Gareth Edwards

For other people with the same name, see Gareth Edwards (disambiguation).

Sir
Gareth Edwards
CBE
Edwards in 2009
Birth nameGareth Owen Edwards
Date of birth (1947-07-12) 12 July 1947 (age 77)
Place of birthGwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Swansea, Wales.
SchoolMillfield
UniversityCardiff College of Education
Rugby union career
Position(s) Scrum-half
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1966–1978 Cardiff RFC 195 (426)
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1967–1978
1968–1974		 Wales
British Lions		 53
10		 (88)
0(3)

Sir Gareth Owen Edwards CBE (born 12 July 1947) is a Welsh former rugby union player who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".[1]

In 2003, in a poll of international rugby players conducted by Rugby World magazine, Edwards was declared the greatest player of all time. In 2007, former England captain Will Carling published his list of the '50 Greatest Rugby players' in The Daily Telegraph, and ranked Edwards the greatest player ever, stating; "He was a supreme athlete with supreme skills, the complete package. He played in the 1970s, but, if he played now, he would still be the best. He was outstanding at running, passing, kicking and reading the game. He sits astride the whole of rugby as the ultimate athlete on the pitch".[2]

Edwards was prominent in the Wales national team that was to the fore in European rugby in the '60s and '70s. He is one of a small group of Welsh players to have won three Grand Slams including Gerald Davies, JPR Williams, Ryan Jones, Adam Jones, Gethin Jenkins and Alun Wyn Jones.[3]

Edwards was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1975 Birthday Honours for services to Welsh rugby football;[4] he was promoted to Commander (CBE) in the 2007 New Year Honours, "for services to sport, particularly rugby."[5][6] He was knighted in the 2015 Birthday Honours, for services to sport and for charitable services.[7][8]

  1. ^ Palmer, Bryn (6 November 2002). "The state of the Union". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Will Carling – My Top 50 Rugby players". The Daily Telegraph. London. 13 August 2007. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  3. ^ "Six Nations: Wales' Gethin Jenkins and Ryan Jones hail third Grand Slam". BBC Sport. 17 March 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  4. ^ United Kingdom list: "No. 46593". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 June 1975. p. 7382.
  5. ^ "Sporting stars head honours list". BBC News. 30 December 2006. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  6. ^ United Kingdom: "No. 58196". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 30 December 2006. p. 7.
  7. ^ United Kingdom: "No. 61256". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 June 2015. p. B2.
  8. ^ "Queen's Birthday Honours: Gareth Edwards receives knighthood". BBC Sport. 12 June 2015.