, formerly Cheshire), is a former English rugby union player who played as a utility back for Leicester Tigers, and represented both England and the British & Irish L ...

'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 prepared for several hours, absorbing as much information as he could, but taking few notes, and likened it to cramming for an examination. He described 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. In 2008 Butler provided commentary for archery at the Beijing Olympics. 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. He was on the commentating team for the Invictus Games. He also worked for the association football assignments, including a special interview with

Eric Cantona Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona (; ; born 24 May 1966) is a French actor, director, producer, and former professional footballer. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, Cantona is credited as having made Manchester United a d ...

for FA Cup Final edition of

Grandstand A grandstand is a normally permanent structure for seating spectators. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap a ...

in 1994.

Writing, charity work and politics

Eddie Butler at the Third National March for Welsh Independence 7 September 2019 05

Butler published several novels, including two based on rugby. He was also an ambassador for Prostate Cymru, a Welsh organisation to raise prostate cancer awareness. Butler was a supporter of Welsh independence and spoke at a pro independence march in

Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil (; cy, Merthyr Tudful ) is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydf ...

organised by

YesCymru YesCymru is a non party-political campaign for an independent Wales. The organisation was formed in the Summer of 2014 and officially launched on 20 February 2016 in Cardiff. In 2022 it became a private company limited by guarantee without sha ...

and AUOB Cymru on 7 September 2019.

Personal life and death

Butler was married to Susan at the time of his death and had six children. Butler actively joined fundraising efforts for both Prostate Cymru and the

Velindre Cancer Centre The Velindre Cancer Centre ( cy, Canolfan Ganser Felindre) is a specialist facility caring for cancer patients in Whitchurch, Cardiff, Wales. It is managed by the Velindre University NHS Trust. History The facility was established as Velindre Ho ...

. On 15 September 2022, whilst taking part with 25 other Prostate Cymru charity walkers, including his daughter Nell, on the Inca Trail Trek to

Machu Picchu Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru on a mountain range.UNESCO World Heritage Centre. It is located in the Machupicchu District within Urubamba Province above the Sacred Valley, which ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

, Butler died peacefully in his sleep at Ecoinka base camp near

Cusco Cusco, often spelled Cuzco (; qu, Qusqu ()), is a city in Southeastern Peru near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region and of the Cusco Province. The city is the list of cities in Peru, seventh m ...

in the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

. He was 65.

Books

* Butler, E. ''The Greatest Welsh XV Ever''.

Gomer Press Gomer Press (Welsh: ''Gwasg Gomer'') is a family printing (and formerly publishing) company based in Llandysul, west Wales. It was the largest publishing house in Wales. History The company was first established in 1892 and began as a general sto ...

. 2011. . (Non-fiction) * Butler, E. ''The Head of Gonzo Davies''. Gomer Press. 2014. . (Fiction) * Butler, E. ''Gonzo Davies Caught in Possession''. Gomer Press. 2015. . (Fiction, sequel) * Butler, E. ''The Asparagus Thieves''. Gomer Press. 2017. . (Fiction)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, Eddie 1957 births 2022 deaths Alumni of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge BBC sports presenters and reporters British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Wales Cambridge University R.U.F.C. players People educated at Monmouth School for Boys Pontypool RFC players Rugby union number eights Rugby union players from Newport, Wales Wales international rugby union players Wales rugby union captains Welsh rugby union commentators Welsh rugby union players Welsh sports broadcasters