Ray Gravell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ray Gravell

Gravell in action for the Lions in 1980
Birth name	Raymond William Robert Gravell
Date of birth	(1951-09-12)12 September 1951
Place of birth	Kidwelly, Wales
Date of death	31 October 2007(2007-10-31) (aged 56)
Place of death	Calpe, Spain
School	Burry Port Secondary Modern School Carmarthen Grammar School
Spouse	Mari Gravell
Children	Manon & Gwenan Gravell
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1970–1985 1975–1977 Llanelli RFC Barbarians 485 12 (4) National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1975–1982 1980 Wales British Lions 23 4 (4) (4)

Raymond William Robert Gravell (born September 12, 1951 – died October 31, 2007) was a famous Welsh rugby union player. He played as a centre for the Llanelli RFC club.

Ray Gravell also played for his country, Wales, 23 times. He was chosen to play for the British and Irish Lions team in their tour to South Africa in 1980. After his rugby career, he became a well-known broadcaster and sometimes an actor. He was also honored for his support of the Welsh language.

Early Life and School

Ray Gravell was born in Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire, Wales. His father worked in a coal mine. When Ray was young, his family moved to a place called Mynydd-y-Garreg.

He went to school at Burry Port Secondary Modern School. Later, he attended Carmarthen Grammar School.

Ray Gravell's Rugby Career

Ray Gravell started playing for Llanelli RFC in 1970. He was part of the team that famously beat the strong All Blacks team from New Zealand in October 1972. This was a very important win for Llanelli.

He became the captain of Llanelli RFC for two seasons, from 1980 to 1982. Ray first played for Wales in 1975 against France. He helped Wales win the Grand Slam twice. He usually played as a centre, but sometimes as a winger.

Playing for the British Lions

In 1980, Ray Gravell was chosen to play for the British and Irish Lions team. They toured South Africa that year. He came on as a substitute in the first game. He then started the next three games. In one game in Bloemfontein, he scored his second international try.

Playing for the Barbarians

Gravell also played 12 games for the Barbarians. This is a special team that invites players from different clubs. He first played for them in 1975.

In 1977, he played his last game for the Barbarians. It was a charity match against the 1977 British Lions team. Even though his team lost, Ray scored one of their three tries. This game is remembered as a classic.

Gravell's Playing Style

Ray Gravell was known for his strong and physical style of rugby. He was a classic crash ball centre. This meant he loved the physical contact of the sport. He is famous for saying, "get your first tackle in early, even if it's late."

He stopped playing international rugby in 1982. His last game for Llanelli was in 1985. He played 485 times for the club and scored 120 tries. From 1998, he was the president of Llanelli RFC. He was also president of the Llanelli Scarlets regional team from 2003 until he passed away.

Broadcasting and Acting

In 1985, Ray Gravell started working for the BBC. He took the main role in a film called Bonner. This film was for the Welsh language TV channel S4C.

He also appeared in other TV shows and films:

• Filipina Dreamgirls (BBC TV movie)
• Damage (1992 film with Jeremy Irons)
• Rebecca's Daughters (1992 comedy film with Peter O'Toole)
• Darklands (1996 Welsh horror film)

Ray Gravell also hosted radio shows for BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru. He was part of the BBC's Welsh language rugby commentary team. He reported from the side of the pitch for many rugby matches. He also hosted a breakfast radio show and co-hosted I'll Show You Mine.

He was a "rugby consultant" for the film Up 'n' Under. He also appeared in a TV show called Floyd on Britain and Ireland. In this show, he cooked with Keith Floyd and talked about his rugby career.

Personal Life and Passing

Ray Gravell lived in Mynydd-y-garreg with his wife, Mari. They had two daughters, Manon and Gwenan. There is even a street named after him there, Heol Ray Gravell.

In his later years, Ray had some health problems. He had diabetes. In 2007, he had an operation to remove part of his right leg. This was because of an infection from his diabetes. Because of this, he could not continue his special role as Grand Sword Bearer. Another rugby player, Robin McBryde, took over this role.

Six months after his operation, Ray Gravell passed away. He was 56 years old. He had a heart attack on October 31, 2007, while on holiday in Spain. Many people, including Roger Lewis from the Welsh Rugby Union, shared their sadness. They said Ray was a rugby legend and a great friend.

Tributes and Funeral

After Ray's death, many people paid tribute to him. He was helping Simon Weston learn Welsh for a TV show. Simon Weston decided to leave the show because he felt he could not continue without his friend.

A memorial stone was put up in Ray Gravell's home village of Mynydd-y-garreg.

On March 15, 2008, at a rugby match, Ray's daughters led the Wales team onto the pitch. They carried the Triple Crown plate that Wales had won. During the game, some of the Welsh coaching staff and players wore number 13 shirts with Ray's name on them. Wales won the match and achieved their 10th Grand Slam.

A public funeral was held for Ray Gravell at Stradey Park on November 15, 2007. About ten thousand people came from all over Wales. Ray's coffin was carried onto the field by six Llanelli players. Tributes were given in both Welsh and English. The scoreboard at the stadium showed "Llanelli 9 Seland Newydd 3". This was the score from the famous 1972 game when Llanelli beat the All Blacks. After the service, Ray's family had a private ceremony.