Lee Jarvis

Lee Jarvis (born 30 September 1976 in Pontypridd, Wales) is a former international Welsh rugby union player who was known as a top points scorer with the boot. His career has been spent in both Wales and England including top level rugby in Wales and in the Celtic League, winning a number of trophies in both countries. He has represented Wales from school level to full international honours as well as being selected by the Barbarians. Despite being tipped as the "next best thing" during his early career and being a great points kicker Lee never gained more than a solitary cap for Wales at full international level.[1][2][3] After retiring from rugby union as a player, Lee has taken up coaching. He is currently head coach at Beddau RFC.

Lee Jarvis
Birth nameLee Jarvis
Date of birth (1976-09-30) 30 September 1976
Place of birthPontypridd, Wales
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight130 kg (20 st)
Children3
Rugby union career
Youth career
  Pontypridd
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1995-96
1996-99
1999-01
2001-03
2003-04
2004-06
2006-08
2008-10
2009-10		 Pontypridd
Cardiff
Pontypridd
Neath
Newport Gwent Dragons
Cornish Pirates
Mounts Bay
Cardiff
Cardiff Blues		 ? (?)
? (1,167)
?
?
?
48
?
?
? (?)		 ? (?)
? (1,167)
? (584)
? (696)
? (212)
(359)
? (334)
? (294)
? (?)
Correct as of 13:01, 10 December 2015 (UTC)
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
  Wales 1 (2)
Correct as of 13:01, 10 December 2015 (UTC)

Playing career

Early career

An outside-half, he began his club career at his local club Pontypridd in 1995 where he was a member of the youth academy. Despite making an appearance in the Heineken Cup, Lee found opportunities limited at Pontypridd as Welsh legend Neil Jenkins was already firmly entrenched as the main man in his position at the club so he moved to local rivals Cardiff for the start of the 1996-97 season. Lee spent three seasons at Cardiff where he scored an incredible 1,000 points in his time there which also saw the club win the SWALEC Cup in his first season and included a career best performance in his second season of almost 500 points in all competitions.[4] He also gained a cap (the only one of his career) for Wales - playing just two minutes against Romania in 1997 but typically still managing to score a conversion in the limited time he played.[5] Despite a great scoring record at Cardiff, in 1999 Lee returning to his former club, Pontypridd, as part of a record £200,000 deal that the capital club paid for his former teammate Neil Jenkins.[6]

Celtic League

After two seasons at Pontypridd where he was once more one of the league's top scorers, Lee moved to Neath to coincide with the inaugural Celtic league - a competition which involved Welsh, Scottish and Irish clubs - helping the club to the quarter finals where they lost to Irish province Ulster.[7][8] Along with appearances in the domestic Welsh league/cup, Jarvis amassed over 400 points including 100 in the Celtic League. In 2003 a further change to Welsh rugby would lead to the creation of the controversial regions who would play in the Celtic League replacing the original Welsh clubs. Of the five teams that were created, Lee moved back east to join the Newport Gwent Dragons.[9] He only spent a season with the Dragons where he found opportunities limited by highly capped South African international Percy Montgomery and Craig Warlow (although as always he still had a decent points record from games played).

Move to Cornwall

After nine years in Wales Lee decided to make the decision to move across the Bristol Channel to Cornwall where he joined the Cornish Pirates, an ambitious club plying their trade in the English second division, for the 2004-05 season. He made the decision partly due to pressure playing in Welsh rugby where for years he had been touted as the "next best thing" but had been unable to gain the international caps he had been expected to when he started his career.[10] At Pirates he became a first team regular helping the club to gain very respectable 4th and 3rd-place positions in the league in the two seasons he was there.

Two years at Pirates were followed by another two seasons at nearby Mounts Bay. In two years at the Penzance-based club, Lee helped the club achieve two consecutive promotions from tier 5 up to tier 3 in what was a very exciting period for the short-lived club.[11] As well as claiming two league titles, Mounts Bay also won the EDF Intermediate Cup and Cornish Super Cup in this period and on a personal note Lee was also top points scorer in National Division 3 South during his second year at the club.[12][13][14] Despite enjoying life in Cornwall Lee received an offer from former club Cardiff to become player coach and he returned to Wales for the start of the 2008-09 season.[15]

Return to Cardiff

In his role as player-coach Lee still showed that he had a lot to offer the club, coming off the bench to help Cardiff defeat Glamorgan Wanderers, scoring three penalties and a drop goal in the final 30 minutes of a Principality Premiership game in November.[16] He managed to score 294 points during the season in which Cardiff claimed the Principality Premiership title - their first since 2000.[17] Lee would also be selected for Cardiff Blues while at Cardiff and would play an increasing role as a backs coach at the Blues Academy.[18] In September 2010, Lee launched Lee Jarvis Kicking Clinics, an attempt to pass on his skills as a tactical and place kicker to a new generation of rugby players.

Coaching career

Merthyr

After several years at Cardiff Blues, in 2013 Lee joined struggling Merthyr (then in Division 1 East) alongside Gary Horrigan as head coach.[19] The Ironmen managed to survive relegation, beating Ystrad Rhondda on the last day of the season to stay up. Under the backing of multi millionaire Sir Stan Thomas, Merthyr then won the Division 1 East title to gain promotion to the Welsh Championship as well as claiming the SWALEC Plate.[20][21][22]

Professional Playing Career
Season Club League Points (all competitions)
1995-96 Pontypridd Welsh Premier Division ?
1996-97 Cardiff Welsh Premier Division 403
1997-98 Cardiff Welsh Premier Division 496
1998-99 Cardiff Welsh Premier Division 268
1999-00 Pontypridd Welsh Premier Division 302
2000-01 Pontypridd Welsh-Scottish League 282
2001-02 Neath Celtic League / Welsh-Scottish League 436
2002-03 Neath Celtic League / Principality Premiership 260
2003-04 Newport Gwent Dragons Celtic League 212
2004-05 Cornish Pirates National Division One 247[23] [a 1]
2005-06 Cornish Pirates National Division One 112[23] [a 2]
2006-07 Mounts Bay South West Division 1 377
2007-08 Mounts Bay National Division 3 South 334[a 3]
2008-09 Cardiff Principality Premiership 294
2009-10 Cardiff / Cardiff Blues Principality Premiership / Pro12 ?
  1. This figure may be 290 if you count other competitions not included by Rugby Statbunker.
  2. This figure may be 246 if you count other competitions not included by Rugby Statbunker.
  3. This figure may be 348 if you count other competitions not included by Rugby Statbunker such as the Cornwall Super Cup.

Playing Honours

Cardiff

Mounts Bay

International/Representative

  • Selected for Barbarians tour of Japan: 1996[3]
  • Capped for Wales: 1997

Coaching Honours

Merthyr

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References
  1. "JARVIS, LEE". Pontypridd RFC. Archived from the original on 3 October 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  2. "Lee Jarvis". Welsh Rugby Union. Archived from the original on 11 December 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  3. "LEE JARVIS". Cardiff RFC. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  4. "1996/1997 SWALEC CUP". Swansea RFC. 26 April 1997.
  5. "Wales vs Romania - Match - Romania tour 1997". ESPN. 30 August 1997.
  6. "Jenkins set for Cardiff move". BBC News. 18 July 1999.
  7. "Neath ready to kick on". BBC News. 15 August 2001.
  8. "Celtic League quarter-final Ulster 38-29 Neath". BBC News. 30 November 2001.
  9. "Season preview: Gwent Dragons". BBC News. 31 August 2003.
  10. "Jarvis is at home with the Pirates". Wales Online. 27 July 2004.
  11. "The History Of Mounts Bay Rugby". Pitchero. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  12. "Brave Dees go down at Twickenham". Luton Today. 18 April 2007.
  13. "Mounts Bay win the Cornwall Super Cup". RugbyNetwork.net. 24 March 2008.
  14. "National Three South 07/08 Leading top scorers". Rugby Statbunker. 19 April 2008.
  15. "Lee Jarvis gets second Arms Park chance". Wales Online. 24 June 2008.
  16. "Lee Jarvis comes off bench to lift Cardiff". Wales Online. 3 November 2008.
  17. "Cardiff claim Welsh Premiership". BBC News. 28 April 2009.
  18. "Lee Jarvis Skills Coach". Cardiff Blues. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  19. "Lee Jarvis and Garry Horrigan new coaches at the Wern". Pitchero. 15 April 2015. Archived from the original on 11 December 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  20. "Merthyr RFC wrap up the league to earn promotion to the Championship with three games to spare". Wales Online. 28 April 2014.
  21. "Swalec Finals Day: Merthyr given scare by Rhiwbina but hang on to claim Swalec Plate title". Wales Online. 4 May 2014.
  22. "The Lee Jarvis Interview: Merthyr head coach on how the ambitious club aim to put the famous town on the map". Wales Online. 20 July 2015.
  23. "Lee Jarvis Record by competition". Rugby Statbunker. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  24. "South West 1 2006-2007". englandrugby.com. 21 April 2007.
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