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Wales and Lions rugby union legend JPR Williams died on January 8, 2024, at the age of 74. He was battling bacterial meningitis but unfortunately succumbed to his illness at the University Hospital of Wales, surrounded by his wife and their four children. The Williams family issued a statement that said:
"JPR died peacefully today at the University Hospital of Wales surrounded by his loving wife and four children, after a short illness, bravely battling bacterial meningitis. The family request privacy at this difficult time."
JPR Williams, known for his signature sideburns and fearless demeanor, captained Wales and Bridgend, winning 55 caps for his country. In his glory days during the 1970s, he won three Five Nations Grand Slams in 1971, 1976 and 1978, BBC reported.
He quit international rugby in 1981 and retired full-time in 2003. JPR Williams turned to a career as an orthopedic surgeon following his retirement from rugby.
He is survived by his wife, Scilla, and their four children - Lauren, Annie, Frances, and Peter.
JPR Williams' sporting prowess was inherited by his children
JPR Williams and his wife enjoyed their retirement in a quaint rural borough in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales, long after all four children had grown up. Following in their father's footsteps, Lauren, Annie, Frances, and Peter grew up athletic and skilled in sports. According to Oxford Mail, Lauren and Annie played in the Welsh hockey team in the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.
As per the same outlet, Lauren was also the second woman to cross the finish line in a cycle race on part of the course of the Tour de France in 2005. She also participated in a triathlon and qualified to represent Britain at the world championship in Hawaii in October 2005.
Her younger sister, Frances, played under-21s hockey, and her brother, Peter, was an avid golfer. According to Wales Online, he participated in the British Boys' Open Amateur Championship at Conwy when he was 17.
Along with inheriting their father's sporting genes, his children have also inherited his love for medicine. As per Oxford Mail, Lauren is an anesthetist in Oxford, and her husband Neville is a surgeon. Annie is a physiotherapist, and Frances is a speech therapist.
The Williams come from a long line of medical professionals. JPR's parents were doctors, as were his three brothers and his wife, Scilla.
Tributes pour for the celebrated Welsh rugby player following his death
JPR Williams played as a full-back for the Bridgend, Lions, and Barbarians. He was credited as one of their reasons for success in the iconic Lions tour to New Zealand in 1971 and South Africa in 1974, where Williams won eight Test caps.
Tributes poured on X as rugby fans worldwide mourned the loss of a legend.
Bridgend Ravens, one of the teams that JPR Williams played for, posted on their X:
The British and Irish Lions called JPR Williams "one of the greatest ever." They posted on X:
According to BBC, fellow rugby player, teammate, and friend John Taylor said Williams was "amazing" and "as tough as old boots."
"People remember him as a great player and know him as such a brave man and he was as tough as old boots, and then you look at all his achievements. London Welsh was the ideal place for him to be because we had a relatively small side and played attacking rugby from everywhere. He was the perfect man for us."
Born on March 2, 1949, John Peter Rhys Williams grew up in an affluent middle-class family in Wales with his three brothers. Initially starting his career in sports with tennis, he soon moved to rugby, where he flourished as one of the greats.
Struggling to juggle rugby and his medical profession, JPR Williams quit playing international rugby in 1981 to concentrate on his career as a surgeon but continued playing the occasional game, The Guardian reported. As mentioned earlier, he retired from rugby full-time in 2003.
