News article - Style A 1966

It was with great sadness that we learnt of the sudden death of one of World rugby's most charismatic figures and for the Region who only recently shared the company of Ray when he joined us for the Ospreys v Scarlets fixture earlier in the season, where he was in fine spirit, the news is even more tragic. Ray was kind enough to spend a few moments with some of our corporate guests prior to the Scarlets fixture and he entertained them with his usual humour and enthusiasm and for those present I am sure they will remember his contribution that day with great fondness.

For those of us who had the pleasure of either playing with or against Ray and those fortunate to witness first hand his abilities, his enthusiasm and passion for the game was infectious and without doubt he will be remembered as one of Wales' finest ever centres, as well as being a strong character on and off the field. He also made a significant contribution to broadcasting, again a role he delivered with the same level of enthusiasm.

It is moments like this that the true spirit of rugby comes to the fore and we, despite our strong rivalry on the field, extend our heartfelt sympathy to his family and friends and of course to both Llanelli RFC and the Scarlets during this sad time.

With the game changing so rapidly, characters like Ray are few and far between and he will be sorely missed.