Cardiff Rugby Life President has paid tribute to close friend and fellow former Blue and Black, Brian Rees, who has sadly passed away at the age of 79.
The former Wales hooker, who became a leading surgeon and High Sheriff of South Glamorgan, spent a season playing for Cardiff and made eight first team appearances for the club.
Rees, who won three Wales caps during the 1967 Five Nations, also proudly represented Cambridge University (where he won four Blues), Middlesex and London Welsh.
Upon his return to Wales, he became a general surgeon at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff and was the lead cancer clinician between 2000 and 2006. In 2000, he was also awarded an OBE for services to medicine.
Throughout his time in Cardiff, he became an integral figure within Cardiff Medics RFC and while the never played for the club he became a patron, president and life-long vice president.
In 2008 he became High Sheriff of South Glamorgan and he also sat as a Trustee on the board of the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust, acting as its chair in recent years.
Peter Thomas said: “It is with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of Brian, who was a wonderful person.
“He was a lifelong friend, stretching back to our playing days in the 1960s and he of course played for Cardiff in the early 1970s.
“He was such a remarkable person both on and off the pitch. There was nobody more competitive or courageous on the pitch, and off it he was a brilliant person to know, who achieved so much in his profession and contributed so much.
“He always had that smile, was a wonderful laugh to be around and was a dear friend, who will be missed.”
Everybody at Cardiff Rugby would like to pass their sincere condolences to Brian’s wife Sara, and all of his family and friends at this difficult time.