J. P. R. Williams
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John Peter Rhys Williams
Playing in the position of
Williams is one of a small group of Welsh players to have won three Grand Slams including Gerald Davies, Gareth Edwards, Ryan Jones, Adam Jones, Gethin Jenkins and Alun Wyn Jones.[4]
An
Early life
Williams was born just outside Bridgend, Wales, and was educated at Bridgend Boys' Grammar School (now Brynteg Comprehensive School) and then Millfield School in Somerset, as was his Wales teammate Gareth Edwards.[3]
As well as being a
Rugby career
Williams' focus moved from tennis to rugby union, which was an amateur sport, in order to pursue a career in medicine.[9] He quickly attracted attention and was consequently first capped by Wales in 1969, aged 19.[10]
Williams went on to earn 55
Williams had many high points in his career, being a key player in a Welsh side that won
Williams was involved in the build up of the famous 1973
Williams retired from international rugby union in 1981 and continued his career as an
Playing style
At the times Williams played, the rugby rules restricted kicking to touch. This suited Williams as he did not naturally like kicking and would rather counter attack. For Wales this was helped by playing with very high-quality wingers, such as Gerald Davies and J. J. Williams.[16]
Welsh international rugby honours and statistics
- First cap: 1 February 1969, Murrayfield, Scotland (Scotland 3 – Wales 17)
- His fifty-five caps comprised 37 wins, four draws and 14 defeats
- Member of three Grand Slam-winning teams: 1971, 1976, 1978.
- Member of six Triple Crown-winning teams: 1969, 1971, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
- Scored 36 points (five four-point tries and one three-point try; three penalty goals and two conversions)
- Captained Wales five times (1978–79 – Championship and Triple Crown Season)
- Final cap: 7 February 1981, Murrayfield, Scotland (Scotland 15 – Wales 6)
(Source[7])
Recognition
In 1977 Williams was appointed
Williams was the subject of
Williams was one of the inaugural inductees of the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 1997.[18]
Sean Fitzpatrick and Ian McGeechan have said Williams was the best rugby full-back of all time.[19][20]
Medical career and other activities
Williams studied medicine at St Mary's Hospital Medical School, qualifying as a physician in 1973. He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1980.[7] In 1986 he was appointed a consultant in trauma and orthopaedic surgery at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend.[21]
Williams represented several cricket teams, particularly the Lord's Taverners team, between 1976 and 2004.[22]
In January 2006, in a party of 16 Welsh men and women, he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania for charity, helping to raise more than £200,000 for the NSPCC's 'Full Stop' Campaign.[7]
Personal life
Williams was married to Scilla and the couple had four children. They lived in the Vale of Glamorgan.[23]
He died from
Views
Williams regarded Barry John as "Without doubt, the greatest player I played with."[26]
In 2008 Williams said that if, when he was young, rugby and tennis had been in the conditions that they then were (in 2008) then he would have chosen to play tennis rather than rugby, because of the greater financial rewards of tennis and the increased physical dangers of rugby.[9][17]
References
- ISBN 978-0-340-92308-5.
- ^ "The life of JPR at 70, a courageous Welsh rugby great who was always different from the rest". Wales Online. 4 March 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "JPR Williams dies". Wales Online. 8 January 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ "Six Nations: Wales' Gethin Jenkins and Ryan Jones hail third Grand Slam". BBC Sport. 17 March 2012.
- ^ a b Henderson, Jon (15 June 2008). "Now I'd choose tennis". The Observer. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
- ^ "They could play tennis too: JPR Williams". Tennishead. 29 July 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-340-92308-5.
- ^ "Boys' Singles 1966 Final". Wimbledon Archive. Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ a b c Henderson, Jon (14 June 2008). "Now I'd choose tennis". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
- ^ a b c d "JPR Williams". ESPN. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
- ^ "That day that Wales' JPR Williams was almost lynched in Durban". IOL. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
- ^ "Welsh rugby union greats". The Guardian. 14 October 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
- ^ "11 greatest drop goals in the history of rugby ranked". Wales Online. 5 February 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
- ^ "Barbarians try dubbed greatest after 50 years". Rugby World. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- Observer Sport Monthly. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
- ^ James, Steve (9 January 2024). "'JPR Williams had sixth sense for danger, which he often sought out'". The Times.
- ^ a b Alderman, Elgan (9 January 2024). "JPR Williams: Wales and British & Irish Lions great dies aged 74". The Times.
- ^ "IRB to induct 37 players into new Hall of Fame". ESPN. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
- ^ Orders, Mark (4 November 2020). "Rugby's greatest ever XV named as Williams and Edwards get All Black's vote". Wales Online.
- ^ McGeechan, Sir Ian (8 January 2024). "My Lions team-mate JPR was the best full-back the game has ever seen". The Daily Telegraph.
- ^ "JPR Williams: The orthopaedic surgeon who broke bones with Lions and Wales". The Independent. 8 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ "Miscellaneous Matches played by JPR Williams". Cricket Archive.
- ^ "The life of JPR Williams, the Welsh rugby hero who was different from the rest". Wales Online. 8 January 2024.
- ^ "JPR Williams: Wales and British and Irish Lions legend dies aged 74". BBC Sport. 8 January 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
- ^ Kitson, Robert (8 January 2024). "JPR Williams, Wales and Lions rugby union great, dies aged 74". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
- ^ Orders, Mark (4 March 2019). "The life of JPR at 70, a Welsh rugby great who was different from the rest". Wales Online.
External links
- Profile at archive.today (archived 2 February 2013) at The International Rugby Hall of Fame
- Profile at ESPN Scrum
- 100 Welsh Heroes: #24 J.P.R. Williams
- Small talk: J.P.R. Williams Archived 20 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Paul Doyle, The Guardian, 6 October 2006
- J.P.R. Williams, full back, BBC News, 18 March 2005
- Gavin Henson interview: J.P.R. Williams, The Observer, 6 November 2005