Gareth Edwards MBE
Gareth Edwards MBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half, considered by many to be one of the greatest players in the history of the game. He was prominent in the Welsh national team that was to the fore in European rugby in the 60s and 70s.
Gareth won his first international cap for Wales on 1 April 1967 at the young age of 19 against France in Paris.
Between 1967 and 1978 Gareth won 53 caps for Wales, including 13 as captain. All his caps were won in succession; he never had a dip in form or an injury that would allow anybody else to take his place. Gareth was the ultimate finisher, blessed with extreme pace, married with strength, agility and guile. He scored twenty tries in internationals.
He is Wales´ youngest ever captain, gaining his first captaincy at the age of 20 in February 1968 against Scotland – a game which the Welsh side won 5 – 0.
In 1969, Gareth was named Player of the Year in Wales, and in 1974 Gareth was named BBC Wales Sports Personality of the year. He followed up this success by receiving an MBE in 1975.
Gareth´s long successful international career came to an end on 18 March 1978 in the same way as he had started his career – against France in the Five Nations Championship.
He also played ten times for the British Lions, playing for the legendary 1971 Lions team that was the only such team to win a series in New Zealand and for the unbeaten 1974 side in South Africa.
He made his debut for Cardiff RFC against Coventry on 17 September 1966. All in all he played 12 season for Cardiff, scoring 67 tried in 195 games.
Gareth also played for Cardiff College, Wales Secondary Schools, East Wales, Wales, Barbarians, Wolfhounds, Irish President XV, World XV in South Africa in 1977, the combined England and Wales against Scotland and Ireland at the RFU centenary in 1971, first Wales Sevens team SRU centenary in 1973, and the RAF on tour in Cyprus 1972.
When he wrote his autobiography he was branded a “professional” and was temporarily prevented from coaching or being involved in any way with the sport of rugby union.
From 1978 until 1982 Gareth was a team captain on the TV quiz show A Question of Sport along with Liverpool and England footballer Emlyn Hughes.
He now commentates on the game for the BBC and S4C, commentating for the latter in Welsh, his mother tongue. He is also a director at the Cardiff Blues region, director of Mercedes dealership Euro Commercials Ltd. and President of Cardiff Institute for the Blind.