Having played rugby at Esher Rugby Club after the war, Colin joined Ipswich Rugby Club in the mid ‘60s. Having played for Esher First XV he then played for both the Ipswich First XV and as Captain of The Magpies at prop forward! He had been a great stalwart of the club since then until sadly the dreaded Alzheimer’s took him away from attending his beloved club and social events over the last few years.

As well as a player Colin (CJ) served as our Club Chairman, and probably best remembered for, his years as club president. He was a dedicated servant to the club and recruited many a vice president to help with the clubs always struggling finances.

CJ (along with other alickadoos of his generation), rarely addressed anyone by their names, ‘Shag’ was always his go to term for most throughout his time at the club, or if you were particularly lucky ‘Shag Nasty’. This stood him extremely good stead in these last few years, with his memory sadly failing him, he would simply rely on the ‘Shag’ moniker for all before him, whatever the circumstances!

CJ’s favourite descriptive one liner, thrown at many, was “entrepreneur, raconteur and bullshit’eur”! The irony of this was that, that description was CJ to an absolute tee. His ability to pontificate and endlessly ramble on most subjects, coherently and incoherently, always after an ale or two, are legendary. Without notes or any idea what he was going to expound upon, he would hold his audience captive with his wit and harmless put downs of those before him. There are not many of his playing era and beyond who haven’t been victim to being pilloried in one of his many orations.

Colin, loved his club and definitely loved a drink at his club! Those reading this will either be, or at least be well aware of, the company he used to keep at the bar, too many to name personally but infamously he was part of the ‘gang of 4’, Jarrett, Reeves, Holloway and Mullett. A home match and a night at the bar with his peers was as perfect as it got for CJ - except for touring that is! To say he was an avid tourist was an understatement. Whether it was a trip to Twickenham and a picnic in the West Car Park, or a full blown tour abroad, veterans or otherwise, CJ was in his element in that environment. Whilst there are far too many tales to tell in this brief extract of Colin’s time at IRFC, the couple that do spring immediately to the authors mind are the 1971? tour to Bordeaux, where as president or chairman of the club at the time he was called upon to reprimand the entire tour party for events that took place on the first night at the hotel. The bar and kitchen area had been broken into during the early hours by parties known to many but who will remain nameless here. The optics had been emptied, a few ‘interesting’ ladies had been ‘entertained’ in said area and Reeves entire bedroom had been removed and not so carefully placed in the lobby. Fire extinguishers had been set off (and dropped on our second rows foot (putting him out of action for the entire tour)), the reception area centre piece yucca plant was destroyed and the hotel were naturally less than happy and brandishing a very large bill! We sat on the coach awaiting the hierarchy of the tour to emerge from the hotel and eventually Jarrett embarked and addressed the hungover rabble with the immortal line – “I stand before you, a broken man”. It was delivered in his best efforts of enormous horror and indignation at the debauchery to which he’d been greeted that morning, but alas just it led to mass uproarious mockery and laughter. The damages fines that followed were not quite so amusing!

On a veterans tour, some years later, CJ was to use that exact line again, in not dissimilar circumstances. On this occasion he had been party to, or at least a witness to an alleged crime of grave heinousness in an Indian restaurant in Amsterdam. Again on the coach the morning after, the “I stand before you, a broken man” line preceded an elaborate description of events the previous night where a certain Roy Holloway had been accused, summarily charged by the Dutch Politie and fined by a local magistrate, for throwing a plate of Chicken Madras, ‘on the bone’ at a waiter! The truth has never outed as to whether this incident indeed occurred, whether the madras was indeed on or off the bone, or whether a fine was levied, but again our pockets were emptied of Guilders to cover the alleged accused costs! Unfortunately the key witness has now passed and true to his word, he has taken his secret to his grave as he promised he would do!

Colin’s other love was golf. Though his on course abilities were none too great, there was of course the ‘the 19th’! Indeed, in the early 1970’s Colin started up the still running Rugby Club Golf Society. The Golf Society proved incredibly popular and as well as many CJ ‘after golf’ stories, it raised invaluable funds for the Rugby Club itself. Latterly there have been many annual matches against The Medics, The Hackers of Aldeburgh and Ipswich Golf Club. It was at these events that the raconteur himself was able to humour an audience beyond the club with his great wit and sarcasm.

Outside of the rugby club Colin was also a member of the 13 Club, a charity minded social club and The Woodhall W**kers, a touring golf society.

The last few years, watching this great man succumb to the abhorrent disease of Alzheimers, have been truly awful but at last CJ now rests in peace, still much loved and remembered by all who were lucky enough to have crossed his path. Colin’s family have been extremely grateful for the large number of supportive messages and memories of him from the club.

Colin’s funeral is January 8th, but unfortunately in line with current Covid restrictions, it will be a private family affair.

It is requested that flowers are not sent but should you wish to make a donation, the family have suggested that this can be made to the IRFC 150 Year Fund, to leave a legacy for future generations of Ipswich rugby players, or to The Alzheimers Society.

Rest In Peace Shag