Bleddyn Llewellyn Williams MBE (22 February 1923 – 6 July 2009), was a Welsh

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 ...

centre. He played in 22 internationals for

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 ...

, 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'.

Biography

Born at

Taff's Well Taff's Well () is a semi-rural village, Community (Wales), community and electoral ward located at the south-eastern tip of Rhondda Cynon Taf, north-west of the city centre of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. Known locally as the 'Gates to the So ...

, near

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

, he was the third of eight brothers Williams attended Rydal School in

Colwyn Bay Colwyn Bay () is a town, Community (Wales), community and seaside resort in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales overlooking the Irish Sea. It lies within the historic counties of Wales, historic county boundaries of Denbighshire (h ...

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.Thomas (1979), p. 110. He worked for the Steel Company of Wales.

Second World War

During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

he joined the

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. Trained as a

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, he was switched to and trained as a glider pilot, attached to the Glider Pilot Regiment. Williams took part in various

Commando A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as oppo ...

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 Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Sussex. Its limited overs team is called the Sussex Sharks. The c ...

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 Royal Air Force Brize Norton or RAF Brize Norton is the largest List of Royal Air Force stations, station of the Royal Air Force. Situated in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, it is close to the village of Brize Norton and the tow ...

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

and switched his position to centre. He was offered £6,000 to play

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

for

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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.

International career

Williams made his debut for Wales in January 1947 against as a fly-half, playing alongside Haydn Tanner. 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 (

), and his country (

), to victory against the touring New Zealand

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, is the representative men's national team in the sport of rugby union for the nation of New Zealand, which is considered the country's national sport. Famed for th ...

. 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.

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 commentator 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 Honours New Year Honours were granted in the United Kingdom and New Zealand at the start of 2005. Among these in the UK were knighthoods awarded to Mike Tomlinson, the educationalist; Derek Wanless, who led a review of the National Health Service; ...

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

Personal life

Post war, Williams married Violet; the couple had a son and two daughters. In 1979, Violet gave Williams the Kiss of Life after he collapsed with an

embolism An embolism is the lodging of an embolus, a blockage-causing piece of material, inside a blood vessel. The embolus may be a blood clot (thrombus), a fat globule (fat embolism), a bubble of air or other gas (air embolism, gas embolism), amniotic ...

. Violet later died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

. On 6 July 2009, Williams died at the Holme Tower medical centre in

, after suffering ill health for some time.

References

Bibliography

* * * *

External links

Profile On British and Irish Lions Official Site

– Daily Telegraph obituary {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Bleddyn 1923 births 2009 deaths 20th-century Welsh sportsmen Barbarian F.C. players British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Wales British Army personnel of World War II Cardiff RFC players Glider Pilot Regiment officers Members of the Order of the British Empire Military personnel from Rhondda Cynon Taf Newbridge RFC players People educated at Rydal Penrhos Royal Air Force pilots of World War II Royal Air Force rugby union players Rugby union centres Rugby union fly-halves Rugby union players from Taff's Well Wales international rugby union players Wales rugby union captains Welsh journalists Welsh rugby union players World Rugby Hall of Fame inductees