Graham Walters Explained

First:RU
Graham Walters
Fullname:Graham Walters
Birth Place:Carmarthen, Wales
Ru Position:Centre
Ru Club1:Swansea RFC
Ru Year1start:1977
Ru Year1end:78
Ru Appearances1:1
Club1:Hull FC
Year1start:1980
Year1end:82
Appearances1:22
Tries1:7
Goals1:0
Fieldgoals1:0
Points1:21
Club2:Wakefield Trinity
Year2start:1982
Appearances2:23
Tries2:5
Goals2:0
Fieldgoals2:0
Points2:15
Club3:Cardiff City (Bridgend) Blue Dragons
Year3start:1983
Year3end:85
Appearances3:8
Tries3:2
Goals3:0
Fieldgoals3:0
Points3:8
Club4:Runcorn Highfield
Year4start:1986
Appearances4:4
Tries4:1
Goals4:0
Fieldgoals4:0
Points4:4
Teama:Wales
Yearastart:1980
Yearaend:84
Appearancesa:3
Triesa:0
Goalsa:0
Fieldgoalsa:0
Pointsa:0
New:yes
Retired:yes
Updated:15 May 2024
Source:[1]
Module:

Graham Walters (born 1 March 1953 in Carmarthen, South Wales) is a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s; he is also a member of the Welsh Guards and the British Army. He played club-level rugby union (RU) for Llanelli, Carmarthen, and Swansea RFC, as a Centre, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales, and at club-level for Hull FC (Heritage № 750), Wakefield Trinity, and Cardiff City (Bridgend) Blue Dragons, as a .[1] [2]

Rugby career

Hull FC

Walters joined rugby league club Hull FC in October 1979.[3] He played right- in Hull's 5–10 defeat by Hull Kingston Rovers in the 1980 Challenge Cup Final during the 1979–80 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 3 May 1980, in front of a crowd of 95,000. Hull FC also won the BBC 2 Floodlight trophy in the same year.

International honours

Graham Walters won a cap for Wales (RL) while at Hull, and Bridgend Blue Dragons 1980-1984, earning 2 caps + 1 cap (interchange/substitute).[1]

Military career

At the age of 15, Graham Walters joined the junior Welsh Guards as a boy soldier. He was soon made Lance Corporal and climbed his way up the ranks, eventually making junior Sergeant Major. He took on the role of PTI instructor and speedily achieved the status of Judo black belt, and also became ABA champion boxer of the British Army. With his enormous talent for sport, it was inevitable he started to play rugby for the Welsh Guards and the British Army, previously playing for his home country Wales for the under 15-17s.

Graham Walters joined the 1st Battalion of the Welsh Guards after leaving the position of junior guardsman. Being a marksman of all weapons, he also was assigned as a sniper. Following on from this, he became a Guards Para for 6 months, then was attached to the G-squadron of the SAS regiment; he did 4 tours of Northern Ireland of which one was undercover. During this time, Graham Walters was in active service in Belize and Cyprus.

Note

Before the start of the 1984/85 season, Cardiff City Blue Dragons relocated from Ninian Park in Cardiff, to Coychurch Road Ground in Bridgend, and were renamed Bridgend Blue Dragons.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org. rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. 1 January 2018.
  2. Book: Graham. Williams. Peter. Lush. David. Farrar. The British Rugby League Records Book. London League. 978-1-903659-49-6. 2009. 108–114.
  3. News: Hull snap up Welsh R.U. centre Walters . Hull Daily Mail . 1 October 1979 . 16 . . subscription.