Phil Bennett

Phil Bennett
OBE

Birth name	Philip Bennett
Date of birth	(1948-10-24)24 October 1948
Place of birth	Felinfoel, Carmarthenshire, Wales
Date of death	12 June 2022(2022-06-12) (aged 73)
Place of death	Felinfoel, Carmarthenshire, Wales
Height	170 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Weight	72 kg (11 st 5 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fly-half Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) Felinfoel RFC () 1966–1981 Llanelli RFC 414 (2,535) 1970–1980 Barbarians 20 (181) International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1969–1978 Wales 29 (166) 1974–1977 British Lions 8 (44)

Philip Bennett OBE (24 October 1948 – 12 June 2022) 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.

Bennett also toured with the British Lions to South Africa in 1974, when they went unbeaten in 22 matches, and to New Zealand in 1977, and also made 20 appearances for the Barbarians between 1970 and 1980; he played a pivotal role in the win over New Zealand in 1973, considered by many to be the best rugby union match ever played.^[1]

Bennett was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2015.^[2] In 2020, his try for Wales against Scotland in March 1977 was voted the greatest Wales try of all time.^[3][4]