NEWPORT RFC are mourning the loss of double Grand Slam-winning Wales captain John Gwilliam, who has died at the age of 93.

Pontypridd-born Gwilliam played 21 times for the Black and Ambers after World War Two, where he served as a tank commander.

A student at Monmouth School and Trinity College, Cambridge, the forward won 23 Wales caps, leading his country to Five Nations Grand Slams in 1950 and 1952.

He probably would have toured New Zealand and Australia with the British & Irish Lions after the first of those triumphs but had teaching commitments at Glenalmond College, Perth.

However, three years later, Gwilliam was in the Welsh side that beat the All Blacks 13-8 in Cardiff – Wales haven’t defeated the Kiwis since.

A statement on the Newport RFC website said: “The club was saddened to hear of the recent passing of John Gwilliam who died earlier this week.

“John played for many clubs including Gloucester, Edinburgh, Wasps and Cambridge University but will be remembered by those at Rodney Parade for his time with Newport RFC after WW2.

“John played for Wales 23 times including 13 matches as captain and was a key member of the Wales team that beat New Zealand in 1953, the last time such a feat was achieved.

“The club sends its sympathies to John’s family and friends.”

Born on February 28, 1923, Gwilliam spent a year at university before acting as an officer in the Royal Tank Regiment during the war.

After returning to Cambridge after the war, the Welshman played in winning and losing teams against rivals Oxford, while he earned his first Wales cap when Australia came to Cardiff in 1947.

He started off his international career in the second row but switched to number-eight and became his country’s 59th captain when skippering the side at Twickenham in 1950.

England were beaten 11-5, Scotland 12-0, Ireland 6-3 and then France 21-0 in Cardiff, as a first Grand Slam in 39 years was secured.

The rugby correspondent of The Times said this of Gwilliam following the Triple Crown-clinching victory over the Irish: “Wales, above everything else, even perhaps the men who scored the tries, owed their hard-earned victory to Gwilliam, the leader of a magnificent pack who, for all their slight advantage in the lineout and rushes, were by no means masters in the tight and might have become rattled and led to make serious mistakes but for the cool general who kept them together.”

Wales’ defence of their title was stopped in its tracks at Murrayfield where the Scots routed the visitors 19-0.

Gwilliam was dropped for the final game in Paris but regained the captaincy for the clash with South Africa in 1951, and a second Grand Slam in three seasons was captured soon after.

Having seen off England and Scotland, the Triple Crown was again clinched with a win against the Irish, while a 9-5 success over the French in Swansea put the icing on the cake.

Although he was dropped again in 1953, Gwilliam came back into the side, now skippered by Bleddyn Williams, and played a starring role as the All Blacks came off second best at the end of the year.

Gwilliam finished playing at the end of the 1953/54 season having also represented the Barbarians during his career.

Off the pitch, he continued teaching and was headmaster of Birkenhead School from 1963 until his retirement in 1988.

In his personal life, Gwilliam married Pegi Lloyd George in 1949 and the couple had five children together.