Clive Shell

Clive Shell (9 September 1947 – 6 January 2012)[1] was a Welsh international rugby union player. Shell made his debut for the Wales national rugby union team on 10 November 1973 against Australia where he kissed the ball on his first touch while putting the ball into a scrum. A scrum-half, he played club rugby for Aberavon RFC.[2]

Clive Shell

Birth name	Robert Clive Shell
Date of birth	9 September 1947
Place of birth	Pyle, Wales
Date of death	6 January 2012 (aged 64)
Occupation(s)	schoolmaster
Rugby union career
Position(s) Scrum half Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) Pyle RFC Aberavon RFC Barbarian F.C. () National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1973 Wales 1 (0) Teams coached Years Team 1984–87 Aberavon RFC

Shell was one of several scrum halves of that era who were in competition with Gareth Edwards for a place in the Welsh side. Although the Australia encounter was his one and only cap, Shell played for Wales against Tonga (1974). In 1977, during a Welsh Cup semi-final, Shell received a broken jaw playing against Edwards and Cardiff RFC.

Shell formed a club half back partnership with John Bevan who was also capped by Wales. He captained Aberavon RFC in the seasons of 1977–78, 1978–79 and 1979–80 before retiring.

A school teacher by profession, Shell went on to coach Aberavon during the early 1980s. Shell's death was announced 6 January 2012.[3]

References

1. Clive Shell player profile Scrum.com
2. Rugby in Wales - Aberavon Archived 2011-07-27 at the Wayback Machine
3. Clive Shell dies