Graham George Willars known as Graham Willars (20 November 1939 - 20 September 1997) was an English

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 ...

flanker who played a 338 games for

Leicester Tigers Leicester Tigers (officially Leicester Football Club) are a professional rugby union club based in Leicester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. The club was founded in 1880 and since 1892 plays its home ...

from 1959 to 1987, he also coached the side from 1982–87 and was club president from 1991–93.

Playing career

Willars made his

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...

debut as a 19 year old on 17 October 1959 against Cheltenham at Welford Road and played 21 times in his first season. However competition for places was fierce and in 1960/61 he played only 5 times and did not feature at all in either 1961/62 or 1962/63. Willars reappeared in the first team against

Waterloo Waterloo most commonly refers to: * Battle of Waterloo, 1815 battle where Napoleon's French army was defeated by Anglo-allied and Prussian forces * Waterloo, Belgium Waterloo may also refer to: Other places Australia * Waterloo, New South Wale ...

in December 1962 and was then a feature in the team for many years. Willars was club captain in 1968/69 and then again in 1972/73. Willars' career lasted 27 years and 169 days, spanning 1,154 Tigers games, the longest by both measures of any player for

. He featured as a player in a record 20 different seasons. At 47 years and 135 days he is also the oldest player to play for the club.

Coaching and administration career

Willars succeeded Chalkie White as

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' first team coach and lead the side from 1982–87 leading the side to the final of the 1982-83 John Player Cup, where the side lost to

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

Sources

Farmer,Stuart & Hands, David ''Tigers-Official History of Leicester Football Club'' (The Rugby DevelopmentFoundation )
W is for Graham Willars

References

1939 births 1997 deaths English rugby union players Rugby union flankers Rugby union players from Leicester Leicester Tigers players Leicester Tigers coaches English rugby union coaches 20th-century English sportsmen {{England-rugbyunion-bio-1930s-stub