Gould was the greatest player of his era at the turn of the last century and captained Wales to their first Triple Crown in 1893. Dawes became a Grand Slam captain and coach, as well as the leader of the only British & Irish Lions side to win a series in New Zealand in 1971, while Williams took the Welsh try record past the half-century mark.
The three Welsh greats are included among 12 legends of the game who will be inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame at a special ceremony to celebrate the official opening of the physical visitor experience in Rugby, England on Thursday, 17 November.
As well as the Welsh trio, there will be four England players, a Scot, an Irishman, a Japanese legend, an Australian and a Canadian added to the list.The full list of new inductees (with induction number and country) is:
Brian O’Driscoll (121, Ireland)
Shane Williams (122, Wales)
Jeremy Guscott (123, England)
Lawrence Dallaglio (124, England)
Heather Moyse (125, Canada)
John Dawes (126, Wales)
GPS Macpherson (127, Scotland)
Arthur Gould (128, Wales)
Jonny Wilkinson (129, England)
Daniel Carroll (130, Australia and USA)
Daisuke Ohata (131, Japan)
Maggie Alphonsi (132, England).
The dozen new inductees takes the grand total within the Hall of Fame to 132. Each of them will be celebrated and profiled within the new visitor attraction at the birthplace of the game that will be fully-interactive, immersive and delivered in multiple languages.
“The World Rugby Hall of Fame recognises those who have made an indelible mark on our sport through feats on the field of play, displays of great character or through their tireless and inspirational work in driving forward our great game,” said World Rugby Chairman, Bill Beaumont.
“The latest set of inductions includes some real legends, players who have helped to shape the image of rugby and inspire generations of fans. They are truly some of the biggest names in our sport and all have contributed immensely to the enjoyment we have all felt watching top-level rugby over the decades.
“Each of these 12 inductees has made a positive impression on the sport that will last the test of time. While the Hall of Fame has been in existence for some years, it is exciting that finally it will have a permanent home and fitting that it should be in the town that gave our game its name, Rugby.
“The physical Hall of Fame will be a wonderful focal point for the game and will attract fans from all over the world to relive the great exploits of rugby’s most prominent and talented individuals.”
To be eligible for consideration in the World Rugby Hall of Fame, inductees will generally have been retired from playing and coaching international rugby for at least three years. They will have made an outstanding contribution to the game of rugby while demonstrating rugby’s core values of passion, integrity, solidarity, discipline and respect.
The World Rugby Hall of Fame selection panel consists of: World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont, Chris Rea (Scotland), Gerald Davies (Wales), Keith Quinn (New Zealand), Jim Webster (Australia), Pablo Mamone (Argentina), Henri Garcia (France), Don Cameron (New Zealand), David Hands (England) and panel secretary Chris Thau.
The New Welsh inductees:
ARTHUR GOULD
Captain of both club and country, Newport legend Arthur Gould is regarded as the first superstar of Welsh rugby. The multi-skilled and charismatic back played 27 times for Wales, 25 at centre and two at full-back, and was captain in 18 of them – a record that lasted almost a century. He retired in 1897 and remained Wales’ most-capped centre until overtaken by Steve Fenwick in 1980. Under his captaincy, Wales broke new ground, registering their first international win against England at Dewsbury in 1890 and their first Triple Crown and championship three years later. He scored two tries in the win over England that year, one a brilliant long distance effort. One of three brothers to represent Wales, Gould played for Newport for 16 years between 1882 and 1898. His tally of 37 tries in 24 games in the 1893-94 season is a club record that stands to this day. He passed away in 1919 aged 54.
JOHN DAWES
A master tactician, Dawes left an indelible mark on British rugby during the 1970s as both captain and coach. The playmaker only scored four international tries in 26 tests for Wales and the British & Irish Lions but created countless others with his ability to put team-mates into space. Dawes was a member of Wales’ Triple Crown-winning side of 1965, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that his ability was fully appreciated. Not only did he guide Wales to a Grand Slam in 1971, the London Welsh captain also led the Lions to their first series win in New Zealand. In 1973, he captained the Barbarians in their famous Twickenham win against the touring All Blacks, playing a hand in Gareth Edwards’ famous try. Dawes’ reign as Wales coach was the most successful in their history, capped by two more Grand Slams in 1976 and 1978. He also coached the Lions in New Zealand in 1977.
SHANE WILLIAMS
Despite his diminutive stature, Shane Williams’ lofty standing in the game is beyond doubt. Wales’ record try-scorer with 58 tries in 87 test appearances, Williams was a crowd-pleaser who could beat defenders at will with a devastating side-step or blistering turn of pace. Awarded his first cap by Graham Henry against France in 2000, Williams enjoyed 11 years at the top and was also capped four times by the Lions, scoring twice in the victorious third test against South Africa in 2009. His five tries against Manawatu on the 2005 tour to New Zealand equalled the Lions’ single-game record. Twice a Six Nations Grand Slam winner with Wales, Williams became the first and only Welshman to be named World Rugby Player of the Year in 2008. He also appeared at three Rugby World Cups, from 2003-2011, scoring six tries in the 2007 edition before helping Wales reach the semi-finals at the next tournament in New Zealand.
Welsh Inductees of World Rugby Hall of Fame
2007: Gareth Edwards
2009: Cliff Morgan
2010: Frank Hancock & Cardiff RFC
2013: Jack Matthews & Bleddyn Williams, Will Thomas (as a member of the 1888 British Lions team)
2014: Ieuan Evans, Keith Rowlands, JPR Williams
2015: Phil Bennett, Gerald Davies, Mervyn Davies, Carwyn James, Barry John, Gwyn Nicholls, Johnnie Williams
2016: John Dawes, Arthur Gould, Shane Williams
