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Tributes paid to Ray Gravell
Rugby legend and Â鶹Éç Wales presenter Ray Gravell has died suddenly at
the age of 56 whilst on holiday with his family in Spain.
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Ray made a
remarkable recovery following the partial amputation of his right leg
earlier in the year but it is believed that he suffered a heart attack
on Wednesday (31 October 2007).
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He leaves his wife Mari and daughters Manon
and Gwenan.
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Menna Richards, Controller of Â鶹Éç Wales, said:
"There's no-one in Â鶹Éç Wales, and probably no-one throughout the nation,
who won't take the news of Ray Gravell's death as a personal
bereavement.
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"Ray was one of Â鶹Éç Wales' best-loved broadcasters on
Â鶹Éç Radio Cymru,
Â鶹Éç Radio Wales and on television as a rugby commentator and pundit.
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"His exuberance, enthusiasm, his honesty and entire lack of pretension
captivated everyone who knew him. Those were some of the qualities that
made Grav a popular broadcaster and a life-enhancing companion for those
who worked with him.
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"His courage and commitment were admired wherever rugby is played, but
those qualities were even more striking in the recent testing months of
illness.
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"It is an exceptional tribute to this remarkable man that no-one
recalls him saying a bad word about anyone, nor heard anyone say a bad
word about him
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"He was a warm and dear man and we shall miss him terribly. Our profound
sympathies are with Mari, Manon and Gwenan."
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Nigel Walker, Head of Sport, Â鶹Éç Wales, paid tribute to his friend and
colleague.
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He said: "A more genuine, caring, loving and passionate man you could not wish to
meet and it was typical of him that he used the misfortune of losing his
lower leg to comfort and inspire others similarly affected.
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"This act of
selflessness was not a one-off act but epitomises the way Ray lived his
entire life. I, and many others, will miss Ray's hug, smile and warmth."
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Siân Gwynedd, Editor, Radio Cymru, said:
"Grav was a truly unique personality and he was always full of energy
and warmth. His closeness to people and his infectious enthusiasm made
him an extremely special presenter.
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"'West is best' was one of his favourite sayings and the audience in the
west was always very close to his heart.
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"It was a real pleasure having
Grav as part of the Radio Cymru presenting team and his colleagues felt
privileged to work along side him.
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"He was an inspiration to us all and
he will be greatly missed."
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Tributes have been paid to Ray Gravell throughout the day on Â鶹Éç Wales
services and viewers are invited to post their own tributes on
bbc.co.uk/walessport and on the Welsh language bbc.co.uk/chwaraeon.
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The following programmes will be broadcast in memory of the legend from
his hometown of Mynydd-y-Garreg:
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Sport Wales, Thursday 1 November, Â鶹Éç Two Wales/2W, 10pm;
repeat, Friday 2 November, Â鶹Éç 2W, 9pm
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Scrum V, Sunday 4 November, Â鶹Éç Two Wales, 6.10pm
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Notes to Editors
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At the family's request, please contact the
Â鶹Éç Wales Press Office with any queries. We trust that you will
respect their privacy during this difficult time.
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Ray Gravell biography
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Ray Gravell was a regular commentator and pundit on Â鶹Éç Wales radio and
television programmes and presented Grav, his Â鶹Éç Radio Cymru programme,
to the west Wales opt out.
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He played for Llanelli between 1969 and 1985 and captained the rugby team
between 1980 and 1982. He won 23 caps for Wales and was a member of the team
who beat the All Blacks in 1972. He was also a member of the British
Lions team in 1980, captained by Bill Beaumont.
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Ray starred in many TV dramas including the leading role in the Â鶹Éç
Wales film for S4C, Bonner.Ìý He also appeared in Filipina Dreamgirls and
the big screen adaptation of Dylan Thomas's Rebecca's Daughters, which
starred Peter O'Toole. He played chauffeur to Jeremy Irons in Damage and
he was the doctor in Â鶹Éç Wales' hard-hitting drama Streetlife.
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Â鶹Éç Wales Press Office
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