Welsh Sports Hall of Fame to honour rugby great Gravell
· Yahoo Sports
Wales rugby great Ray Gravell is to be inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame.
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The former British and Irish Lions centre, who died at the age of 56 in 2007, will be honoured at a special ceremony in Saundersfoot.
His wife Mari and daughters Manon and Gwenan will receive the award and his former team-mates Delme Thomas, Roy Bergiers, Gareth Jenkins and Anthony Buchanan are set to be among the guests.
Former Wales footballers Ian Walsh and Simon Davies are also being honoured, along with St Davids headteacher Rachel Thomas and Atlantic rower Janine Williams.
Ray Gravell became president of Llanelli RFC after a 16-year playing career [Getty Images]Gravell won 23 caps for Wales and played in all four Tests for the Lions on their 1980 tour to South Africa.
The hard-running centre made his name playing for Llanelli and was a member of the side that beat New Zealand in 1972.
Three years later Gravell made his Wales debut in the 25-10 win over France in Paris and he was a key figure in the teams of the 1970s and early 1980s that dominated the Five Nations, winning two Grand Slams, four titles and four Triple Crowns.
After missing the Lions' tour to New Zealand in 1977 because of a shoulder injury, he was selected for the 1980 tour to South Africa.
He came on as a replacement in the first Test and then started the next three, scoring a try in the second fixture in Bloemfontein.
Gravell made his last international appearance in March 1982 when Wales lost to Scotland in Cardiff.
A one-club man, he played for three more seasons with Llanelli – finishing with 485 appearances – before becoming a broadcaster and actor.
His warmth and humour, and frequent declarations that "west is best", ensured he was a hugely popular member of the BBC and S4C coverage.
Ill health led to the amputation of his right leg below the knee in 2007 and he died of a heart attack in the same year, with his funeral taking place at his beloved Stradey Park.