It was an incredibly poignant day when Llanelli said a final farewell to legendary Welsh rugby player Phil Bennett following his death aged 73 in June. Benny, as he was affectionately known, had been a hero all his adult life around Wales and beyond and has inspired generation after generation of rugby players both on and off the pitch.
Thousands bid farewell to Bennett last week amid emotional scenes at a remembrance service at Llanelli's Parc y Scarlets, in a moving service for one of Wales' greatest-ever sportspeople. You can read more about the send-off here.
Among those saddened by his passing, Llanelli couple Jordan and Mel Davies said they wanted to help Bennett's memory live on, so they have decided to name their baby son after him. Baby Davies is due in August and will be given the middle name of "Philip" in tribute.
Read more: The latest death notices in Carmarthenshire as families remember loved ones
Jordan, a factory worker, is dad to 11-month-old Jordan, known as JJ, and step-dad to 14-year-old Ace and seven-year-old Zack. He said he and wife Mel, a barmaid, wanted to honour Bennett as he made a huge impact on him when he was a youngster.
“When I was young, about 10 or 11, I used to play rugby for Felinfoel and Phil Bennett was an old friend of the family, he was good friends with my uncle," Jordan said. "When I’d go down to the park to train, he’d be there and he’d train with us. He was very easy-going and lovely to talk to – he made an effort to get to know us. [My wife and I] were really sad to hear when he passed away, so we were thinking about adding his name to our baby’s name.”
Jordan and Mel met 10 years ago and have been a couple for five years. They got married in Las Vegas in November 2019 and have decided their son, due on August 23, 2022, will take “Philip” as his middle name, in a nod to “true gentleman and legend Philip”.
To get more news from across Carmarthenshire, subscribe to our newsletter here.
Read next:
- Wales sees sharp rise in Covid infection rate due to new Omicron variants
- Company director guilty of manslaughter after new worker died when he got trapped in machine
- Welsh Government to conduct safety review of A40 in Raglan after several serious crashes
- People can now rent in Swansea and Llanelli without a big up-front deposit through a new scheme
- Men used 'barbaric and unethical' method to catch fish in Llanelli river
