Former Wales lock passed away

Yesterday at 03:06 PM

NEWS: Swansea RFC announced the passing of former Swansea and Wales and Barbarians forward Geoff Wheel.

Affectionately known as "Gaffa" at St Helen's, Geoff passed away in the early hours of Boxing Day.

He had suffered for some years with Motor Neuron disease, which until this season had not prevented him attending matches at St Helen's.

Geoff was a player and man loved and respected by all who knew him.

A fearsome competitor on the field of play, Geoff was a mild mannered, shy and thoughtful person in private,committed to the club he served from 1970 to 1983, twice as captain, as a player and for many years on the All Whites Former Players Association (AWFPA) committee, being at the time of his passing the President of the AWFPA.

Between 1974 and 1982 Geoff was capped 32 times by Wales during a 'Golden Era' in which he had the distinction of winning four Triple Crowns and two Grand Slams in a Welsh team of stellar talents.

Partnering Allan Martin at lock, Geoff was a crucial part of the success attained by Wales in those years.

Geoff also held a unique record of being in a side that was unbeaten from January 1975 to March 1978 – an unbeaten run of fifteen international matches.

A misdiagnosed heart problem denied Geoff of a place on the 1977 Lions tour, much to the detriment of the tourists' pack.

For Swansea Geoff played 323 games after moving from the Mumbles club to St Helen's, where he remained the rest of his career.

He made his Swansea debut in the annual match against Watsonians at St Helen's on 24th December 1970.

He had by then already gained a reputation as a skilful footballer in the association code with Morriston FC and then the Swans Reserves.

But it was his physical presence and skill in the scrum and maul that Geoff made the reputation that saw him propelled into the Welsh team in 1974.

Using his great strength, Geoff had an uncanny ability to secure the ball from the maul and provide an unlikely source of good ball for both Swansea and Wales.

His lock partnership with Aberavon's Allan Martin in the Welsh fifteen saw the two play together in 27 international matches.

He had the dubious honour of being the first Welshman to be sent off in an international, for fighting with Ireland's Willie Duggan in 1977.

Typically, Geoff spoke warmly of Duggan, whose hand he shook as they departed the pitch together and the two were indeed friends.

Another incident with England's Billy Beaumont produced an iconic photo of the two squaring up at Twickenham in 1980.

Again Geoff was at pains to downplay the matter, which the press had built into a headline incident.

He and Beaumont shared a pint straight after the match and again were good friends.

In later years Geoff often criticised the use of the image as not representing the true spirit on-field between him and his opponents, nor the spirit of rugby in the era he played.

Geoff was inadvertently involved in more controversy in 1978 when Wales played New Zealand.

A diving incident in a lineout late in the match resulted in a penalty being given against Wales for a supposed infringement by Geoff, the successful kick by All Blacks fullback Brian McKechnie denying a Welsh victory.

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For Swansea Geoff Wheel was a consistently outstanding team member and part of the team that won the Schweppes Cup in 1978.

He played for Swansea against Australia in 1975 and captained the 'All Whites' against New Zealand in 1981.

Geoff's two seasons as captain of Swansea marked a hugely successful period for the club.

Typically, Geoff remained the modest man he always had been and the whole team were the beneficiaries of this approach.

Geoff wheel played his last match for Swansea fittingly at St Helen's, on 2nd March 1983 against South Glamorgan Institute of Higher Education.

He remained a popular and ever present figure at the club and in later years became President of the AWFPA, also presenting the annual Bernard Cajot Award for the Young Player of the Year – named after his great friend and fellow 'all white' – to the new young men at Swansea RFC.

Geoff was also a very active member of the community in St Thomas from where he came and lived most of his life.

He was involved in much charity work in St Thomas' Church and with schools and youth movements such as the Boys' Brigade.

He was also a regular organist at church services, played parts in the Nativity plays and was the President of the Gwalia Singers choir in Swansea.

On hearing of Geoff's passing Swansea RFC Club President Stan Addicott has added: "Geoff was respected and much loved by all at Swansea Rugby Club.

"I had the privilege to be his club coach for seven years from the mid-seventies to mid-eighties.

"His wholehearted, fiery, yet engaging and humorous nature endeared him to his players, while he often shared his musical talent on the accordion and ukulele post matches with club supporters.

"He was certainly one of the great characters of his time in welsh rugby and will be greatly missed as a family man, player and friend to many people."

With reporting by: Swansea RFC