Hot on the heels of the silver medals won by James Davies and Sam Cross with Team GB in the rugby sevens at the Olympic Games, where Scarlets wing Jasmine Joyce also played in the women’s team, the former Brecon hooker backed up his status as world No 1 with a stunning triumph.
“It is a fantastic achievement by one of Welsh rugby’s most inspirational characters. It is a golden triumph that has created a huge buzz throughout our rugby community,” said WRU chairman, Gareth Davies.
“Rob is an example to us all – someone who believes that anything is possible and won’t ever settle for second best. We are thrilled for him, his family and everyone at Brecon who has backed him so wholeheartedly.
“We are also immensely proud of the fact that the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust has supported him and played a small part in his success. We look forward to welcoming him home and giving him the welcome he deserves.”
The 32-year-old Davies, confined to a wheelchair since breaking his neck in a National League match at Ynysybwl in 2005, went into the Paralympics having been crowned as European champion and regaining his world No 1 spot at the end of 2015.
He won all his group games before convincingly beating Hungary’s Endre Major in the semi-final to book his place in the final against the tough Korean, Young Dae Joo. Having faild to win a medal at the London Games in 2012, Davies was determined to fulfil his dream in Rio.
It took him four games to earn the gold medal, taking the final 3-1 (14-12, 4-11, 11-9, 11-5) to join fellow Welsh paralympic golden wonders Aled Davies (F42 Shot putt), Hollie Arnold (F46 javelin) and Rachel Morris (Rowing).
Davies triumph 24 hours after Team GB colleague Will Bayley had on the gold medal in the Class 7 singles. The Welshman’s win was his first in three outings against the Korean, racing into a 6-1 in the fourth game before taking the score to 9-5 and adding the final two points to clinch the title after 31 minutes.
“I have played Young Dae Joo twice in competition before and lost both times. I haven’t beaten any of the Koreans for a while, so to do it on the biggest stage is brilliant,” said Davies.
“I’m not really sure what to think at the moment, it’s amazing. I can’t believe I kept it together – I’ve got a gold medal for Paralympics GB!
“I’ve just got to thank so many people. My family and friends have been amazing and I hope my twin brother has enjoyed this too – I’ve done it for him.
“I’ve been working so hard and it’s paid off, so I’m just really chuffed. I’m getting married to my fiancee, Meg, next year – that’s the next thing on the agenda.
“I just hope I’ve inspired people to get out there and live their life to the full. It’s not the end of the world if you get injured – just get out there, work your butt off and enjoy life. You can still be happy, as I am now.”
Davies’ life changed on the opening day of the 2005/06 season when he broke his neck when a scrum collapsed. He was air-lifted to the University of Wales hospital hours after his twin brother, Richard, had been taken to hospital after being involved in a car crash on the A470 on his way to support his brother.
While Richard emerged relatively unscathed, with cuts and bruises and a broken leg, Rob was initially told he was unlikely to recover movement in his legs and arms.
He was moved to the specialist spinal unit at the magnificent Rookwood Hospital, in Llandaff, where he regained some use in his arms and hands. There he met two legendary Welsh para-table tennis players, Sara Head and Jim Munkley.
They suggested table tennis would be a good way to help his rehabilitation, but it took some gentle prodding from his Mum to get him to try. He made his international debut in 2007 and became part of the GB development squad in 2010.
He won silver medals in the individual and team events at the European Championships in 2011 and made Team GB for the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
In 2013 he became European champion, taking gold in the team event as well with fellow Welshman Paul Davies, and replaced Paralympic champion Holger Nikelis as World number one in October. He reached the final of the 2014 World Championships in China, when he was beaten 3-1 by the Korean, Changho Lee.
Last year he successfully defended his European singles title in Denmark, beating old rival and the current World number one Jean-Francois Ducay in the final, and reinforced his No 1 world ranking.
“Table tennis gave me something to focus all my attention on. I didn’t want to go at first, but my Mum dragged me along,” Davies explained in the past.
“The more mobility I got back, the more I was able to do. I found that progress very addictive. I hit punch bags with weighted baseball balls and did some boxing training to try build up the strength in my arms again.
“Just being able to do the silly little things most ‘normal’ people take for granted meant the world to me – like washing the dishes or making the tea.”
He developed his own chair and has become an iconic figure, and inspiration, in his sport. Now he has a gold medal to go along with his Euroepan title and world No 1 status.
“I still love rugby and would love to be involved in some way, but I don’t go and watch my old team play very often anymore because it’s too painful. Some of my friends have gone on to do really well, so I do tend to daydream about what could have been,” added Davies.
“But, by and large, I try to look back on that awful day as being something positive. I can’t get too down because I feel I’ve come so far.”
