Brendan Gallagher pays tribute to some of the finest players in the world who passed away in 2025

Michael John “Spikey” Watkins
(Crumlin, Cardiff, Newport, Wales)

Death reported November 25 in Thailand, aged 73. Colourful, occasionally controversial hooker who took no prisoners but was much respected on the tough Welsh circuit.
The nickname could either be on account of his fiery temperament or the close-cropped haircut he sported as a youngster.
A man of Gwent and Crumlin, he nonetheless began his senior career with Cardiff, where he immediately made his mark and forced his way into the ...