JPR Williams: St Mary’s alum and Wales rugby legend passes away

John Peter Rhys Williams died last week at the age of 74. Williams was an alumnus of St Mary’s Hospital Medical School, which merged with Imperial College in 1988. 

He represented Wales during its golden era of rugby in the 1970s, and is one of only six Welsh players to have won three Grand Slams. In 1977, he was awarded the MBE for services to rugby.

Williams studied Medicine at St Mary’s and qualified as a physician in 1973. He won his first cap for Wales in 1969, aged 19, and continued to play international rugby union. He retired in 1981, having earned 55 caps for Wales, including five as captain.

He pursued his career in medicine, and in 1986, was appointed a consultant in trauma and orthopaedic surgery at the Princess of Wales Hospital, in Mid Glamorgan.

‘I spent half my life breaking bones on the rugby field, then the other half putting them back together in the operating theatre,’ he wrote in his autobiography

Williams was also a prolific youth tennis player, winning the 1966 British Junior title at the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, and beating David Lloyd, who went on to establish the eponymous chain of British health clubs.

Since 2003, an annual varsity match has been played at Imperial in his honour. The JPR Williams Cup is played between Imperial Medicals RFC, the medical school’s team, and the Imperial College rugby team, with the winner awarded the JPR Williams Trophy.

Imperial Medicals RFC Club Captain Charlie Norrish said last week:

‘As the most distinguished alumnus of our club, we have all been deeply saddened by the news of JPR Williams’ death. We are all so proud to have been part of this club and to have had a connection with him through it.

‘We will keep both his name and his legacy a strong part of this club, and continue to battle for the JPR Williams Trophy each year in his honour. We will be observing a minute’s silence for JPR in our next home fixture against Canterbury, and we hope many will join us in remembering him and his life and work.’