The 32-times capped Wales second row passed away on Boxing Day at the age of 73. He had been suffering from Motor Neurone Disease.
He made 323 appearances for the All Whites in a 13-year club career that began with a debut on Christmas Eve in 1970 against Watsonians at St Helen’s. His final game was also in Swansea, against South Glamorgan Institute on 2 March 1983.
In between, he captained the club in two highly successful seasons, steering them to the Western Mail Championship, Sunday Telegraph Anglo-Welsh Championship, Daily Mail Anglo-Welsh Championship and Sunday Telegraph Team of the Season titles in 1979-80. He also led them into the WRU Schweppes Cup final, where they were beaten by Bridgend, leaving them with a record of P46 W40 D1 L 5 as they passed 1,000 points in a season for the first time.
The following season they retained the Sunday Telegraph title and were also winners of the Whitbread Merit Table as they notched a record 1,242 points with 41 wins and a draw in 47 matches in another amazing campaign. It meant under Wheel’s captaincy Swansea played 93 games, won 81 and drew 2.
Wheel, known affectionately at his club as ‘Gaffa’, also played in the winning team in the 1978 cup final, when Swansea beat Newport 13-9, and was a runner-up in the 1976 defeat to Llanelli. He also played for Swansea against Fiji in 1973, against Australia in a 9-9 draw in 1973, again in 1975 and 1981, and captained the side against New Zealand in 1981.
He also featured in the West Glamorgan triumph over Japan in 1973, the West Wales triumph over Tonga at St Helen’s in 1974, and the West Wales XV that beat the Argentine tourists 14-12 at Stradey Park in 1976. He also played for West Wales against the All Blacks at St Helen’s in 1978.
Former Wales captain Richard Moriarty was one of the youngsters who came through under Wheel’s tutelage at Swansea and actually own his first caps for Wales playing alongside his clubmate.
“I was very fortunate in having players like Geoff in the Swansea pack when I first broke into the side. He was always someone you could learn from and he was always supportive and encouraging,” said Moriarty.
“He is one of the modern-day icons of Swansea RFC, a player who deserves to rank alongside the all-time greats of the club’s 150-year history. He was pretty unique, and it is so tragic what happened to him in later life and that he was taken so young.
“He was robust and aggressive on the field and built up a fearsome reputation. But off it he was kind, considerate and supportive character.“
Having transferred from a soccer player to rugby in his teenage years Wheel first played for Mumbles before joining Swansea at the age of 19. He won a Wales B cap against France in Toulouse in October 1973, partnering Allan Martin for the first time, and was promoted to the Probables XV for the Welsh trial in January 1974.
Wheel and Martin went on to win 27 caps together in the Wales second row in one of the most successful periods in the history of Welsh rugby. Martin ended with 34 caps and Wheel 32, while they both helped to secure four Triple Crowns (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979) and two Grand Slams (1976, 1978).
Wheel’s Wales debut came in Dublin in February 1974 in a 9-9 draw and he holds the distinction of going unbeaten in his first 15 games for Wales. He played for the England & Wales combined XV against Ireland & Scotland in the Irish rugby union’s centenary fixture in 1975 and also made nine appearances for the Barbarians.
His Baa-Baas matches included the Queen’s Silver Jubilee fixture against the British & Irish Lions at Twickenham. The irony of that game was that he had originally been selected for the tour to New Zealand in 1977, but was forced to withdraw because of an alleged heart disorder.
He toured Hong Kong and Japan with Wales in 1975 and Australia in 1978 and was at the heart of two of the most controversial incidents in Welsh rugby history.
In 1977 he became the first Welsh player to be sent off in an international match. He was dismissed by Scottish referee Norman Sansom along with Ireland No 8 Willie Duggan.
With Ireland leading 6-0 against the reigning Grand Slam champions in Cardiff, there was a flurry of what seemed innocuous punches at a loose maul and the referee, reacting to the Four Home Unions ‘get tough’ policy, sent both men off the field. Wales went on to win 25-9.
A year later, Wheel was the player penalised by England referee Roger Quittenton in the dying embers of Wales’ clash with the All Blacks. Wales were leading 12-10 at the time when Wheel was penalised for an alleged barge at a line-out.
What has transpired since is that New Zealand lock Andy Haden contrived a plan whereby he and fellow lock Frank Oliver would dive out of the line out to try to win a penalty. Their plan worked and Brian McKechnie kicked the goal to steal a 13-12 victory.
Geoffrey Arthur Derek Wheel – Cap No: 755 (32 caps); B: 30 June 1951 in Swansea; D: 26 December 2024 in Swansea.
