New Year Honours: Rugby legend Gerald Davies left 'humbled and moved' by knighthood

  • Carole Green reporting.

Former Wales and British and Irish Lions player Gerald Davies said he was "honoured" and "moved" to have received a knighthood in the New Year Honours.

The 79-year-old is a legend in Welsh rugby, serving as Welsh Rugby Union president for four years and being one of only a few former players to have won three Grand Slams.

The ex-winger has been recognised for services to rugby union and voluntary and charitable service in Wales.

Across Sir Gerald's 12-year international career he collected 20 touchdowns in 46 Tests for his country.

His performances ranked him among Wales’ top players, taking a place alongside the likes of Gareth Edwards, Barry John and JPR Williams as a great of the game.

Gerald Davies (center) represented the Barbarians in 1977 at Twickenham, in a game against the British Lions. Credit: PA Images

He also featured in five Tests for the Lions, including all four on the 1971 New Zealand tour that remains the Lions’ only Test series triumph against the All Blacks.

In club rugby he played for Cardiff, Llanelli and London Welsh and after his retirement he became a highly-respected administrator in the sport.

He was Lions manager for the 2009 tour to South Africa and he was Welsh Rugby Union president between 2019 and 2023.

“It is an amazing honour,” Sir Gerald told the PA news agency.

“I am humbled by it and moved by the thought that somebody, somewhere, has thought it worthy of giving me that honour.

“With that in mind, you are always aware in getting an honour like this of the enormous support you get from your family – my wife Cilla and children Emily and Ben.

“They are constantly at my side in giving me support over the years. It is not something that you achieve entirely on your own.

“I thank those who have encouraged me over the years, the generosity and kindness of friends, colleagues and countless others.

“I feel very emotional about it. I am surprised by it. Words are really quite inadequate to describe it. It comes out of the blue. I was dumbstruck in many ways, but you don’t achieve these things on your own.”

After his playing career finished, Sir Gerald was President of the Welsh Rugby Union and met the union's patron Prince William. Credit: PA Images

Sir Gerald was made a CBE in 2003 and his work off the rugby field also won him many admirers.

“I have supported charities in the communities, and I have done so throughout my life. I think that is important,” he added.

“I have always believed that I should participate in the game.

“Once the game, playing-wise, was over I always wanted to do something in addition to that, not just as a player, but as an administrator for Wales, the Lions, the Barbarians.

“I am not involved now in the earnest way that I have been right throughout my life. It is nice and calm, and I like it that way, to look at it from a distance.

“Rugby will be part of my life forever.”

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