Last Saturday, Thamesians lost a real club legend with the tragic passing of Keith Wagner.
Known throughout his rugby playing and rugby social life as Wags, he was a dynamic and influential scrum half with whom I had the pleasure of playing 10 outside on more occasions than I like to remember. Wags had a good footballing brain and would produce a penetrating line kick to help out his forwards or fling out a long pass to launch a defence splitting attack that made him a First XV regular for many years. It also has to be noted that his long pass would often bypass me and sometimes the first centre before finding a welcoming pair of hands - an occurrence Wags would always say was an intended and cunning ploy to catch the opposition off guard. Wags was always an outspoken character who didn’t suffer fallible refs gladly, regularly pointing out to them their mistakes as he saw it, a trait he carried on into his playing retirement - as anyone who ever watched an England International game with him would tell you. Wags captained the !st XV in 1978/9 in one of its most successful periods. He played for Combined London Old Boys and Middlesex County Clubs and was chosen as a travelling reserve for the full Middlesex County XV.
Beyond rugby, Wags was an excellent golfer coming very close to that elusive single figure handicap during his time. The game became almost an obsession with him, for many years holding memberships at two prodigious golf clubs at the same time, and if you ever played a round with him you’d quickly realise how seriously he took the game. He was also a serious rower and squash player. In recent years his inability to play to his fullest on course level was a real frustration with him as his feet and his heart both failed him. Wags had had a defibrillator fitted a few years ago which saved him a few times but which could not stop the worst from happening last Saturday.
Wags was always a pleasure to spend time and share a pint or three with. He was generous to the core and very good company. On one occasion 7 of us were away in Italy for a week and unexpectedly had to fly back via Copenhagen with a 6 or 7 hour stop over so we decided to enjoy our time there fully with a big lunch and some sightseeing. Nobody had any Dutch currency with them so Wags decided it would be better if just he got some money out and we all paid him back on our return. Back home one by one we all contacted Wags to ask the damage but all got the same answer - “Copenhagen was on me boys”.
The Last Friday get togethers, Clubhouse International days, JT Golf days and ‘any old excuse for a drink‘ days will never be the same without him.
Keith leaves behind his lovely wife Debs and children Marcus and Cara and new grandson Cassius.
Our thoughts are with them.
Alfie
