Ask a room full of rugby fans to name the greatest player of all time and you'll hear one name more than any other: Sir Gareth Edwards. The miner's son from Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen was the heartbeat of Wales' golden era and a two-time series winner with the British & Irish Lions.
In 2003 a Rugby World poll of international players voted him the greatest ever, and more than half a century on, "that try" for the Barbarians still gets replayed whenever the game's finest moments are discussed. Find more legends in our rugby union collection.
Gareth Edwards Fact File
| Full name | Sir Gareth Owen Edwards |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 12 July 1947 (age 79) |
| Place of birth | Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Glamorgan, Wales |
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) |
| Position | Scrum-half |
| Nationality | Welsh |
| Current status | Retired (final Test March 1978) |
| Club | Cardiff RFC (1966–1978) |
Career History
| Years | Team | Caps | Tries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966–1978 | Cardiff RFC | 195 games | — |
| 1967–1978 | Wales | 53 | 20 |
| 1968–1974 | British & Irish Lions | 10 Tests | — |
Wales and Lions figures are Test caps only. Cardiff figures are all first-team games; published club try totals differ, so we've left them out.
Early Years: A Village Boy With Every Gift
Gareth grew up in the mining village of Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen and went to Pontardawe Technical School, where sports teacher Bill Samuels spotted something special. He excelled at athletics, becoming a Welsh Schools champion in the hurdles and long jump.
A scholarship to Millfield School in Somerset followed, then Cardiff College of Education. He made his Cardiff debut against Coventry on 17 September 1966 and never looked back.
Celebrate where it all began with our Gareth Edwards Rugby Union Icon Frame Men's Hoodie.
Breakthrough: Capped at 19, Captain at 20
Edwards won his first Wales cap against France in Paris on 1 April 1967, aged just 19. Less than a year later, in February 1968 against Scotland, he became Wales' youngest ever captain at 20. He went on to lead his country 13 times.
His partnerships with fly-halves Barry John and then Phil Bennett became the stuff of legend, and he played 53 consecutive Tests for Wales, scoring 20 tries, a remarkable return for a scrum-half.
Wear a piece of Welsh history with our Gareth Edwards Men's T-Shirt.
Peak: Grand Slams, Lions Glory and That Try
Wales won seven Five Nations titles during his career, including Grand Slams in 1971, 1976 and 1978. With the Lions he toured South Africa in 1968, then played every Test as the 1971 side became the only Lions team to win a series in New Zealand, and again for the unbeaten 1974 tourists in South Africa.
Then came 27 January 1973 at Cardiff Arms Park. Phil Bennett's sidesteps sparked a flowing move from deep that Edwards finished in the corner as the Barbarians beat New Zealand 23–11. It is still widely called the greatest try ever scored.
Relive that moment with our Gareth Edwards Men's Hoodie.
Legacy: The Greatest of Them All
Edwards bowed out on 18 March 1978 with a 16–7 win over France in Cardiff, sealing another Grand Slam. He was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 1997 and the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2007, and was knighted in 2015. A sculpture of him stands in Cardiff's St David's centre.
Honours
Wales
- 53 Test caps, 20 tries, 13 as captain
- Seven Five Nations titles
- Grand Slams: 1971, 1976, 1978
British & Irish Lions
- Tours: 1968, 1971, 1974
- Series wins: New Zealand 1971, South Africa 1974
Individual
- BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year: 1974
- International Rugby Hall of Fame (1997) and World Rugby Hall of Fame (2007)
- MBE (1975), CBE (2007), knighted (2015)
Off the Pitch
Edwards was a team captain on BBC's A Question of Sport from 1978 to 1982 and has commentated for the BBC and, in Welsh, for S4C. A keen angler, he set a British pike record in 1990, and with his wife Maureen he presented Gareth Edwards's Great Welsh Adventure for the BBC.
FAQs
How old is Gareth Edwards?
Sir Gareth Edwards is 79. He was born on 12 July 1947.
Where was Gareth Edwards born?
He was born in Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, a mining village in Glamorgan, south Wales.
How tall is Gareth Edwards?
The British & Irish Lions list him at 1.73 m, roughly 5 ft 8 in.
What teams did Gareth Edwards play for?
He played his club rugby for Cardiff, won 53 caps for Wales, played 10 Tests for the British & Irish Lions and turned out for the Barbarians.
How many tries did Gareth Edwards score for Wales?
He scored 20 tries in 53 Tests for Wales between 1967 and 1978.
What was Gareth Edwards' famous try?
His try for the Barbarians against New Zealand at Cardiff Arms Park on 27 January 1973, finishing a sweeping move started by Phil Bennett, is widely regarded as the greatest try ever scored.
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Pay tribute to a Welsh legend.
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Part of our Player Profiles series. Read next: Brian O'Driscoll: Ireland and Leinster and Jonah Lomu: All Blacks and World Cup.
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