TRIBUTES PAID TO FORMER PLAYERS
TRIBUTES have been paid after two rugby players from Bridgend died.
Ogmore-by-Sea-born Owain Williams, pictured, who played in the back row for Bridgend, has died at the age of 56, just three years after the death of his brother Gareth. His death was followed by the passing of Paul ‘Stretch’ Jones.
FORMER Welsh international and “Arms Park legend” Owain Williams has died at the age of 56, just three years after the death of his brother Gareth who also played rugby for Wales.
Ogmore-by-Sea-born Owain Williams, who played in the back row for Glamorgan Wanderers, Bridgend and Cardiff, was a hugely popular figure in Welsh rugby. He was capped once, lining up against Namibia at Windhoek in June 1990, while he also skippered Wales Sevens and represented the Barbarians.
In 1996, he played in the inaugural Heineken Cup final, wearing No 7 for Cardiff as they narrowly lost to Toulouse at the old National Ground.
Over an 18-year club career, he played more than 500 games.
A fine athlete, with a huge workrate, and a fearless competitor, he was also one of the great characters of the game.
Away from rugby, the father-of-four had a job with a difference, being in charge of the set construction for the TV show Casualty.
He had fought a long battle against cancer, having had his right eye removed after being diagnosed with a tumour in 2006 and undergoing further surgery on his liver.
In 2018, he lost his brother, former Wales and Lions star Gareth, to a rare neurological illness, multiple system atrophy, aged 63.
One of his sons, Teddy, is a second row on the books of Cardiff Rugby, while another, Henri, has been playing at lock for Paul Turner’s Ampthill.
Cardiff Rugby posted the following message: “It is with great sadness that we have learnt of the passing of Owain Williams following a long battle with cancer. Owain made 221 first team appearances for the club and established himself as an Arms Park legend. Our heartfelt thoughts are with Teddy and the Williams family.”
Cardiff Rugby life president Peter Thomas added: “The thoughts of everyone at Cardiff Arms Park are with the family and friends of Owain at this incredibly sad time.
“His career spanned from the amateur to the professional era and he was always one of the very first names on the team sheet back in 1996, due to his diligence, professionalism and athleticism. To this day, Owain is undoubtedly one of the best back row forwards Cardiff has ever had. He was a wonderful player and person.
“He will be sadly missed by all of us, particularly at such a young age. He was a very special player and was respected by everyone he played with or against.”
Dual code great Jonathan Davies was a former team-mate and good friend of Williams. “He was just a great guy,” said the former Wales flyhalf. He was a very good player who read the game well. He was also brilliant to have in the squad due to his dry sharp wit.
“It’s tragic news. My prayers and condolences go out to Angie and the boys.”
The youngest of five children, Williams went to Brynteg Comprehensive, where he made his mark in rugby, starring in the Grand Slamwinning Wales Schools U18s team of 1983.
A four year spell with Glamorgan Wanderers followed ahead of a season in Australia in 1988, when he played for the Wests club in Brisbane and appeared for Queensland against both New Zealand and England.
Then came four years with Bridgend, during which he made his Wales debut, ahead of joining Cardiff in 1992, making 221 appearances for the Arms Park club over nine years, scoring 41 tries.
After hanging up his boots in 2001, he headed full-time into set design, which he had studied at Kingston Polytechnic, having first acquired a degree in industrial design at Cardiff University.
He worked on a variety of shows, including a number for S4C, but for the last 16 years he was employed by Casualty, where he was the series production designer.
His death was followed by the sad passing of former Wales B international Paul Jones who has passed away at the age of 49.
Jones, who hailed from the Bridgend area, played in the second row for Llanelli, Newport, Caerphilly and Leeds.
Nicknamed “Stretch”, the former Brynteg pupil made 74 appearances for the Scarlets between 1992 and 1996, scoring 15 tries. He also played for Caerphilly in the final of the 2003 European Shield against Castres at Reading’s Madejski Stadium.
Jones’ former Llanelli team-mate Emyr Lewis said: “That is such sad news. Paul was a great line out forward – tall and athletic – and a good team player. He was also a lovely guy.
“He is another player taken way too soon.”