Gerwyn Williams

Gerwyn Williams

Born	Gerwyn Williams (1924-04-22)22 April 1924 Glyncorrwg, Neath Port Talbot, Wales
Died	10 February 2009(2009-02-10) (aged 84) Clare, England
School	Port Talbot Grammar
University	Loughborough College
Occupation	school teacher
Rugby union career
Position Fullback Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) Taibach RFC – Devonport Services R.F.C. – Royal Navy – London Welsh RFC – Llanelli RFC – Middlesex – Hampshire – London Counties – Barbarian F.C. International career Years Team Apps (Points) Welsh Secondary Schools 1950-1954 Wales 13 (0) Coaching career Years Team Cambridge University – Blackheath F.C. – London Counties

Gerwyn Williams (22 April 1924 – 10 February 2009) was a Welsh rugby union player, coach and author.

Biography

Williams was born in Glyncorrwg, Glamorgan, the son of Ephraim and Catherin (Hopkins) Williams. He attended Port Talbot County School and Loughborough College after serving in the Royal Navy during World War II. ^[1]

Rugby career

Williams began playing rugby in grammar school, and won his first cap as a U-15 player with Wales against England. He continued at Loughborough, playing on the College XV. As a professional, Williams played fullback for Llanelli RFC and London Welsh, as well as on the Wales national rugby union team from 1950 to 1954. He won his first senior cap in the Triple Crown deciding match against Ireland in 1950. In 1952, Williams played on the Grand Slam winning team, and he was the fullback in the last Wales team to beat the New Zealand All Blacks. ^[1]

Post-rugby career

Williams was forced to retire from rugby following the dislocation of his shoulder in a five Nations match against England at Twickenham. In his post-rugby career, he became a school PE teacher in Harrow Grammar school, before moving to private education at Whitgift School in Croydon. Here he taught maths and PE and became the coach of Whitgift's first XV. In 1967 he developed the Whitgift school seven-aside team which won what was then called the Public Schools Sevens, now known as the Howden Rosslyn Park Schools Sevens. He coached both Cambridge University to victory in the Varsity match in 1968 and then at Blackheath. ^[2] He went on to coach the outstanding London Welsh team of the 1970s. Williams was the author of four rugby union training manuals: ^[1]

• Modern Rugby (1964);
• Schoolboy Rugby (1966);
• Tackle Rugger This Way (1968);
• Tackle Rugger (1975).

He died in Clare, Suffolk.

References

1. "Gerwyn Williams: Rugby full-back who helped Wales beat the All Blacks". The Independent . 5 March 2009.
2. "Ex-Wales full-back Williams dies". 12 February 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2026.