Bleddyn Bowen (born 16 July 1961) is a former international

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

player. Bleddyn Bowen played club rugby for

South Wales Police South Wales Police (; SWP) is one of the four territorial police forces in Wales. It is headquartered in Bridgend. The force was formed as South Wales Constabulary on 1 June 1969, by the amalgamation of the former Glamorgan Constabulary, Car ...

and

Swansea RFC Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Super Rygbi Cymru. The club play at St Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea and are also known as ''The Whites,'' in reference to their home kit colours. History ...

. His first international game was in 1983, along with five other first caps, against

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

; a game that Wales lost heavily, 24–6. Bowen retained his place and was called to represent Wales in the 1984 Five Nations Championship. Bowen played in the first

Rugby World Cup The Men's Rugby World Cup is a rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams, the winners of which are recognised as the World championship, world champions of the sport. The tournament is administer ...

and was then given the honour of captaining his country in the 1988 Five Nations, a tournament in which Wales would win the Triple Crown.Sporting Heroes Profile
/ref> Bowen would be the last Welsh captain to lift the Triple Crown for 17 years. Bleddyn Bowen made his Wales debut in the 1983, 24–6 defeat to Romania. He gained 24 caps for his country and scored five tries, five penalties and one conversion in his international career. Bowen also represented the Wales XV in a non-capped game against Japan in 1983; he scored a try in the 29–24 victory. Bowen represented Wales in the 1987 Rugby World Cup. He scored a try against Canada in the Pool stage game. Bowen was made the captain for the following Five Nations Championship, and consequently the 1988 Welsh Triple Crown winning side. Bowen was also chosen to captain the side against New Zealand on the summer tour but a wrist injury prevented his involvement. Domestically Bowen played rugby for the South Wales Police RFC from where he won all his caps. He is currently a regional office manager for Konica Minolta in Swansea.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowen, Bleddyn 1961 births South Wales Police officers Living people People educated at Cwmtawe Community School Rugby union players from Neath Port Talbot South Wales Police RFC players Swansea RFC players Wales international rugby union players Wales rugby union captains Welsh police officers Welsh rugby union players Rugby union centres 1987 Rugby World Cup players