J.J. Williams Bio

J.J. Williams biggest impression on the sport was arguably on the international stage where his pace and prowess as a winger saw him help Wales earn a wealth of trophies and titles – and the affectionate nickname ‘the Welsh Whippet’. Notably this included wins in the Five Nations Championships of 1975, 1976, 1978 and 1979, including Grand Slam wins in 1976 and 1978. He also earned call ups for the British & Irish Lions tours in 1974 and 1977, and in the former he was instrumental as a try scorer and creator and played all four tests in South Africa.

His full international career saw him play 30 times for Wales and seven for the British and Irish Lions before he retired from the sport in 1979. After this he became a pundit for BBC Cymru Wales and ran a number of successful businesses. All of J.J. Williams’ children have represented Wales in various track and field events – in particular his son Rhys Williams who has represented Great Britain in a number of international championships.

J.J. Williams sadly passed away in October 2020 at the age of 72 from cancer. He is survived by his wife and three children and of course the memories he made playing rugby union for club and country.