Whitland RFC’S Tony Bowen and Cardigan’s Graham Rees have been honoured by the Welsh Rugby Union for their contribution to the game in Wales.

 
The pair joined Trefil’s Howard Morris at the Wales v South Africa test to be presented with The President’s Lifetime Achievement Award - by WRU President Dennis Gethin after each had given more than 50 years’ service to their respective clubs and other areas of Welsh rugby.
 

Tony’s been a real star, on and off the field

 
Tony Bowen first played for Whitland in 1958 and captained the club for three years, playing over 500 games and scoring 200 tries. He played for Llanelli for a season and also earned 50 caps for Pembrokeshire County. He played against Western Samoa for Western Counties.
 
Off the field his commitment to Whitland continued, becoming club chairman and youth coach, helping Whitland win the Youth Cup final against Cardiff in 1984 and going on to become a Pembrokeshire County selector.
 
Nowadays, Tony is the club groundsman and he and wife Patricia have also contributed over the years as the chief kit washers.
 

Graham represents all that is good in local rugby

 
Graham Rees played for Cardigan for 28 years, retiring aged 47. He was club secretary for 25 years from 1980, even after life-changing surgery and also fulfilled the roles of club chairman and fixture secretary for a time.
 
He provided hands-on support on matchday, preparing the club, acting as linesman and sweeping the changing rooms. He was also a strong supporter of the club’s mini and junior section.
 
After he and wife Gwen relocated from Cardigan in 2013 following the tragic rugby injury to son Dylan, who was also in the stadium as a guest of the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust, he was made club President, a role he still holds.