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Death of Cardiff Stalwart

12th November 2003


Former Cardiff Rugby Football Club captain David Hayward has died at the age of 69.

Hayward, a dynamic and creative open-side wing forward, played 325 games for the Blue & Blacks in 10 seasons from 1957. He captained the club in 1962-63 and 1963-64, including the 1963 match against the All Blacks and later became a very active member of the rugby committee.

Originally from Crumlin in Gwent, he attended Newbridge Grammar School and won representative honours with the Welsh Secondary Schools. He subsequently played for the RAF when he did his national service in Scotland, also turning out for the local Musselburgh club.

After completing his education at Loughborough he taught at Radnor Road Secondary School and joined Cardiff. In his first season he was a member of the club side that beat the 1957 Wallabies 14-11.

After several seasons of near-misses, Hayward - who was known to everyone as Dai - eventually won the first of his six international caps against England in January 1963. Though Wales lost he scored his side's only try - and was promptly dropped. He returned to favour the following season, playing against New Zealand and in the Five Nations' matches before touring South Africa with Wales.

In later years he was famed for his notes in the club's match programme. Typically he berated the advent of floodlit rugby over the traditional Saturday afternoon matches thus:

'After three matches in the dark the players' knees have gone white. Three of the team are now unrecognisable because their hair has turned red after eating carrots...we have had expense claims from other players for electric light used by their wives because they have to wait up for them longer on match nights...all the players have been issued with torches and luminous safety patches in case they miss the last bus.'

David Hayward's funeral will be at Coychurch Crematorium, Bridgend, on Tuesday 18 November at 1.00pm