Welsh rugby has paid its condolences to a true legend of the game after the death of Barbarians president Micky Steele-Bodger CBE, at the age of 93.
Among those paying tribute to the icon of the oval-ball game were Jonathan 'Jiffy' Davies and former flanker Martyn Williams while Penarth RFC, who the Barbarians played regularly on their traditional Easter tour of Wales, also paid their respects.
The former flanker played for Harlequins and England but was loved throughout the rugby world with the Baa-baas, being chairman of the IRB (now World Rugby) and a selector for the British and Irish Lions.
He first played the game at Rugby School and represented Cambridge in The Varsity Match in 1945 and 1946.
Subsequently, he organised 71 successive years of a guest Steele-Bodger XV playing Cambridge University as a warm-up to The Varsity Match.
He went on to study at Edinburgh and to play for the Edinburgh University Club for two seasons, before becoming a veterinary surgeon.
His nine caps for England saw him play in all nine Tests in the post-war 1946-47 and 1947-8 seasons. He even took on the role of scrum-half in his final Test against France when the England No.9 was injured.
He captained the Barbarians twice and scored the first try in their inaugural match against Australia in January 1948.
Micky’s playing career was ended by injury in 1949 but his involvement with, and huge influence on, rugby union continued up to the present day, Micky serving as an England selector and RFU President as well as his roles with the Lions, Baa-baas and the IRB.
He was given a CBE in the 1990 New Year Honours for services to rugby union.
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RFU President Chris Kelly said: “Micky was a rugby man through and through and devoted much of his life and passion to the game. He was greatly respected by all who knew him and will be hugely missed
“We are all proud to have shared his enjoyment of our sport and are indebted to him for the many roles he served with such distinction and especially grateful to his wife, Muff, his children Guy, Duncan and Clair, his nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren for sharing him with us.”
