An All Whites stalwart, he played 96 games for the club between the 1968/69 and 1981/82 seasons, figuring in 15 matches in the 1979/80 campaign when Swansea won the Western Mail Championship for the first time post World War 2.
A highly mobile prop, his debut for the club was at No. 8 against Bridgend, but he also played on the wing in his first full season, scoring a try against Cross Keys. He played against the Barbarians twice in the traditional Easter fixtures and also faced the Australian tourists in 1982.
He played in the Swansea Athletic side that won the Silver Ball trophy at Bridgend in 1983, playing in a pack that also contained Geoff Wheel, and later became chairman of the Athletic XV. He was also a highly successful and popular bowls player at the Bryn Road Group of Bowling Clubs, where he was also a member of the committee.
After a distinguished playing career at St Helen’s, Mugford became a member of the club’s committee, graduated to become team manager before taking over as general manager at the club. He went on to become team manager at the newly formed Neath-Swansea Ospreys in 2003, but left that post in February, 2004.
He became secretary of Swansea RFC in 1992, following in the footsteps of David Price, and also became secretary of the Premiership Clubs group.
His former front row colleague at Swansea, current club chairman Phil Llewellyn, said: “I’m sure I speak for all at Swansea Rugby Club when I say we were privileged to have known and worked with Byron Mugford who was a devoted servant of both our club and Welsh Rugby in general. The game will be sadder and poorer for his passing.
“Byron served Swansea RFC tirelessly for nearly 50 years as a player, committeeman and secretary. He will be impossible to replace and all his many friends at St Helen’s are thinking of his wife Angela, together with their children Richard, Rhodri, Elizabeth, and their respective families at this sad time.”
