Graham Walters

Last updated

Graham Walters
Graham Walters in Action.jpg
Graham Walters in Action for Hull F.C.
Personal information
Full nameGraham Walters
Born (1953-03-01) 1 March 1953 (age 71)
Carmarthen, Wales
Playing information
Rugby union
Position Centre
Club
YearsTeamPldTGFGP
1977–78 Swansea RFC 1
Rugby league
Position Centre
Club
YearsTeamPldTGFGP
1980–82 Hull FC 2270021
1982 Wakefield Trinity 2350015
1983–85 Cardiff City (Bridgend) Blue Dragons 82008
1986 Runcorn Highfield 41004
Total57150048
Representative
YearsTeamPldTGFGP
1980–84 Wales 30000
Source: [1]
Military career
AllegianceFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Service/branchFlag of the British Army.svg  British Army
Unit Welsh Guards
Special Air Service
Battles/wars Northern Ireland

Graham Walters (born 1 March 1953 in Carmarthen, South Wales) is a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s; he is also a member of the Welsh Guards and the British Army. He played club-level rugby union (RU) for Llanelli, Carmarthen, and Swansea RFC, as a Centre, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales, and at club-level for Hull FC (Heritage № 750), Wakefield Trinity, and Cardiff City (Bridgend) Blue Dragons, as a centre. [1] [2]

Contents

Rugby career

Hull FC

Walters joined rugby league club Hull FC in October 1979. [3] He played right-centre in Hull's 5–10 defeat by Hull Kingston Rovers in the 1980 Challenge Cup Final during the 1979–80 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 3 May 1980, in front of a crowd of 95,000. Hull FC also won the BBC 2 Floodlight trophy in the same year.

International honours

Graham Walters won a cap for Wales (RL) while at Hull, and Bridgend Blue Dragons 1980-1984, earning 2 caps + 1 cap (interchange/substitute). [1]

Military career

Graham Walters, Military Career Graham Walters Military.jpg
Graham Walters, Military Career
Graham Walters receives Monmouthshire Trophy Graham Walters Welsh Guardsman (Small).jpg
Graham Walters receives Monmouthshire Trophy

At the age of 15, Graham Walters joined the junior Welsh Guards as a boy soldier. He was soon made Lance Corporal and climbed his way up the ranks, eventually making junior Sergeant Major. He took on the role of PTI instructor and speedily achieved the status of Judo black belt, and also became ABA champion boxer of the British Army. With his enormous talent for sport, it was inevitable he started to play rugby for the Welsh Guards and the British Army, previously playing for his home country Wales for the under 15-17s.

Graham Walters joined the 1st Battalion of the Welsh Guards after leaving the position of junior guardsman. Being a marksman of all weapons, he also was assigned as a sniper. Following on from this, he became a Guards Para for 6 months, then was attached to the G-squadron of the SAS regiment; he did 4 tours of Northern Ireland of which one was undercover. During this time, Graham Walters was in active service in Belize and Cyprus.

Note

Before the start of the 1984/85 season, Cardiff City Blue Dragons relocated from Ninian Park in Cardiff, to Coychurch Road Ground in Bridgend, and were renamed Bridgend Blue Dragons.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  2. Williams, Graham; Lush, Peter; Farrar, David (2009). The British Rugby League Records Book. London League. pp. 108–114. ISBN   978-1-903659-49-6.
  3. "Hull snap up Welsh R.U. centre Walters" . Hull Daily Mail. 1 October 1979. p. 16 via British Newspaper Archive.
Graham Walters, Hull F.C. Rugby Team Graham Walters Rugby Team.jpg
Graham Walters, Hull F.C. Rugby Team
Graham Walters and Jimmy White Graham Walters 001.jpg
Graham Walters and Jimmy White
Security to the stars, Graham Walters with Terry Wogan Graham Walters Terry Wogan.jpg
Security to the stars, Graham Walters with Terry Wogan
Graham Walters with Ricky (The Hitman) Hatton MBE. British former professional Welterweight, Light Welterweight boxer. Graham Walters and Ricky Hatton.jpg
Graham Walters with Ricky (The Hitman) Hatton MBE. British former professional Welterweight, Light Welterweight boxer.