Colin Hillman (1963 – 2 July 2009) was a Welsh rugby player and coach, known for his time with the Wales sevens team.

Rugby career

Playing career

During his senior playing career, Hillman was a hooker for

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 ...

but also played for the

Barbarians A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by some to be less c ...

Wales Sevens The Wales national rugby sevens team competes in the World Rugby Sevens Series, the Rugby World Cup Sevens and in the Commonwealth Games. Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by Engl ...

Swansea RFC Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premiership. The club play at St Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea and are also known as ''The Whites,'' in reference to their home kit colours. History ...

South Wales Police RFC South Wales Police Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in Bridgend, South Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Ospreys. In 2012, they withdrew from the Welsh league system due to ...

, Bridgend Sports and Merthyr rugby clubs. On 31 May 1980, Hillman played with the Wales Youth team who defeated South Africa Youth in the match before the

British & Irish Lions The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The Lions are a test side and most often select players who have already played for their national ...

played the

Springboks The South Africa national rugby union team, commonly known as the Springboks (colloquially the Boks, Bokke or Amabokoboko), is the country's national team governed by the South African Rugby Union. The Springboks play in green and gold jersey ...

. The game was the first Welsh international win against a South African international team on South African soil until the senior team's tour of the country in 2022. While he never played for the Wales senior XV, he did play for .

Coaching career

After his playing days, Hillman turned to coaching, first at Nantymoel RFC and later at the

Bridgend Ravens 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 ...

. He also was the coach for the

Wales national rugby sevens team The Wales national rugby sevens team competes in the World Rugby Sevens Series, the Rugby World Cup Sevens and in the Commonwealth Games. Wales were the World Cup Sevens Champions after winning the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens in the United Ara ...

Police career

Hillman worked for South Wales Police as an Armed Response Officer.

Personal life

Hillman was married with two children. He died on 2 July 2009 after a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hillman, Colin Welsh rugby union coaches Welsh rugby union players Bridgend RFC players Swansea RFC players 1963 births 2009 deaths