Delme Thomas
Birth name | William Delme Thomas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 12 September 1942 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Bancyfelin, Carmarthenshire, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 191 cm (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 104 kg (229 lb)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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William Delme Thomas (born 12 September 1942[2]) is a former rugby union player who became one of Wales' best known rugby players in the 1960s and 1970s. He joined Llanelli RFC in 1961 and was the team's captain when they won the league in the 1972–73 season and was also the captain when Llanelli beat a touring All Blacks team in 1972. He is remembered for his emotional speech given to his teammates before this game. He played lock forward.
Early life and work
Thomas was born in Bancyfelin, near Carmarthen. He worked as an electricity board linesman, climbing telegraph poles to make repairs.[3]
Rugby career
Llanelli
Thomas played for Llanelli rugby club. He led them in their famous victory over the
Wales
He played for the Wales national youth team at age eighteen and won his first cap against
British and Irish Lions
Delme Thomas toured three times with the then-
After rugby
After retiring from playing rugby in 1974, Thomas experienced mental troubles, which he ascribed in part to leaving the rugby 'family' particularly at Llanelli.[6]
Recognition
In 2000, at the National Eisteddfod in Llanelli, Thomas was honoured as a member of the
References
- Gareth Hughes (1983) One Hundred Years of Scarlet (Clwn Rygbi Llanelli) ISBN 0-9509159-0-4
- ^ "Player – Carmarthen Quins : Official Website".
- ISBN 0-460-07003-7.
- ^ "Peter Jackson: All Blacks aftermath put Delme Thomas in dark place". 28 November 2014.
- ^ "Peter Jackson: All Blacks aftermath put Delme Thomas in dark place". 28 November 2014.
- ^ a b WRU Profile
- ^ "Peter Jackson: All Blacks aftermath put Delme Thomas in dark place". 28 November 2014.
- ^ "Rugby hero honoured by bards". BBC. 1 July 2000. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
External links
- Delme Thomas[permanent dead link], WRU profile