Bleddyn Williams
Encyclopedia
Bleddyn Williams MBE
(22 February 1923 – 6 July 2009), was a Welsh
rugby union
centre. He played in 22 internationals for Wales
, captaining them five times, winning each time, and captained the British Lions
in 1950 for some of their tour of Australia and New Zealand
. Considered to be the nonpareil of Welsh centres; he was robust in the tackle and known for his strong leadership and surging runs; he was often referred to as 'The Prince Of Centres'.
, near Cardiff
, he was the third of eight brothers Williams attended Rydal School
in Colwyn Bay
from the age of 14 until he was 18. He had already played for the Welsh Schoolboys in 1937 when he had been recommended for a scholarship to Rydal by legendary rugby player Wilf Wooller. At Rydal he played at outside half and was seen as one of the school's star players and managed to play for Cardiff Athletic during the 1938/39 season before the outbreak of the war. He worked for the Steel Company of Wales
.
he joined the Royal Air Force
. Trained as a fighter pilot
in Arizona
, he was switched to and trained as a glider
pilot, attached to the Glider Pilot Regiment
.
Williams took part in various Commando
and Parachute Regiment campaigns, piloting a glider in Operation Varsity
- the crossing of the River Rhine into Germany
- with a cargo of medical and radio supplies. He then spent a week sleeping rough, before bumping into his commanding officer, Hugh Bartlett
DFC, the Sussex County Cricket Club
batsman, on a Friday morning: "Williams aren't you meant to be at Welford Road
tomorrow playing for Great Britain against the Dominions? They need you. Go now!" Williams caught the last supply plane to RAF Brize Norton
that night, and although the team didn't win he did score a try. He couldn't win the match but did score a glorious try. He turned out for both the RAF and the Great Britain United rugby teams.
and switched his position to centre. He was offered £6,000 to play rugby league
for Leeds
but turned down the offer He forged a famous centre partnership for Cardiff with Dr Jack Matthews
and along with Billy Cleaver
they made one of the most formidable midfield trios the club has ever produced. Each of Bleddyn's seven brothers also played for Cardiff, and his younger brother Lloyd
represented Wales in the 1960s. At one time four of the siblings played in the same Cardiff team together and between them had a Cardiff career that spanned thirty years. Bleddyn Williams played 283 games for Cardiff and scored 185 tries for the club, including a club record 41 tries in the 1947-48 season.
. He went on to win a further 21 Welsh caps, all as a centre, making his final appearance against in January 1955. He scored seven tries, for a total of 21 points in internationals. Williams captained Wales in five matches, four times in 1953 and once in 1955, in his final international. He led the side to victory in all five games.
In 1953 he had the unique distinction of captaining his club (Cardiff
), and his country (Wales
), to victory against the touring New Zealand All Blacks
.
Williams was a member of the 1950 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia
and played three of the four tests against (missing the first test through injury) and both tests against . He captained the Lions in the third and fourth tests against New Zealand, deputising for the injured captain Karl Mullen
. Williams scored one international try for the Lions, in the first test against Australia.
on the game. He was the rugby union correspondent of The Sunday People
for 30 years.
He was made an MBE in the 2005 New Year's Honours list, an award he accepted with typical modesty by saying he owed it to his team mates.
He was the president of Cardiff Athletic Club
after he collapsed with an embolism
. Violet later died of cancer
. On 6 July 2009, Williams died at the Holme Tower medical centre in Cardiff
, after suffering ill health for some time.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(22 February 1923 – 6 July 2009), was a Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
centre. He played in 22 internationals for Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
, captaining them five times, winning each time, and captained the British Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
in 1950 for some of their tour of Australia and New Zealand
1950 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia
The British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia in 1950 was the first post-war tour made by the Lions; there had not been one since 1938....
. Considered to be the nonpareil of Welsh centres; he was robust in the tackle and known for his strong leadership and surging runs; he was often referred to as 'The Prince Of Centres'.
Biography
Born at Taff's WellTaff's Well
Taff's Well or Taffs Well is a village located just north of the city of Cardiff and from its city centre. Located in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Taff's Well serves as a commuter town.-Name:...
, near Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, he was the third of eight brothers Williams attended Rydal School
Rydal Penrhos
Rydal Penrhos is a private co-educational boarding school in Colwyn Bay, North Wales. It is located on multiple sites around the town including a site in the neighbouring village of Rhos-on-Sea where it keeps its watersports equipment for easy access to the beach.The school, as it exists today,...
in Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay
- Demography :Prior to local government reorganisation on 1 April 1974 Colwyn Bay was a municipal borough with a population of c.25,000, but in 1974 this designation disappeared leaving five separate parishes, known as communities in Wales, of which the one bearing the name Colwyn Bay encompassed...
from the age of 14 until he was 18. He had already played for the Welsh Schoolboys in 1937 when he had been recommended for a scholarship to Rydal by legendary rugby player Wilf Wooller. At Rydal he played at outside half and was seen as one of the school's star players and managed to play for Cardiff Athletic during the 1938/39 season before the outbreak of the war. He worked for the Steel Company of Wales
Steel Company of Wales
The Steel Company of Wales Ltd was a Welsh steel and tinplate producer. It was formed in 1947 and absorbed into British Steel in 1967. The business now forms part of Corus, a subsidiary of Tata Steel....
.
Second World War
During the Second World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he joined the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. Trained as a fighter pilot
Fighter pilot
A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained in air-to-air combat while piloting a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting...
in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, he was switched to and trained as a glider
Military glider
Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...
pilot, attached to the Glider Pilot Regiment
Glider Pilot Regiment
The Glider Pilot Regiment was a British airborne forces unit of the Second World War which was responsible for crewing the British Army's military gliders and saw action in the European Theatre of World War II in support of Allied airborne operations...
.
Williams took part in various Commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
and Parachute Regiment campaigns, piloting a glider in Operation Varsity
Operation Varsity
Operation Varsity was a successful joint American–British airborne operation that took place toward the end of World War II...
- the crossing of the River Rhine into Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
- with a cargo of medical and radio supplies. He then spent a week sleeping rough, before bumping into his commanding officer, Hugh Bartlett
Hugh Bartlett
Hugh Tryon Bartlett DFC was a brilliant attacking left-handed batsman who played for Sussex on either side of the war.-Early years:...
DFC, the Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
batsman, on a Friday morning: "Williams aren't you meant to be at Welford Road
Welford Road Stadium
Welford Road is a rugby union stadium in Leicester, England and is the home ground for Leicester Tigers. It is located between Aylestone Road and Welford Road on the edge of the city centre...
tomorrow playing for Great Britain against the Dominions? They need you. Go now!" Williams caught the last supply plane to RAF Brize Norton
RAF Brize Norton
RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, is the largest station of the Royal Air Force. It is close to the settlements of Brize Norton, Carterton and Witney....
that night, and although the team didn't win he did score a try. He couldn't win the match but did score a glorious try. He turned out for both the RAF and the Great Britain United rugby teams.
Rugby career
During war-time Williams joined CardiffCardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
and switched his position to centre. He was offered £6,000 to play rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
for Leeds
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
but turned down the offer He forged a famous centre partnership for Cardiff with Dr Jack Matthews
Jack Matthews
Jack Matthews OBE is a former Wales rugby union international centre who played first-class club rugby for Cardiff and Newport. Along with Bleddyn Williams, Matthews formed a centre partnership which is regarded as one of the finest in the game...
and along with Billy Cleaver
Billy Cleaver
William 'Billy' Cleaver was a Welsh international fly-half who played club rugby for Cardiff. He won 14 caps for Wales and was selected to play in the British Lions on the 1950 tour of Australia and New Zealand...
they made one of the most formidable midfield trios the club has ever produced. Each of Bleddyn's seven brothers also played for Cardiff, and his younger brother Lloyd
Lloyd Williams (rugby player)
Lloyd Hugh Williams was a Welsh international rugby union player. He captained the Wales national rugby union team on three occasions in 1961-62. Williams played his club rugby for Cardiff RFC and was the younger brother of another Welsh international rugby union player and captain, Bleddyn...
represented Wales in the 1960s. At one time four of the siblings played in the same Cardiff team together and between them had a Cardiff career that spanned thirty years. Bleddyn Williams played 283 games for Cardiff and scored 185 tries for the club, including a club record 41 tries in the 1947-48 season.
International career
Williams made his debut for Wales in January 1947 against as a fly-half, playing alongside Haydn TannerHaydn Tanner
Haydn Tanner was a Welsh international rugby union player who also played for the British and Irish Lions and the Barbarians....
. He went on to win a further 21 Welsh caps, all as a centre, making his final appearance against in January 1955. He scored seven tries, for a total of 21 points in internationals. Williams captained Wales in five matches, four times in 1953 and once in 1955, in his final international. He led the side to victory in all five games.
In 1953 he had the unique distinction of captaining his club (Cardiff
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
), and his country (Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
), to victory against the touring New Zealand All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
.
Williams was a member of the 1950 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia
1950 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia
The British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia in 1950 was the first post-war tour made by the Lions; there had not been one since 1938....
and played three of the four tests against (missing the first test through injury) and both tests against . He captained the Lions in the third and fourth tests against New Zealand, deputising for the injured captain Karl Mullen
Karl Mullen
Dr Karl Daniel Mullen was an Irish Rugby Union player and Consultant Gynaecologist who captained the Irish rugby team and captained the British Lions on their 1950 tour to Australia and New Zealand....
. Williams scored one international try for the Lions, in the first test against Australia.
Later life
After injury forced him to retire at the age of 32 in 1955, Williams began a career in the media, establishing himself as an authoritative commentatorSports commentator
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
on the game. He was the rugby union correspondent of The Sunday People
The People
The People, previously known as the Sunday People, is a British tabloid Sunday-only newspaper. The paper was founded on 16 October 1881.It is published by the Trinity Mirror Group.In July 2011 it had an average daily circulation of 806,544....
for 30 years.
He was made an MBE in the 2005 New Year's Honours list, an award he accepted with typical modesty by saying he owed it to his team mates.
He was the president of Cardiff Athletic Club
Cardiff Athletic Club
Cardiff Athletic Club is a multi-sport club in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. It is the owner of the world famous Cardiff Arms Park rugby ground, however, it is also a major shareholder of Cardiff Rugby Football Club Ltd and therefore has a large influence over the rugby club's two...
Personal life
Post war, Williams married Violet; the couple had a son and two daughters. In 1999, Violet gave Williams the Kiss of LifeKiss of Life
"Kiss of Life" is the third single from the English group Sade's fourth studio album, Love Deluxe . The single was released in May 1993 and became a minor hit in the United States, peaking at number 78 on the Billboard Hot 100 but became Sade's seventh top 10 hit on the R&B chart peaking at...
after he collapsed with an embolism
Embolism
In medicine, an embolism is the event of lodging of an embolus into a narrow capillary vessel of an arterial bed which causes a blockage in a distant part of the body.Embolization is...
. Violet later died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. On 6 July 2009, Williams died at the Holme Tower medical centre in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, after suffering ill health for some time.
External links
- Profile On British and Irish Lions Official Site
- Bleddyn Williams - Daily Telegraph obituary