Tributes paid to Bill Clement
The Right Honourable Sir Tasker Watkins, VC GBE DL, Honorary Life Vice-Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union said, “Bill and I were officers in the Welch Regiment – he in the 4th Battalion and I in the 1st/5th Battalion – and he was decorated with the Military Cross as a very fine company commander of men, mainly from West Wales.
“I came to know him and his family intimately after the war and from those days onwards they were very firm friends and neighbours of ours in Llandaff. Socially, he and Madge were excellent friends and he will be missed here and around the Cathedral.
“After leaving Brecon, where he was employed in local government, to become the secretary of the Welsh Rugby Union I was in a position to appreciate what a fine choice he was as secretary. He formed a partnership with Ken Harris, who became the Honorary Treasurer, which amounted to a calm and firm leadership which marked a period of excellent administration of the affairs of rugby in Wales.
“Generally much admired and well liked he knew his rugby football intimately from his own playing days when he was very highly thought of representing Wales and Llanelli. He was among the great Welsh wings and I will certainly miss a genial and true friend while Welsh rugby has lost one of its finest players and administrators.”
WRU Group Chief Executive Roger Lewis added: “Bill Clement was a great servant to Welsh rugby both as a player and an administrator. He had the most famous and recognised signature in the game because it appeared on the bottom of every Welsh rugby international ticket during his 25-year tenure as Secretary.
“During his time in office the WRU led the world game in the coaching revolution, rebuilt the Arms Park and won three Grand Slams. He commanded huge respect both at home and around the rugby playing world. Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time and our thanks go out to him for the service he gave to our game.”
Ray Williams, who succeeded Bill Clement as WRU Secretary in 1981 said, “I knew Bill very well after I went to join his very small staff when he was Secretary and I was the new Coaching Organiser. He was a delightful person to work with, extremely fair, and his integrity was unsurpassed. Of course he had been a very good player and went on to represent the British Lions but most of all he was such a nice man.
“The development of the game meant the WRU staff began to enlarge but Bill had no hesitation in attuning himself to changes – he most certainly was not stuck in any time warp and tried his utmost to embrace and accommodate new ideas.
“He was very receptive to those ideas and his legacy has to be the redevelopment of the old Cardiff Arms Park between 1967 and 1984. It was all done in stages under the outstanding financial guidance of Ken Harris but Bill was right at the heart of all that.”
Haydn Tanner, who captained Wales 12 times in 1947/1949 commented: “Bill and I played together for Wales and he was both a great player and a great man. He is probably best remembered by most people as an outstanding administrator during his 25 years as WRU Secretary, but that tends to overshadow just how fine a player he was for Llanelli and his country.”
