The world of rugby is in mourning over the sad loss of 27-year-old Doncaster Knights prop Ian Williams who collapsed during training on Tuesday, February 20, and could not be revived.

Many will have seen the reports on social media, with tributes being paid across all platforms and on most news bulletins. But what many might not realise is that Ian is one of our own.

Ian first came to Tenby as a ‘bump’ with his then toddler sister Helen and his parents Pippa and Philip Williams. From Penarth just outside Cardiff, Pippa’s face would be a familiar one to those who were around the harbour during the 1970s and ’80s. Usually to be found crewing on The Enterprise with Roger Crockford, she was first brought to Tenby by her family in 1963, as her grandparents - Catherine and William Hay - came from Pembroke and had only moved to Cardiff at the outbreak of the First World War as William was in demand at the docks. Pippa’s family returned to Tenby, where Catherine had once been in service, every summer and this continued once Pippa married Philip.

Ian and Helen loved the harbour, and from a very young age could be found annoying Shane, Adam and Basher on the Catalina and jet boat, followed by the Seal Safari. As Ian grew, he would help on the ramp and run errands up to town as the boats came in and out from Caldey - grabbing coffee, food, newspapers and especially chips (from Pipers) for ‘the lads’. The measure of Ian growing up was the serving hatch at the Harbour Café, where initially Julie and Jane would only see his fist above the wooden shelf, but at 6’ 4” and 19 stone, he was a bit more visible to Julie and Clare last summer.

Although Ian was born in Chichester, West Sussex, he was very proud of his Welsh and, in particular, his Pembrokeshire heritage. His grandfather, Vincent Hay, talked to him extensively about his great-grandfather and Ian was proud to possess a very early photograph of the Pembroke RFC team 1902-1903, a photograph which still hangs in the clubhouse at Pembroke and which features William. Ian was always destined to play rugby himself with Pippa having married Philip Williams - a renowned English loose head prop and player of both XVs and Sevens, who played his whole career for Richmond FC in Surrey, representing Aberystwyth and Surrey along the way. Having shown his potential as a talented tight head prop, Ian played for the Welsh Exiles, as well as a stint at the Gwent Dragons Academy with mum driving him down from Hampshire whenever necessary. But it was when he came to Swansea University that he truly felt he was on the way to fulfilling his love of being Welsh, playing in three Welsh Varsities at the Liberty and Millennium Stadiums, and donning the Welsh shirt on more than one occasion to represent Wales Students. He also played for Bridgend Ravens and Swansea Whites before being inspired in 2013 to apply to Oxford University.

First doing a PGC in historical studies and then gaining an MSt in literature and arts, Ian was able to achieve the accolade of being only the second Welsh rugby union player to win three caps in both the Welsh and English Varsity matches, contributing to the last three of Oxford’s six record successive Oxbridge Varsity match wins. He had quickly earned his first Dark Blue as part of the legendry pack that annihilated Cambridge, and went on to score a try at Twickenham in the 2014 43-6 triumph, and finally helped seal the record number of consecutive wins for Oxford in 2015.

Head-hunted by Welsh coaches Rupert Moon and Phil Davies, Ian joined the North Wales club RGC1404 in January 2016 with the remit of getting them promotion to the Principality Premiership. Having successfully achieved that, he then signed for the English Championship team Rotherham Titans in 2016, consolidating his position in the championship by moving to Doncaster Knights at the start of this season. He was now truly living his dream of being a full-time professional rugby player.

To finish why Ian is one of our own: in 2013 his parents fulfilled Pippa’s life-long dream of living in Tenby rather than just spending the summers here, and to the delight of both Ian and Helen, bought St. Lawrence Country Guest House in Tenby, which they have successfully run since June 2013 being finalists in the last three successive Pembrokeshire Tourism Awards for Best Pembrokeshire Breakfast. At long last able to come home whenever his rugby commitment allowed, Ian was able to see many of his Swansea University and rugby friends who are based down here.

Philip, Pippa and his sister Helen would like to thank all those who made his life such a happy one - especially here in Tenby - and would like people to come and give them a hug should they be in town or having a drink at Ian’s favourite pub, The Hope and Anchor. They will also welcome all those who knew him and wish to attend a memorial service which will be held in Oxford at a date to be arranged - details will be found on social media. The funeral will be private and held in West London in the next few weeks.