ONE of Cardigan’s most popular sporting sons has received an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Brynmor Williams, a triple Welsh international having played rugby union and rugby league for Wales while also representing his country at a senior level in athletics, is recognised for his services to sport and charity.

Unfortunate in having his international rugby union career sandwiched between Welsh greats Gareth Edwards and Terry Holmes, the talented scrum-half – whose talent was first identified by sports teacher Hywel Williams at Cardigan Secondary School in the late 1960s – was restricted to just three appearances in the Welsh jersey.

But in the early hours of a memorable morning in June 1978, bleary-eyed Cardigan rugby fans huddled around their crackling radio sets broke into wild celebrations after Mr Williams scored a try on his international debut against Australia at Ballymore, Brisbane.

His only two other appearances for Wales came in the 1981 Five Nations championship.

The previous year – though still uncapped by his country - he had been a member of the British Lions on their 1977 tour to New Zealand.

Mr Williams, who played at club level for Cardiff, Newport and Swansea, later switched to professional rugby league, playing for Cardiff City (Bridgend) Blue Dragons and becoming a dual international when winning one cap for Wales.

His sons Lloyd and Tom are both professional rugby union players, the former having followed his father into the Welsh team as a scrum-half.

A long-established BBC pundit and popular after-dinner speaker, Mr Williams, 70 – who now lives in Cowbridge – also works as Chair of Fields in Trust Cymru, a charity dedicated to protecting outdoor space for play, sport and recreation.