Morgan, Cliff

▪ British rugby player

born April 7, 1930, Trebanog, Wales

      Welsh rugby union football player who was one of the sport's greatest fly halves and was noted for his attacking runs. Morgan played 29 Test (international) matches for Wales and 4 for the British Lions (now the British and Irish Lions) between 1951 and 1958. In 1952 he led Wales to the Five Nations Championship in his first full season with the national team. He also played a pivotal role in the famous Welsh victories over New Zealand in 1953–54; captained the Lions in their third Test match win in South Africa in 1955, which tied that series; and was captain when Wales won the Five Nations Championship in 1956.

      After retirement Morgan remained in the spotlight as a respected and popular television and radio commentator. He was also an executive with the BBC. He chaired the selection panel for the International Rugby Hall of Fame and was one of the members of its inaugural class in 1997.

John Nauright

 

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