Gerald Davies

British Lions & Wales international rugby union player (born 1945)

For those of a similar name, see Gerald Davis (disambiguation).

Rugby player

Gerald Davies
CBE DL

Birth name| Thomas Gerald Reames Davies

|

Date of birth|  (1945-02-07) 7 February 1945 (age 79)
Place of birth| Llansaint, Wales
School| Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Carmarthen
University| Loughborough College
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Cardiff University
Rugby union career
| Position(s)|  Wing/centre

|

Amateur team(s)
Years|  Team|  Apps|  (Points)
1960s
1960s–1965
1963–1966
1965–1968
1966–1977
1968–1974
1968–1971
1974-1980s|  Kidwelly
Llanelli
Loughborough Colleges
Cardiff
Barbarians
London Welsh
Cambridge University
Cardiff|  |  ()
International career
Years|  Team|  Apps|  (Points)
1966–1978
1968–1971|  Wales
British Lions|  46
5|  (72)

Thomas Gerald Reames Davies CBE DL (born 7 February 1945 in Llansaint) is a Welsh former rugby union wing who played international rugby for Wales between 1966 and 1978. He is one of a small group of Welsh players to have won three Grand Slams including Gareth Edwards, JPR Williams, Ryan Jones, Adam Jones, Gethin Jenkins and Alun Wyn Jones.[1]

## Early life[edit]

Born in Llansaint, Carmarthenshire, under the local coal miners scholarship scheme he studied at Loughborough University, before studying at Emmanuel College, Cambridge,[2] and appearing for the University rugby team. Davies taught at Christ's Hospital in Horsham, Sussex from 1971 to 1974[3] when he took up a post with the Sports Council for Wales.[4]

## Rugby career[edit]

Davies played club rugby for Cardiff RFC and London Welsh. He captained Cardiff for three seasons in the 1970s, his most famous game for Cardiff probably being a 1977–8 Welsh Cup game against Pontypool when he scored four tries (beating his marker and near namesake Gareth Davies on each occasion) to earn his side a 16–11 win.

He made his international debut on Saturday, 3 December 1966 against Australia in Cardiff, where Wales lost 14–11 – he was to face the Wallabies again in his final appearance for Wales in 1978, this time in Sydney, and again a loss. All in all, he was capped 46 times for his country. He was switched from his original position of centre to the right wing by Wales coach Clive Rowlands on their 1969 tour of Australia and New Zealand, and thereafter played in that position.

Davies toured with the British Lions in 1968 and 1971 and was part of the group of Welsh Seventies legends, ranking in rugby history alongside Gareth Edwards, Barry John, JPR Williams, Phil Bennett and Bobby Windsor. A superb attacking player, he has been called one of the best wingers rugby has ever seen. Davies is best remembered for his try – one of 20 in 46 Tests – in the 1971 Five Nations match against Scotland. The Scots were leading before Davies scored in the corner in the last minute. Backrower John Taylor then kicked his famous conversion to steal victory.

Invited to join the 1974 Lions Tour of South Africa, he turned the opportunity down on his personal uncomfortable position at the consequences and realities of apartheid.[5]

## Welsh & Lions Honours summary[edit]

For Wales: 46 Internationals, of which Wales won 29, lost 14 and drew 3 (points for 758, points against 507). 20 tries, 8 of them before the value of a try was raised to four points in the 1971–72 season (72 points in all).

For the British Lions: 5 Internationals of which the Lions won two, lost two and drew one (points for 54, points against 53). Davies scored three tries for the Lions during Test games, all of them on the 1971 tour to New Zealand (9 points).[6]

## After retirement[edit]

After retiring as a player, Davies became a journalist, writing on rugby matters for The Times. He sat on Tasker Watkins committee to reform Welsh rugby. He became chairman of the Wales Youth Agency, and in the 2003 New Year Honours he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) "for services to Young People and to Rugby in Wales."[7][8]

Davies holds Honorary Fellowships from the University of Wales, Lampeter, the University of Wales, Aberystwyth and Wrexham Glyndŵr University.[9] He was awarded an Honorary Fellowship from Cardiff University in a graduation ceremony held on 15 July 2008.[10] On 18 July 2008, he received an honorary doctorate from Loughborough University for services to sport and journalism, and has also received an honorary doctorate from Swansea University.[9] He is also a Deputy Lieutenant of Gwent.[9]

In November 2007 he was announced as the manager of the 2009 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa.[11] Davies was elected to the post of President of the Welsh Rugby Union in September 2019 and took up the role in November 2019.[12]

## Bibliography[edit]

* Davies, Gerald (1979). Gerald Davies – An Autobiography. London: George Allen & Unwin. ISBN 0-04-796052-3.

## References[edit]

1. ^ Three Grand Slams
2. ^ Davies (1979), pg 90.
3. ^ Davies (1979), pg 126.
4. ^ Davies (1979), pg 130.
5. ^ Bills, Peter (17 July 2008). "Gerald Davies on the adventure of the Lions". The Independent. London. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
6. ^ Gerald Davies' Lions profile lionsrugby.com
7. ^ "Gerald Davies CBE". BBC Sport. 31 December 2002. Retrieved 21 April 2009.
8. ^ "No. 56797". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2002. p. 7.
9. ^ a b c "Presidents". Welsh Rugby Union. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
10. ^ "Honorary Fellowships awarded". Cardiff University. Retrieved 8 July 2008.[permanent dead link]
11. ^ Davies named 2009 Lions manager, BBC website 20 November 2007
12. ^ "Wales legend Gerald Davies elected WRU president". BBC Sport. 30 September 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2020.

## External links[edit]

* Gerald Davies, WRU profile

* v
* t
* e

British Lions – 1968 South Africa tour

Forwards|

* Arneil
* Coulman
* Doyle
* Goodall
* Horton
* Larter
* McBride
* Millar
* O'Shea
* Pullin
* Stagg
* J Taylor
* R Taylor
* Telfer
* Thomas
* West
* J Young

Backs|

* Bresnihan
* Connell
* Davies
* Edwards
* Gibson
* Hiller
* Hinshelwood
* Jarrett
* John
* Jones
* Kiernan (c)
* Raybould
* Richards
* Savage
* Turner
* R Young

Coach|

Dawson; Manager: David Brooks

* v
* t
* e

British Lions – 1971 New Zealand tour

Forwards|

* Arneil
* Brown
* Carmichael
* Davies
* Dixon
* Evans
* Hipwell
* Laidlaw
* Lynch
* McBride
* McLauchlan
* McLoughlin
* Pullin
* Quinnell
* Roberts
* Slattery
* Stevens
* Thomas
* Taylor

Backs|

* Bevan
* Biggar
* Davies
* Dawes (c)
* Duckham
* Edwards
* Gibson
* Hiller
* Hopkins
* John
* Lewis
* Rea
* Spencer
* Williams

Coach|

James

* v
* t
* e

Barbarian team captains – international fixtures

To 1999|

* Apr 1915: Edgar Mobbs (vs. Wal)
* Jan 1948: Haydn Tanner (vs. Aus)
* Jan 1952: Jimmy Nelson (vs. SA)
* Feb 1954: Rex Willis (vs. NZ)
* Feb 1958: Cliff Morgan (vs. Aus)
* May 1958: Jim Greenwood (vs. East Africa)
* Feb 1961: Ronnie Dawson (vs. SA)
* Nov 1962: Ron Jacobs (vs. Can)
* Feb 1964: Ronnie Dawson (vs. NZ)
* Jan 1967: Noel Murphy (vs. Aus)
* Dec 1967: Stewart Wilson (vs. NZ)
* May 1969: John O'Shea (vs. Rhodesia)
* Jan 1970: Gareth Edwards (vs. SA)
* May 1970: John Spencer (vs. Sco XV)
* Oct 1970: Frank Laidlaw (vs. Fiji)
* Jan 1973: John Dawes (vs. NZ)
* Nov 1974: Willie John McBride (vs. NZ)
* Jan 1976: Mervyn Davies (vs. Aus)
* Jun 1976: Phil Bennett (vs. Can)
* Sep 1977: Gerald Davies (vs. Lions)
* Dec 1978: Derek Quinnell (vs. NZ)
* Jan 1982: Bill Beaumont (vs. Aus) cancelled
* Mar 1983: Fergus Slattery (vs. Sco XV)
* Dec 1984: Gareth Davies (vs. Aus)
* May 1985: Colin Deans (vs. Ita)
* Nov 1988: Phillip Matthews (vs. Aus)
* Nov 1989: David Sole (vs. NZ)
* Sep 1990: Nick Farr-Jones (vs. Eng)
* Oct 1990: Nick Farr-Jones (vs. Wales)
* Nov 1990: Robert Jones (vs. Arg)
* Sep 1991: Stuart Barnes (vs. Sco)
* Jun 1992: Andy Robinson (vs. Rus)
* Nov 1992: Will Carling (vs. Aus)
* Dec 1993: Scott Hastings (vs. NZ)
* Jun 1994: Neil Edwards (vs. Zim)
* Dec 1994: Robert Jones (vs. SA)
* May 1996: Phil de Glanville (vs. Ire)
* Aug 1996: Gavin Hastings (vs. Sco)
* Aug 1996: Arran Pene (vs. Wal)
* Dec 1996: Rob Andrew (vs. Aus)

From 2000|

* May 2000: Ian Jones (vs. Ire)
* May 2000: Zinzan Brooke (vs. Sco)
* Aug 2000: Jeff Probyn (vs. Ger)
* Dec 2000: Lawrence Dallaglio (vs. SA)
* May 2001: Gary Teichmann (vs. Wal)
* May 2001: Tim Horan (vs. Sco)
* May 2001: Gary Teichmann (vs. Eng)
* Nov 2001: Rob Howley (vs. Aus)
* May 2002: Todd Blackadder (vs. Eng)
* May 2002: Pat Lam (vs. Wal)
* Jun 2002: Ian Jones (vs. Sco)
* May 2003: Taine Randell (vs. Eng)
* May 2003: Mick Galwey (vs. Sco)
* May 2003: Mark Connors (vs. Wal)
* May 2004: Taine Randell (vs. Sco)
* May 2004: Matt Burke (vs. Wal)
* May 2004: Anton Oliver (vs. Eng)
* Jun 2004: Rob Baxter (vs. Por)
* Dec 2004: Justin Marshall (vs. NZ)
* May 2005: David Humphreys (vs. Sco)
* May 2005: Corné Krige (vs. Eng)
* May 2006: Raphaël Ibañez (vs. Eng)
* May 2006: Will Greenwood (vs. Sco)
* Jun 2006: Bobby Skinstad (vs. Geo)
* May 2007: Hugh Vyvyan (vs. Tun)
* Jun 2007: Hugh Vyvyan (vs. Esp)
* Dec 2007: Mark Regan (vs. SA)
* May 2008: Mark Regan (vs. Bel)
* May 2008: Morgan Turinui (vs. Ire)
* Jun 2008: Mark Regan (vs. Eng)
* Dec 2008: John Smit (vs. Aus)
* May 2009: Martin Corry (vs. Eng)
* Jun 2009: Phil Waugh (vs. Aus)
* Dec 2009: Victor Matfield (vs. NZ)
* May 2010: Xavier Rush (vs. Eng)
* Jun 2010: Xavier Rush (vs. Ire)
* Dec 2010: Matt Giteau (vs. SA)
* May 2011: Sergio Parisse (vs. Eng)
* Jun 2011: Sergio Parisse (vs. Wal)
* Nov 2011: Victor Matfield (vs. Aus)
* May 2012: John Smit (vs. Eng)
* May 2012: Mick O'Driscoll (vs. Ire)
* Jun 2012: John Smit (vs. Wal)
* May 2013: Mike Tindall (vs. Eng)
* Jun 2013: Sergio Parisse (vs. Lions)
* Jun 2014: Juan Manuel Leguizamón (vs. Eng)
* Nov 2014: Alastair Kellock (vs. Aus)
* May 2015: Shane Jennings (vs. Ire)
* Jun 2015: Brad Thorn (vs Eng)
* Aug 2015: Bakkies Botha (vs Sam)
* Nov 2015: Victor Matfield (vs. Arg)
* Nov 2016: Andy Ellis (vs. SA)
* Nov 2016: Dan Tuohy (vs Cze)
* Nov 2016: Andy Ellis (vs Fij)
* May 2017: Thierry Dusautoir (vs. Eng)
* May 2018: Juan Fernández Lobbe (vs. Eng)
* Jun 2019: James Horwill (vs. Eng)

Authority control databases

International|

* FAST
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National|

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