BRITISH Lion and Wales international rugby player Brynmor Williams has spoken of his early days playing on King George’s Field in Cardigan after being appointed the new chair of Fields in Trust Cymru.

The former Cardigan RFC scrum half will be joining the board of the trustees of the UK wide organisation. His new role is leading the Welsh committee of the charity which safeguards recreational spaces and campaign for better statutory protection for all kinds of outdoor sites, across the UK.

Brynmor is now group board director at corporate insurance brokers Thomas Carroll and retains an interest in rugby as a sports broadcaster and analyst.

He said: “I am delighted to be taking up the role. It is a prestigious organisation carrying out vital work to ensure everyone has access to high quality outdoor spaces for play, sport and recreation; it is a privilege to lead this work in Wales.

"I am proud to look back on a rugby career playing for Cardiff, Wales and the British Lions but it all started when I was a young boy playing on the King George’s Field in Cardigan protected by Fields in Trust, so I have benefited personally from the work of the charity.

"As the father of two professional sportsmen I know how important it is to safeguard spaces outdoor recreation is. With Fields in Trust I look forward to ensuring play and sporting opportunities are protected for the whole community – now and for future generations.”

Fields in Trust’s projects and protection programmes operate across the UK and in Wales, Fields in Trust Cymru has also developed its own unique projects such as Owain Glyndwr Fields. It has supported the Welsh Government on the development of legislation and policy and, for the 2016 National Assembly for Wales elections, produced a playing fields manifesto.

Helen Griffiths, Fields in Trust chief executive, said: “As well as his success in elite sport he was also a teacher and coach supporting young talent. With his current experience in business and a background in broadcasting as a bilingual communicator he brings a very strong range of skills to support the work in Fields in Trust.”

Brymor Williams joins current committee members JR Jones, Dr Lynne Spackman, Geraint Williams and Robin Williams. Fields in Trust is a UK-wide charity whose mission is to ensure that everyone – young or old, able-bodied or disabled and wherever they live – should have access to free, local outdoor space for sport, play and recreation.