Gareth Webb Payne was born at Trelewis on September 8, 1935 and whilst attending Pontypridd Grammar School he gained a Wales Secondary Schools cap in 1953. He played for the Pontypridd senior side and was selected for Wales at the age of 24 in a side that lost at Twickenham, but won their next two matches.
He qualified as a civil engineer from the School of Mines in Treforest and served his National Service with the Royal Engineers, playing for the Army and also appearing for Newport, London Welsh, Stroud, the Barbarians and the county sides of Glamorgan, Gloucestershire and Hampshire.
In 1960 he played for the London Counties, Combined Services and the South-East Counties against the Springbok tourists.
In recent years he lived with his wife and two children in Cuddington, Buckinghamshire and died suddenly whilst on holiday in the Lake District on July 2.
