Birth name | Richard Lloyd Evans | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 23 June 1960 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Aberporth, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 243 lb (17 st 5 lb; 110 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Richard Lloyd "Ricky" Evans (born 23 June 1960) is a former Welsh international rugby union player.
Born in Aberporth Cardigan in West Wales in 1960, Ricky Evans played most of his club rugby for Llanelli RFC playing in the victorious side which beat the touring Wallabies who were then World Champions. He was capped 19 times by Wales playing at loose head prop.
His debut was against England at Cardiff Arms Park in 1993, a game which Wales won 10-9. In 1994 he played in the Five Nations winning Welsh team although losing to England in the final game at Twickenham a try was on the cards for Ricky, however a desperate tap tackle by Dewi Morris prevented a certain score, however retaining the ball and making it available Nigel Walker scored the vital try in the corner to reduce the points difference and secure the title for Wales.
Despite a serious ankle injury sustained in the Five Nations match against France in Paris in January 1995, he recovered fitness and went on to play in the 1995 World Cup against New Zealand and Ireland.
History was made in the French courts when Ricky sued Olivier Merle the French lock who had caused the injury through foul play. For the first time video evidence (of the game) was accepted in a French Court. The match had been taped by his father and proved to be the turning point in the trial.
Injury cut short what was a promising career at international level which may well have resulted in selection for the British & Irish Lions 1997 squad to tour South Africa.
He finished his playing career with Cardigan RFC and has played in the Bermuda Veterans Tournament being on the winning "British Lions" side against New Zealand.
Barry John is a former Welsh rugby union fly-half who played, during the amateur era of the sport, in the 1960s, and early 1970s. John began his rugby career as a schoolboy playing for his local team Cefneithin RFC before switching to first-class west Wales team Llanelli RFC in 1964. It was while at Llanelli that John was first selected for the Wales national team, a shock selection as a replacement for David Watkins to face a touring Australian team.
Philip Bennett was a Welsh rugby union player who played as a fly-half for Llanelli RFC and the Wales national team. He began his career in 1966, and a year later he had taken over from Barry John as Llanelli's first-choice fly-half. He made 414 appearances for the Scarlets over the course of a 15-year career he scored 131 tries, 43 drop goals, 293 pens and 523 convs. He made his Wales debut in 1969, but it was not until John's retirement from rugby in 1972 that Bennett became a regular starter for his country. He led Wales to the Five Nations Championship title, including the Grand Slam in 1978, which culminated with his retirement from Wales duty.
David John Duckham MBE was an English rugby union player. He played 36 games for England, in three tests on the 1971 British Lions tour to New Zealand and for Barbarians F.C. in their 1973 defeat of New Zealand.
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, shortly after which relocating to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since.
Ieuan Cennydd Evans is a former rugby union player who played on the wing for Wales and the British and Irish Lions. He is the fourth highest try scorer for Wales behind Shane Williams, George North and Gareth Thomas and joint 24th in the world on the all-time test try scoring list. Evans held the record for the most Wales caps as captain with 28, a record overtaken by Ryan Jones in 2012.
Gethin Jenkins is a Welsh former professional rugby union player who played as a prop for Pontypridd, Celtic Warriors, Cardiff Blues and Toulon. At international level, he won 129 caps for Wales. On his 105th appearance in 2014, he became Wales' most-capped player, overtaking the record held by Stephen Jones; having earned his final cap in November 2016, his record was surpassed by Alun Wyn Jones in September 2019. He is one of a small group of Welsh players to have won three Grand Slams. He also won five caps for the British & Irish Lions on three tours in 2005, 2009 and 2013. He is the sixth most-capped player in rugby union history and the most-capped front-row forward.
Shane Mark Williams, is a Welsh rugby union player most famous for his long and successful tenure as a wing for the Ospreys and the Wales national team. He also played scrum-half on occasion. Williams is the record try scorer for Wales, and is fourth on the international list of leading rugby union test try scorers behind Daisuke Ohata, Bryan Habana and David Campese.
Derek Leslie Quinnell is a former Welsh rugby union player. He played as a lock-forward and as a number eight. He was capped for Wales youth 1967/8 season.
In 1971 the Lions toured New Zealand, also playing two matches in Australia. Despite losing the first match to Queensland the tour was a great success, the Lions winning the Test series against the All Blacks. They are still the only Lions side to have won a Test series in New Zealand. The side was captained by John Dawes, coached by Carwyn James and managed by Doug Smith.
James William Hook is a retired Welsh rugby union player. Hook has won 81 caps for Wales and is Wales' fourth highest all-time points scorer. Most often playing as a fly-half, Hook is known as a utility player, and has also played as a centre, wing and fullback.
Alun Wyn Jones is a Welsh international rugby union player who plays as a lock for Toulon and formerly for the Wales international team. He is the world's most-capped rugby union player, with 158 caps for Wales and 12 for the British & Irish Lions, and also holds the records for the most Wales caps and the second most Wales caps as captain. He retired from international rugby in 2023.
Thomas Patrick David is a Welsh former dual-code international rugby union and rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. He played representative rugby union (RU) for Wales and the British Lions and rugby league (RL) for Wales. He was selected for the 1974 British Lions tour to South Africa, and at the time played club rugby for Llanelli RFC. He also played for his home-town club Pontypridd RFC, and while at the club was part of the 1976 Grand Slam winning Wales team. In 1981 he switched codes to rugby league, representing Cardiff City Blue Dragons.
David Brynmor Williams is a Welsh dual-code international rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for British Lions and Wales, at invitational level for Barbarian F.C., and at club level for Cardiff RFC, Newport RFC and Swansea RFC, as a Scrum-half, i.e. number 9, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales, and at club level for Cardiff City (Bridgend) Blue Dragons, as a scrum-half, i.e. number 7.
Jamie Huw Roberts is a Welsh former professional rugby union player, who played as a centre.
Terence John Davies MBE was a Welsh international full back who played club rugby for Swansea and Llanelli. He won 21 caps for Wales and was selected to play in the British Lions on the 1959 tour of Australia and New Zealand. Davies was seen as the last of the great Welsh full backs, before the 'No direct kicking into touch' rule was introduced in the late sixties and changed the full back role.
John Rees Glyn Stephens was a Welsh international rugby union player who played club rugby for Tonmawr RFC and Neath. He won 32 caps for Wales and was selected to play in the British Lions on the 1950 tour of Australia and New Zealand. He was the son of a past Welsh rugby international, Glyn Stephens, who was also president of the Welsh Rugby Union.
Stephen Leigh Halfpenny is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a fullback or wing for the Scarlets, Wales and the British & Irish Lions. Halfpenny is the third highest points scorer for Wales after Neil Jenkins and Stephen Jones.
Daniel Biggar is a Welsh rugby union player currently playing for French Top 14 side Toulon as a fly-half. A Wales international, Biggar has also twice been selected to tour with the British and Irish Lions.
Thomas Ellis Jones-Davies was a Welsh physician and international rugby union centre.
Tangaki Taulupe Faletau, commonly known as Toby Faletau but professionally as Taulupe Faletau, is a Welsh professional rugby union player for Cardiff Rugby in the United Rugby Championship and has represented the Wales national team for over 10 years. The back row forward played for Cross Keys RFC, Newport RFC and Newport Gwent Dragons in Wales before joining Bath in England in 2016. He joined present club Cardiff in 2022.