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Andy Ripley

One of the most charismatic players of his generation, Andy Ripley was a dashing number 8 who played 24 times for the Club between 1972 and 1981. He twice led the side on Easter tours in south Wales and was also an obvious choice for the Club in seven-a-side tournaments including the Cardiff Centenary in 1976 and most notably as captain in Hong Kong in 1981 when the Barbarians were champions of the famous international competition at the first attempt.

A British Lion on their triumphant tour of South Africa in 1974 he later achieved fame as an all-round sportsman, winning the BBC's Superstars competition, reaching the semi-finals of the AAA's 400 metres, a qualified canoe instructor and equally skilled at basketball, tennis, water-skiing and rowing. He died on 17 June 2010 at the age of 62.