Welsh rugby stars Gerald Davies, Terry Cobner and Tommy David from the 1970s Golden Era have been nominated to succeed Dennis Gethin as president of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU).
The trio will contest an election of Wales’ 320 member clubs next month with the victor taking over from Gethin in November.
Wing great Davies, 74 starred for Wales and the Lions, winning 50 caps and scoring 23 tries as well as playing club rugby for London Welsh and Cardiff
He was Lions team manager in South Africa in 2009 and served on the board of the WRU between 2005 and 2014, Davies is currently chairman of Guinness PRO14 Rugby.
Former flanker and Pontypool captain Cobner, 73, faced New Zealand three times for the 1977 Lions and featured 19 times for Wales between 1974 and 1978, skippering the side in Australia.
He stayed in the game, coaching and managing Wales before becoming the WRU’s first director of rugby in 1996.
During eight years in the role, Cobner was one of the key figures responsible for attracting New Zealander Graham Henry to Wales as head coach in 1998.
He was also instrumental in appointing 2005 Six Nations Grand Slam architect Mike Ruddock as successor to Steve Hansen.
Cobner has continued to work in rugby at age grade level since relinquishing the director of rugby role.
David, 71, is a former dual code international and was part of the same 1976 Grand Slam winning team alongside Cobner and Davies, winning four caps in all. He also toured with the Lions in ’74.
The former flanker played his club rugby for Pontypridd and Llanelli, featuring for the Scarlets in the famous 9-3 win over New Zealand at Stradey Park in 1972, before joining Cardiff Rugby League in 1974 and picking up another Wales cap in League.
He also played in the Barbarians side which beat the All Blacks in 1973, being one of the seven players to have had a hand in ‘the greatest try ever scored’ by Gareth Edwards, and most recently has served as president of Rhydyfelin rugby club after a career in business followed his retirement from the game.
“Welsh rugby is blessed with an illustrious history and we have three highly notable figures from a Golden Era standing for our next presidency,” said WRU chairman Gareth Davies.
“It is a huge testament to each candidate that we can be extremely confident, whoever wins the election, our next president will succeed the wonderful Dennis Gethin in the post with all of the necessary gravitas befitting of this important role.”
