OBITUARY
JPR Williams: Wales and British & Irish Lions great dies aged 74
Full back, who won three grand slams with Wales and beat South Africa and New Zealand with the Lions, died of bacterial meningitis
Williams takes on New Zealand’s Ian Kirkpatrick while playing for the Lions in 1971
GETTY
JPR Williams, one of the greatest full backs to have played rugby union, has died aged 74.
Williams was the last line of defence in the great Wales side of the 1970s, famously never losing to England. He made his debut for Wales in 1969 and won the last of his 55 caps in 1981, a career of remarkable longevity for the time. He was also part of the British & Irish Lions sides of 1971 and 1974, winning a Test series in New Zealand and then going unbeaten in 22 matches in South Africa, winning 21 of them. Williams played in all eight Tests over those two campaigns.
A statement from the Williams family said: “JPR died peacefully today at the University Hospital of
