Chris Wyatt won 38 caps for Wales and was a key figure in the side that won a record-equalling 10 successive Tests in 1999, but he was known for his off-field antics
12:59, 30 Aug 2025Updated 13:03, 30 Aug 2025
Chris Wyatt now lives in the south of France
Few rugby players did it quite like Chris Wyatt.
By his own acknowledgement, he forfeited certain opportunities – particularly a Lions tour – through a way of life which earned him the moniker One Man Riot. Yet his prevailing sentiment remained one of appreciation for what rugby delivered him throughout the years.
Wyatt earned 38 caps in the second row for Wales during a career encompassing stints at Newport, Neath, the Scarlets and Munster, before relocating to Bourgoin over 15 years ago.
Life in south-eastern France suited him so perfectly he chose to establish it as his permanent base, moving to Pertuis, close to Aix-en-Provence with his family.
He continued playing until his early 40s before transitioning into coaching and then transporting vehicles back and forth to the UK.
Wyatt, now 52, was the first to recognise he lived life to the extreme during the peak of his playing career back in Wales.
He was consuming 20 cigarettes daily and enjoying his considerable share of pints, whilst not always training with the intensity he might have managed.
“I enjoyed my time as a rugby player in every sense, on and off the field,” he told WalesOnline previously.
“Sometimes one was to the detriment of the other. Being a professional off the pitch was one of my biggest challenges. I’m not going to deny that.
“I was smoking a packet of fags a day and I enjoyed a pint. Drinking was part of Welsh rugby culture at the time. We were brought up on that.
“There was nothing better than a few pints with the boys after a game. I definitely burned the candle at both ends.
“I didn’t hide it at the time and I’m not going to try and hide it now. I like to think I was an honest player and I’m honest enough to admit the way I was.
“I wouldn’t recommend my lifestyle to any player today. My dietary habits weren’t always what people were looking for and I could have trained a bit harder.
“My defence at the time was how I performed on the field. I was fortunate to have a good level of fitness naturally.
“My test results were a long way above others in my position at the time.”
That inherent fitness and sporting prowess allowed Wyatt to excel on the global stage, establishing himself as Wales’ premier lineout operator throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s.
His standout season came in 1999 when he contributed to Graham Henry’s squad achieving a then record-equalling sequence of victories, featuring memorable triumphs against England, France and South Africa.
Chris ‘one man riot’ Wyatt, who flew over from the south of France, makes his way to the stage
Whilst his lineout capture set up Scott Gibbs’ unforgettable score against England at Wembley, it’s the triumph over the Springboks that remains most vivid in his memory.
“We knew we couldn’t lose before the kick-off,” he said.
“When we were warming up, there was such a buzz among the boys.
“We just felt invincible. We had such belief in ourselves.
“It was the first game in the Millennium Stadium and although there was a reduced capacity, there was just an electricity with the crowd.
“We were super-charged feeding off that. The Springboks just didn’t stand a chance.
“It was great pay back for the game in Pretoria a year earlier when they nearly put a hundred points on us. It was nice to chuck a part of that back at them.
“There were so many great names and amazing characters in that team – Scott Gibbs, Neil Jenkins, Rob Howley, Scott Quinnell, Allan Bateman, Garin Jenkins, Dai Young, Colin Charvis, Alfie, the list just goes on.
“I had a great camaraderie with Craig Quinnell in the second row and we are still close friends.
Chris Wyatt in his Wales days
“There was an amazing coaching group and the whole set-up was great.
“I loved it. It was like a club atmosphere.
“It was a time of resurgence, a period where Welsh rugby started to turn things around.
“It set a new standard of what to expect from a Wales team.
“They were amazing days.”
There should genuinely have been more opportunities for Wyatt on the 2001 Lions tour of Australia. He was 27 at the time and supposedly at his peak, but he failed to secure a place in the squad.
“That remains one of my greatest regrets,” he acknowledged.
“I would have cherished the chance to go on a Lions tour, so it was a bitter pill to swallow.
“But you cannot seek to blame anyone else.
“The reason I missed out was I lost concentration and form at the crucial moment.
“You can accept it a lot easier when you know it’s down to you.
“You live with it, you deal with it. It’s all about timing.
“You can’t take the plaudits without also taking responsibility for the bad stuff.
“At the same time, you can look at it and say part of the reason I had the success and the longevity I did was because of the way I was.
“If I hadn’t enjoyed it the way I did, I might not have achieved as much or stayed in the game for so long.
“I was passionate about what I was doing because I loved it so much.
“If that had been taken away and it became just a job, I might not have been as good. You never know.
“I can hold my hand up to the things I did and acknowledge that things I missed out on were my own fault.
“But that’s all part of my journey in life.
“I wasn’t a trouble maker. I just enjoyed life. Sometimes you need that release.”
Chris Wyatt out in France
Explaining his decision to move to and stay in France, he said: “It’s a great way of life.
“One of the main reasons is the weather and the ability to live outdoors. That’s something you don’t get in Wales. It’s a great place to bring up kids.
“It was 26 degrees the other day and I ended up getting a good blast on my back and neck.
“Sun-burned in March. That’s a bit different to back home!
“I am a Welshman living in France and I’ve been given that opportunity through rugby. I’ve got a happy family life and I’m very happy as a person.”