Derek Leslie Quinnell (born 22 May 1949) is a Welsh former

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. He played as a

lock Lock(s) or Locked may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainme ...

-forward, as a number eight and blind-side flanker.

Early life

Quinnell was education at Coleshill Secondary Modern School, Llanelli. He was capped for Wales youth 1967/8 season.

Club career

Quinnell first played for

Llanelli RFC Llanelli Rugby Football Club () is a Welsh rugby union club founded on 30 March 1872. The club's historic home ground was Stradey Park in Llanelli, but they moved in 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent Pemberton. The club song is " ...

in 1967. He captained Llanelli in 1979–80. He played 369 times for Llanelli and scored 47 tries.

International career

Quinnell made his international debuts for the Lions against New Zealand in 1971 and for Wales against France in 1972. He earned 23 caps 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 ...

, from 1972 to 1980, scoring 1 try, 4 points on aggregate. He played at the Five Nations Championship in 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978 and 1979. He was a member of the winning squad in 1973 (shared), 1975, 1978 and 1979. He was the only player in the Lions squad not to have been capped by his country when he went on the tour to New Zealand in 1971, playing in one test. He went with the Lions to

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

again in 1977, playing in two tests, and to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

in 1980, again playing in two tests.

Post-player career

Quinnell is currently the President of

Scarlets The Scarlets () are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams and are based in Llanelli, Wales. Their home ground is the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the United Rugby Championship and in European Professional Club Rugby c ...

Family

His three sons, Scott, Craig and Gavin went on to play top-flight professional rugby, with Craig winning caps for Wales in rugby union and Scott earning Wales caps in both union and league. Derek's youngest son, Gavin, played professionally for the Magners League side

before an injury suffered in an October 2010 match between Llanelli RFC and Cross Keys cost him the sight in his left eye.

References

External links

archive of profile
at Wales Rugby Union {{DEFAULTSORT:Quinnell, Derek 1949 births Living people 20th-century Welsh sportsmen Barbarian F.C. players British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Wales Llanelli RFC players Rugby union locks Rugby union number eights Rugby union players from Llanelli Wales international rugby union players Welsh rugby union players