A fond farewell to ‘Sam’
Glamorgan Gazette sports writer Tony Poole takes a look back at the career of Bridgend, Wales and British Lions backrow man Gareth Powell Williams, who has died aged 63
THE ANNOUNCEMENT of the death of Gareth Williams has relieved Bridgend RFC and the town of one of their most iconic rugby players.
Nicknamed “Sam” he burst on to the Brewery Field scene from the old South Glamorgan Institute (now Cardiff Metropolitan University) in 1977, and went on to become a cornerstone of the pack over the next 13 seasons.
He played for Bridgend in four successive WRU Cup finals with victories achieved over Pontypridd in 1979 and Swansea a year later.
His physique, however, labelled him as a new generation back row forward who was equally at ease with ball in hand as winning tail-end lineout pos- session or doing the nitty-gritty deeds in scrum and loose. Williams also possessed a good turn of speed and early in his career he set a seasonal club record for a forward in touching down 21 times – including five in one game against Penarth.
He went on to make 507 appearances for Bridgend, scoring a recordbreaking 133 tries and 532 points for a forward, and it’s extremely doubtful if that record will ever be broken.
During the 1984/85 campaign, Williams captained the club for the only time although he did take over from flanker John Morgan when he was injured midway through season 1987/88.
His form for Bridgend naturally attracted Welsh interest, and he was capped five times from 1980-82. And during the 1982-83 season, he was one of six Bridgend players to represent Wales, the others being Garry Pearce, Ian Stephens, Steve Fenwick, JPR Williams and Gerald Williams.
But perhaps his big- gest claim to fame came in May 1980 when he was called from a Welsh summer tour of North America to replace injured Cardiff flanker Stuart Lane on the British Lions tour of South Africa.
Williams along with Bridgend colleague Ian Stephens flew south, as the Lions under the captaincy of English lock Billy Beaumont were suffering unprecedented injury problems.
Though Williams failed to make the Test side – the Springboks taking the series 3-1 – he played in six tour matches that were all won.
His attractive style also led to numerous call ups from the Barbarians, commencing with their then traditional Welsh Easter Tour in 1979.
And two years late, he was part of their winning side in the Hong Kong Sevens.
After his playing days were over, he became manager of the Bridgend branch of the old Mid Glamorgan Building Society. And for many years he conveyed imaginative thoughts on rugby via a Glamorgan Gazette column in conjunction with then sports editor Clive Girton.
Sadly, in 2012 he was diagnosed with Multiple System Atrophy, and six years later it was to claim his life.
Bridgend RFC have been inundated with messages of sympathy, and the one from a fellow Bridgend, Wales and British Lions player in Gareth Thomas is particularly poignant.
His Twitter message read: “A true rugby icon and all-round nice guy – from a member of his rugby family.”
On a personal note, as a Bridgend rugby fan of this era, my abiding memory of him is breaking from loose play with ball in hand like a basketball player with his power and pace frequently taking him over the try-line.
Gareth Williams – what an athlete, what a rugby player, your deeds in the blue and white stripes of Bridgend will live on.