Roger “Chicky” Morgan

He is the ultimate club man, hard-working, loyal, and most of all durable. He’s almost at pensionable age, but this real life Peter Pan is still lacing up his boots.

He’s been with the same club for 40 years, he’s appeared in every single position in the team and he is still playing at the age of 60!

Roger “Chicky” Morgan is Mr Usk RFC, the ultimate 1-club man, the kind of stalwart servant who is the heartbeat of the community game in Wales.

He’s a tireless hard worker for the Gwent club, cutting the grass, marking the pitch, putting the flags out, sorting the kit, cooking the meals, arranging the fixtures, painting the clubhouse and driving the mini bus.

And he’s still getting his boots on and playing on a Saturday afternoon, lining up wherever he’s needed.

So what does he put his enduring fitness and his longevity down to?

“That’s from my father that is,” he explains.

“He played football for Newport County and Swansea. So fitness is in the blood.”

“I just love playing the game. I have made some great friends over the years and there’s always a laugh with the boys.

“From when I first went down to the club in 1975, I just felt welcome.

“It’s great with the different generations and the crack you have with all of them.”

Morgan, a handyman by profession, is known throughout the club game as “Chicky”, so how did he acquire that nickname?

“When I went down to Usk, there were two Roger Morgans there,” he said.

“So when it came to doing the reports for the paper, they needed to tell us apart.

“I had been up at the agricultural college in Usk for 2 years, studying poultry husbandry. So that was it. I was to be Chicky and that’s what I’ve been known as ever since.”

Morgan, who hails from Wattsville, has played most of his rugby at fullback and flyhalf, while he’s also turned out at lock a far few times and has been mainly on the wing this season, but he has tried his hand pretty much everywhere.

“Wherever there is a place to fill, I’ll go there,” he said.

“I’ll even have a go in the front row if it’s passive scrums.

“I’ve started in every position, bar No 8. I had a couple of minutes there and didn’t like it, so it was a case of get me from there!”

For the past 25 years, he has played for and run the 2nds, but he came close to another outing for the 1sts in Division 3 a couple of weeks ago.

“I was on the bench. There was nobody under 40 on there!” he said.

“I didn’t get on in the end, which was a bit disappointing.”

For more than 3 decades, Morgan had an exemplary disciplinary record, but then at the age of 56 came his 1st Yellow Card.

“I remember I tackled the 2nd row from Cwmbran,” he explained.

“He was holding on to the ball on the floor and I was trying to pull it off him. The ref said I didn’t let him up and Yellow Carded me.

“I argued with him, but he said ‘Do you want a Red instead?, so I just walked off.

“I wasn’t too happy at the time because it was my 1st Yellow. I have got 2 now though. I got another 1 last season as well!”

Finally, it looks as though Morgan is about to hang up his boots – although don’t bet against him popping up again at some point.

“This will be my last season playing,” he revealed.

“But I do want to keep the 2nds going and if there is a vets game on, I might turn out.”

To mark Morgan’s 40th year with the club, a special match will be played at their Red Shed Meadow ground on 14 May, when a Chicky Select XV will take on an Usk Select XV.

Club president Stuart Gallatley says it will be an opportunity to say a big thank you to a fantastic servant.

“He wins club man of the year pretty much every season,” said Gallatley.

“He lives and breathes the club. He cuts the grass, marks the pitch, puts the flags out, cooks the meals for the lads on Thursday night after training, cleans the changing room.

“The bloke doesn’t stop. He drives the mini bus and runs everyone around, taking people home after training and games. He just does everything. Without that sort of person, a club like ours doesn’t keep going forward.

“I started playing for the club in 1988 and I have only just finished, but he has outlasted me.

“I think it’s just his enthusiasm. He just always keeps on going.

“He’s committed, generous and just a lovable bloke.”

Roger Morgan in Action:

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