British & Irish Lions legend Gerald Davies says he is humbled to have been awarded a knighthood in the New Year’s Honours.
The former Wales winger toured with the Lions in 1968 and 1971, where he played a key role in the Lions’ famous 2-1 series win in New Zealand.
He also scored 20 Test tries for Wales between 1966-1978 is part of a rare cohort of Wales players to have won three Grand Slams, including the likes of Sir Gareth Edwards and JPR Williams.
After retiring in the 1980s, Sir Gerald was a highly-regarded administrator and was team manager for the Lions’ 2009 Tour of South Africa, as well as Welsh Rugby Union president between 2019-2023.
“It is an amazing honour,” the 79-year-old said.
“I am humbled by it and moved by the thought that somebody, somewhere, has thought it worthy of giving me that honour,” he said.
“With that in mind, you are always aware in getting an honour like this of the enormous support you get from your family – my wife Cilla and children Emily and Ben.
“They are constantly at my side in giving me support over the years. It is not something that you achieve entirely on your own.
“I feel very emotional about it. I am surprised by it. Words are really quite inadequate to describe it. It came out of the blue and I was dumbstruck in many ways – but you don’t achieve these things on your own.”
Sir Gerald, who was awarded a CBE in 2003, has been recognised for services to rugby union and voluntary and charitable service.
He was not the only former Lion to be recognised, with Alan Phillips awarded an MBE for his services to charity and rugby.
Phillips toured South Africa with the Lions in 1980, and won 18 caps for Wales as a hooker. At club level, he scored 162 tries in 470 appearances for Cardiff.
He then served as Wales team manager from 2002-2019, before ending his professional rugby career as director of operations with the Lions on their 2021 Tour of South Africa.
Meanwhile, the Six Nations’ former Chief Commercial Officer Craig Maxwell has received an OBE for voluntary and charitable services to improving outcomes for people with cancer.
Maxwell, who was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in 2022, founded the Maxwell Family Genomics Fund, he has helped to raise over £1 million for charity.
In March, eh walked the 780-mile Wales Coastal Path and delivered the match-ball at Principality Stadium before Wales’ Six Nations game with France.
