A Knight to remember for ex-Wales player Paul
A FORMER Wales and Pontypridd rugby player who has battled Multiple Sclerosis for almost 20 years has been honoured with a special event at the Sardis Road clubhouse.
Ex-players were among those who came out in force to attend the event on May 12 which paid tribute to Rhondda-born Paul Knight.
The event was called A Knight To Remember, and among the former Pontypridd players present were Tom David, Martyn Williams, Bob Penberthy, Nigel Bezani and Adrian Owen.
Paul, 56, gained a great reputation playing at prop forward for Aberavon before joining Pontypridd.
He played five times for Wales and also the Barbarians before joining Treorchy, where his playing career was ended when he was told he was in the initial stages of Multiple Sclerosis.
Paul said: “It all began when I had a problem with my vision and after hospital tests I was diagnosed with the illness.”
No longer was Paul faced with the challenges on a rugby field but against a much bigger opponent in the form of MS.
The illness forced him to end his playing career at Treorchy to combat the condition with the support of wife Jennifer and daughter Nadia.
Over the years Paul has been a patient at the University Hospital of Wales, Rookwood, Ysbyty George Thomas and the old and new Llwynypia hospitals.
One of the people to visit him at Rookwood Hospital was Pontypridd rugby legend Tom David who described Paul as “an inspiration”.
Unable to cope with his terraced home in Trealaw, Paul, who uses a wheelchair, now lives in an adapted house in Treorchy and is regularly visited by friends and his former rugby playing colleagues.
He said: “I am overwhelmed by the number of people who attended the event.
“To know that I have so many friends gives me a real boost.”
Event organiser Bob Harris said: “It is a pleasure and a privilege to hold this event for Paul where we can all honour in our own way the remarkable achievements he has made on the rugby field and the shining example he is to others while dealing with his illness.”