It’s not often that you can sign a current international captain, so when Colin Charvis joined Semo Sititi as the second recruited by Falcons during the summer, there was a statement of intent from Rob Andrew.

It hasn’t been the easiest of recent times for Charvis. Finding himself without a club when the Welsh club set up morphed into the then five, now four regions, for the Celtic League last summer, Charvis found only two options open to him if he wanted to play in the World Cup; fund his training himself to maintain sufficient fitness levels, or find a sponsor. The group of Cardiff-based businessmen that came forward certainly showed faith in the Brummie-born forward, and he repaid that faith after being named as captain, leading his team to the quarter finals and playing a major part in that classic match against the All Blacks and coming within forty minutes of defeating the eventual winners, scoring tries in both games as part of his current total of 13.

Colin has picked up 71 caps since his debut at the old Arms Park as a replacement against Australia back in December 1996, and became the first Welsh forward to score a hat-trick of tries for 98 years against Romania in 2001. His career has taken him from London Welsh to Swansea in 1995 (under the tutelage of current Welsh international coach Mike Ruddock), to that uncertain period last summer, before French second division side Tarbes came in to take him on for the remainder of the 2003/04 season. As of August 2004, he’s the fifth most capped Welshman of all time, behind Gareth Llewellyn, Neil Jenkins, Gareth Thomas, and Ieuan Evans - not bad for someone who was once the most hated man in Wales.

The big man’s turned his career round, helped by the faith shown in him by ex-Welsh coach Steve Hansen, and it’s difficult to think of a Welsh side without him in it now. Having toured with the Lions in 2001, scoring three tries in five appearances, he looks to be a shoe-in for next summer’s trip to New Zealand, and could well be one of Rob Andrew’s most inspired signings.

For his sins, Colin supports Aston Villa, and enjoys mountain-biking, water-skiing, football, scuba-diving and walking his dog. He also enjoys DIY and says he would like to be an interior designer if he wasn't playing rugby. Perhaps all you need to know about the man is a comment made to the press last October, just before the start of the World Cup:-

“I have been written off and so have the team but I don't see us being humiliated because I won't let it happen on my watch."

A big man for a big job.