Geoff Wheel, tough forward in Welsh rugby’s golden age with an unrivalled ability to rip the ball away
In 1977, he became the first Welshman to get sent off in an international match, despite his reserved demeanour off the pitch.
Geoff Wheel, a rugged rugby union forward who played 32 games for Wales during their heyday in the 1970s, passed
away at the age of 73 from motor neurone disease. When the team was already well-established as the most exciting
force in rugby, he made his debut in 1974 at the age of 22, and he played for another eight years until the great days
were finished.
In contrast to the flair roles of players like JPR Williams and Gareth Edwards, Wheel’s work in the second row was
unglamorous. His unparalleled ability to tear the ball away from the opponents at rucks and mauls, however, was his
greatest contribution to the squad.
He was very efficient both in the lineout and on the loose, where his strength and ability to jump, together with his
characteristic white headband, made him stand out. He played often in tandem with fellow lock Allan Martin.
Wheel was the first Welshman to be sent off in an international in 1977 after clashing with Ireland’s Willie Duggan,
despite generally being a quiet and reserved person off the pitch.
At Twickenham in 1980, he also had a noteworthy altercation with England’s Bill Beaumont; nevertheless, the
incident gained notoriety primarily due to the fact that it was documented in a widely used press photo. Wheel and
Beaumont hadn’t given the picture much thought, so he was disappointed that it garnered so much attention.
In 1978, Wheel was disciplined for pushing New Zealand in the lineout in Cardiff, which led to a late penalty kick
that put the All Blacks ahead 13–12 and kept Wales from winning a historic game. It was the most controversial time
of his career, and it was completely his responsibility. As he later admitted, Andy Haden of New Zealand had tricked
the referee by diving to the ground without actually making contact, so Wheel had not actually pushed anyone.
Born in Swansea on June 30, 1951, Geoffrey Arthur Derek Wheel was raised in the city’s St. Thomas neighbourhood
and went to Bishop Gore Grammar School. He showed promise at football in the early going and played rugby for
Mumbles RFC.
Within four years he was making his debut for Wales in the Five Nations Championship, and by 1979 he had featured
in four title-winning campaigns, including two grand slams. His final appearance came in 1982, after which he
continued with Swansea for another year, ending up with 323 appearances for the club. He captained the Whites
from 1979 to 1981, a period in which they collected a plethora of honours, including two Anglo-Welsh championships
and a National Sevens title, winning 81 of the 93 games under his command.
He also played nine times for the Barbarians between 1975 and 1977 and would have been on the 1977 British & Irish
Lions tour to New Zealand but for a medical examination that revealed a previously unknown heart condition. To his
simultaneous relief and chagrin, the diagnosis turned out to be incorrect, but the mistake was discovered too late to
allow his withdrawal to be reversed.
Wheel, who spent the remainder of his life working as an accounts manager for a brewery, remained involved with
Swansea RFC and was a prominent member of the team’s former players association, which he presided over until
his passing.
During his playing career, he was well-known for playing the accordion or ukulele to accompany club fans in post-
match song sessions. He also spent many years playing the organ at church services in St. Thomas, where he spent
his whole life. In addition, he served as the president of Swansea’s Gwalia Singers choir and volunteered with the
Boys’ Brigade and food banks.
He is survived by his wife, Christine, whom he married in 1975.
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