Brian Richard Williams (9 July 1960 - 7 February 2007) was a
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
international
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
Maenclochog
Maenclochog () is a village, parish and Community (Wales), community in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales. It is also the name of Maenclochog (electoral ward), an electoral ward comprising a wider area of four surrounding communities. Maenclocho ...
in
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The count ...
, into the West Wales farming community. He began playing rugby at
Ysgol y Preseli
Ysgol Bro Preseli is a Wales, Welsh 3-18 school in the village of Crymych, Pembrokeshire, Wales.
History
Prior to the school's opening, pupils from the villages in the north of the county that passed the eleven-plus exam attended schools in eith ...
, Narberth RFC and Pembrokeshire RFC, with his brothers John and Anthony. His nephew Andrew is currently a rising star at scrum-half in Narberth's youth set-up, and side player for Wales Under 21 side.
Williams was spotted and signed for Neath RFC. During a single major club career which spanned 16 years, Williams played for the club more than 250 times. He made his debut as a first-class player in 1983, against
Bridgend RFC
Bridgend Ravens ( cy, Cigfrain Pen-y-bont) (formerly Bridgend RFC) are a semi-professional rugby union club based in Bridgend, South Wales.
They currently play in the Welsh Premier Division and are a feeder club to the Ospreys regional team ...
, and went on to become one of the club's most popular players. He played as a
prop
A prop, formally known as (theatrical) property, is an object used on stage or screen by actors during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinct ...
, despite his relatively light build (6'1" tall and weighing little more than 14 stone) which belied his incredible strength -
Gareth Llewellyn
Gareth Owen Llewellyn (born 27 February 1969), is a Welsh former rugby union player who gained a record 92 caps for Wales as a lock. His record for Wales caps was surpassed by Gareth Thomas in May 2007. His brother, Glyn Llewellyn, also played i ...
said that Williams was "the fittest and most powerful man" he ever played rugby with. Williams was one of three players in Neath's "farming" front row, alongside his near neighbours Kevin Phillips and fellow prop Jeremy Pugh, later replaced by neighbour John Davies. Williams played in the Neath side that was Welsh Club Champions in 1986/7, 1988/9 and 1989/90, won the inaugural
Welsh Premier Division
The Welsh Premier Division, () known for sponsorship reasons as the Indigo Group Premiership, (''Uwch Gynghrair grŵp indigo'') is a rugby union league in Wales first implemented by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) for the 1990–91 season.
Compe ...
title in 1990/1, and also won the WRU Challenge Cup in 1988/9 and 1989/90. Williams featured in the Neath side that set new world records for tries (385) and points (1917) in the 1988-89 season; and played for the club against several international touring sides.
His build may have delayed him being selected to play for Wales, and he had to wait for his international debut until 1990, by which time Neath coach
Ron Waldron
Ronald Gwyn Waldron (born 14 December 1933) Scrum.com is a Welsh former
had taken charge of the Welsh team. He made his first appearance for Wales in a Five Nations match against
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
in
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
on 3 March 1990. He played in five international matches, all defeats, his final international being the Five Nations match against Scotland at Murrayfield on 2 February 1991. When
Ospreys
The osprey (''Pandion haliaetus''), , also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than in length and across the wings. It is brown o ...
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
for the first time in June 2006, he said that he had "always looked up to Brian Williams in the way he played." Williams retired from the first-class game in 1995 to run his dairy farm, having played over 250 games for Neath.
Death
Williams died at the age of 46 in Llangolman, in Pembrokeshire of a suspected heart attack, having been actively involved in a club reunion at The Gnoll rugby ground only four days earlier. He was survived by his wife and two daughters.