He becomes only the third Welsh rugby international to be honoured in this way following in the footsteps of Sir David William Evans in 1925 and his former Cardiff, Wales and British & Irish Lions teammate Sir Gareth Edwards in 2015.
Also honoured in the New Year’s list is the former Cardiff, Wales and Lions hooker Alan Phillips, who later became a member of the WRU General Committee and team manager for both Wales and the Lions. He has been awarded an MBE for his services to charity and rugby.
Sir Gerald admitted he was left “dumbstruck” after hearing of his award. The 79-year-old former legendary wing served as the WRU’s president from 2019-2023, having won 49 caps for his country as a player between 1966-1978.
“It is an amazing honour,” Sir Gerald told the PA news agency. “I’m 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’m surprised by it, and words are really quite inadequate to describe it.
“It came out of the blue and I was dumbstruck in many ways – but you don’t achieve these things on your own.”
Gerald Davies in his playing days with Wales
Sir Gerald received a CBE for his commitment to youth work in Wales in 2003. His achievements for Wales and the Lions on the field earned him a place on the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame ‘Roll of Honour’ in 1992 and in the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2015.
There were few honours that eluded him during his time s a player. He was capped at Wales Schools U19 level while captain of the 1st XV at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Carmarthen, before heading to Loughborough University thanks to the local Coal Miners Scholarship scheme.
While a student at Loughborough he helped his side win the prestigious Middlesex Sevens at Twickenham in 1964 and 1966 before going on to star at the same tournament later on in his career with London Welsh.
From Loughborough he went to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he won three Blues and captained the side at Twickenham in the 1970 Varsity Match. He also led the Light Blues to a win over Fiji in 1970.
He helped London Welsh become one of the best teams in the UK before returning to Wales to play for Cardiff. He captained Cardiff for three seasons, including in their Centenary Season in 1976-77, and led them to victory over Australia in 1975.
He played for the Barbarians 10 times, including four against touring teams and as captain in the 1977 fixture to celebrate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee at Twickenham against the British & Irish Lions, and was captain of Wales against Australia in his 46th and final game for his country. His first cap had been against the Wallabies in Cardiff 12 years earlier.
He toured South Africa with the 1968 Lions, playing in one Test before getting injured, and was then an ever-present in the four Test series in New Zealand in 1971 when the Lions won 2-1 with the final game drawn.
That remains arguably the greatest Lions team of all-time, while the Wales sides he played in during the Seventies, when he won a record-equaling three Grand Slams in 1971, 1976 and 1978, remains one of the best in the history of the game.
He served as a national representative on the board of directors of the WRU from 2005-14 and was elected President of the WRU in October 2019.
Gerald Davies addressing the WRU clubs at an AGM.
He was the tour manager for the Lions on their 2009 tour to South Africa and then chairman of the Lions board between 2010-2014. He became chairman of the PRO12, the professional rugby tournament for Irish, Welsh, Scottish, Italian and South African sides, and remains a trustee of the Barbarians Charitable Trust.
He initially worked as a schoolteacher, but after retiring as a player in 1978, he became a journalist with the BBC and The Times newspaper. He sat on the Sir Tasker Watkins committee that examined ways to reform Welsh rugby and became chairman of the Wales Youth Agency.
He was an Executive Officer with Sport Wales and a non-executive Director and Chairman of HTV. He is a member of the Eisteddfod Gorsedd of Bards and is a past Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Gwent.
He has been awarded Honorary Fellowships from the Universities of Lampeter, Aberystwyth, Swansea and Cardiff.
In scoring and then record equaling 20 tries for Wales in his 46 Tests he ranked among the greatest stars of the Golden Era of the Seventies, when three Grand Slams and five Triple Crowns were secured.
“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’m 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, but rugby will be part of my life forever.”
Alan Phillips with Warren Gatland at the 2019 World Cup bronze final in Japan
Phillips receives his honour after another stellar career in the game, as well as major contributions to charities in Wales. He won 18 caps as a hooker for Wales and toured South Africa with the 1980 British & Irish Lions.
He played for and captained Cardiff, making 470 appearances and scoring 162 tries. He then went on to become the Wales A team manager while serving on the WRU. He was then recruited by Graham Henry to be team manager for the National Team in 2002.
He was in that role right through to 2019 and served six head coaches and was involved with four Grand Slam sides. He ended his professional rugby career as director of operations with the British & Irish Lions on their 2021 tour to South Africa.
The WRU would like to pass on hearty congratulations to both Sir Gerald Davies and Alan Phillips on their inclusion in the New Year’s Honours list and to thank them for their services to the national game of Wales.
WELSH RUGBY’S KNIGHTS
Sir David William Evans
Born in Dowlais, he learned his rugby at Llandovery College before going on to Oxford University. He captained Cardiff in 1891-92, played for the Barbarians four times in 1891, featured for London Welsh and won five caps for Wales as a forward 1889-91. He became a practicing solicitor in Cardiff in 1893 and immersed himself in Welsh life. In 1913, he was appointed as director and legal advisor of the King Edward VII National Memorial Association for the Prevention and Treatment of Tuberculosis. In this role in was claimed he unquestionably had far-reaching effects on the health of the Welsh nation. He was also a member of the council of the Cardiff Royal Infirmary, the Prince of Wales’s Hospital, the Nursing Association, the National Eisteddfod Association, the National Council of Music, and the Ministry of Health Consultative Council for Wales. He was knighted in 1925 “for public services in Wales”.Sir Gareth Edwards
Named frequently as the game’s greatest player of all time, he was knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List of 2015 “for services to sport and for charitable services”. He won a then record 53 caps for his country, never missing a game from the day he made his debut against France in 1967 through to a third Grand Slam win over the French in Cardiff in 1978, scoring a record 20 tries. He played in 10 Tests for the British & Irish Lions on three tours, playing in each Test on the unbeaten tour of South Africa in 1974 and the triumphant tour of New Zealand in 1971. His try for the Barbarians in their win over New Zealand in Cardiff in 1973 has long been heralded as the greatest of all-time. He played all his club rugby for Cardiff and was enrolled onto the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame’s ‘Roll of Honour’ and into the World Rugby Hall of Fame. Post rugby he has been a long-standing director of Cardiff Rugby and President of Cardiff Institute for the Blind. He was made MBE in 1975 and CBE in 2007.
Craig Maxwell walks out with his family ahead of the Wales v Frace game earlier this year
Former Welsh Rugby Union commercial director Craig Maxwell has received an OBE for voluntary and charitable services to Improving Outcomes for People with Cancer..
Maxwell was diagnosed with incurable and inoperable EGFR lung and bone cancer aged just 40 two years ago and has since gone on to courageously carry out inspirational charity endeavours to raise funds to help others.
“It is an incredible honour to receive the OBE,” he said. “The support we have received as a family has been inspirational, enabling us to navigate through some of the most challenging years of our lives and transform the darkest of times into a force for good.
“Together with hundreds of dedicated fundraisers, we have raised over £1.5 million in essential funds to support the cancer pathway in Wales.
“We are deeply grateful to everyone who has supported us along the way, and want to express our heartfelt thanks to the doctors, nurses, and the entire team at Velindre, whose unwavering care has kept me going and empowered us to continue our mission.
“While this recognition is truly humbling, our work is far from finished. We remain committed to supporting the fight against cancer and look forward to making a lasting impact in the years ahead. Thank you once again to all those who have helped us on this journey.”
Elsewhere, Aberavon RFC chair Andrew John has been awarded an MBE for charity and business. He previously received the Freedom of The Borough Of Neath Port Talbot in 2013 for his services to the county borough for rugby football and the business community. He is a passionate Wizards supporter on and off the field nad been heavily involved with Aberavon for a number of years.
