The funeral of the Llanelli, Wales and British and Irish Lions centre Raymond William Robert Gravell turned into a national affair as the people of Wales turned out in their thousands to show their love and respect.
The sun shone, the scoreboard recorded the greatest moment in Llanelli rugby club’s history, the 9-3 winning scoreline against the All Blacks on 31 October, 1972, and the Llanelli Male Voice choir and Burry Port Brass Band led the crowd through Calon Lan and Cwm Rhondda.
Everywhere you looked there were famous faces. Gareth Edwards here, Terry Cobner there, boxer Colin Jones, Ieuan Evans and new Wales skipper Gethin Jenkins close at hand with Rupert Moon, Bleddyn Williams, Jack Matthews and BBC Wales broadcaster Roy Noble adding their support.
Then there were Grav’s fellow Scarlet Gods from that great October day 25 years ago. He emerged one last time from the Llanelli dressing room carried shoulder high by three of his team mates against New Zealand, Delme Thomas, Derek Quinnell and Gareth Jenkins, and three current Scarlets, Dwayne Peel, Simon Easterby and Stephen Jones.
His two young daughters, Manon and Gwenan proudly wore Llanelli jerseys with their father’s number on the back, 13, as they joined their mother, Mari, in leading the procession behind the coffin as the man who played 485 for his beloved Scarlets took to the field at Stradey for one last time.
With former Scarlets, Wales and Lions hooker Robin McBryde carrying the ‘Great Sword’ that Grav used to bear at the National Eisteddfod the pall bearers carried the coffin through a guard of honour comprising the Llanelli team that beat New Zealand.
The Rev Meirion Evans, a former archdruid and great friend of Grav, led the 6,000 mourners in the service and there were moving musical contributions from Gwyneth Glyn and Dafydd Iwan.
There were moving tributes from the First Minister, Rhodri Morgan, Welsh historian Hywel Teifi Edwards, and former Wales and Lions legend Gerald Davies.
The First Minister said: “Grav had charm and a Bambi like vulnerability. As a politician you rate communicators. But few of us touch people’s souls like Grav did. Every achievement of his he never expected. He had huge talents, but he didn’t realise he had them. He never expected anything and everything that came his way came as a pleasant surprise.”
Hywel Teifi Edwards said: “Grav was a necessary force of good in this world, someone who enriched relationships between different communities. He was a tidal wave of good fellowship that engulfed each and every group he came upon. There was a distinct touch of the Mabinogion about him and he has now joined that special cast of Baroque characters who tell the story of Wales. Stories will be told about him in the future by people who never met him.”
Gerald Davies said: “For the many who knew him, and the many thousands who felt they knew him, he was an inspiration. He first made his name as a remarkable rugby player for Llanelli, Wales, the Lions and the Barbarians. As Carwyn James said of Ray, ‘no one has ever worn the Welsh jersey with a sharper sense of what it means to be a Welshman’. He was happy among Princes, paupers and poets – and the difference meant nothing to him. He was dazzling and unforgettable with a heart of gold. He was a rugby Viking, a true warrior who Bill McLaren once declared to be ‘a force of nature’. Today is a remarkable testimony to this great Welshman’s benevolent heart.”
As the pall bearers carried Grav from the centre of Stradey Park on his final journey, the crowd rose to give him one final standing ovation. He had been there many times before during his playing career, but nothing ever compared to the way a nation rose as one to salute one of its favourite sons.
As the banner on one of the stands said: “Diolwch am Bopeth, Grav, Yma o Hyd.”
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