Leonard Grist Blyth (20 November 1920 – 24 June 1995) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, of or about Wales * Welsh language, spoken in Wales * Welsh people, an ethnic group native to Wales Places * Welsh, Arkansas, U.S. * Welsh, Louisiana, U.S. * Welsh, Ohio, U.S. * Welsh Basin, during t ...

international

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 club rugby for

Swansea Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...

. He captained Swansea and played in three international games 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 ...

which saw him become a

Grand Slam Grand Slam or Grand slam may refer to: Games and sports * Grand slam, winning category terminology originating in contract bridge and other whist card games Athletics * Grand Slam Track, professional track and field league Auto racing * ...

winner.

Rugby career

Blyth was captain of Swansea during the 1951/52 season and led his team against the touring South Africans on 15 December 1951. Seven days later, Blyth was awarded his first international cap when he was chosen as a flanker to face the

South Africans South Africans are the citizens of South Africa (officially the Republic of South Africa ''RSA. These individuals include those residing within the borders of South Africa, as well as the South African diaspora. History The first modern inh ...

for the Welsh national team. Wales were narrowly beaten and Blyth found himself selected for the opening game of the

1952 Five Nations Championship The 1952 Five Nations Championship was the twenty-third series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the fifty-eighth series of the northern hemisphere rug ...

. Blyth played against England and Scotland before losing his position for the last two matches. Nevertheless, Wales won the tournament and Blyth became a Grand Slam winner. After the end of his international career, Blyth still played against international opposition, including Swansea's 6–6 draw against the 1953 touring New Zealand side.

International matches played

WalesSmith (1980), p. 463. * 1952 * 1952 * 1951

Bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blyth, Len Wales international rugby union players Welsh rugby union players Rugby union flankers 1920 births 1995 deaths Swansea RFC players Rugby union players from Swansea Gorseinon RFC players