Bleddyn Williams
| Full name | Bleddyn Llewellyn Williams | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 22 February 1923 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Taff's Well, Wales | ||||||||||||
| Date of death | 6 July 2009 (aged 86) | ||||||||||||
| Place of death | Holme Tower medical centre, Cardiff | ||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight | 13 st (180 lb; 83 kg) | ||||||||||||
| School | Rydal School | ||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) |
Glider Pilot Regiment Journalist |
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| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||
| Playing career | |||||||||||||
| Position | Centre | ||||||||||||
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| Amateur clubs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Years | Club / team | ||
| National team(s) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 1947-1955 1950 |
Wales British Lions |
22 5 |
(21) (3) |
Bleddyn Williams MBE (22 February 1923 – 6 July 2009), was a Welsh rugby union centre. He played in 22 internationals for Wales, 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'.
Born at Taff's Well, near Cardiff, he was the third of eight brothers Williams attended Rydal School in Colwyn Bay 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. He worked for the Steel Company of Wales.
During the Second World War he joined the Royal Air Force. Trained as a fighter pilot in Arizona, he was switched to and trained as a glider pilot, attached to the Glider Pilot Regiment.
Williams took part in various Commando 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 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 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.
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