Ray Gravell

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Raymond William Robert Gravell (born 1951 in Mynyddygarreg, Wales) is a former Welsh rugby union player who gained 23 rugby union caps for Wales as a centre.

He was educated at Burry Port Secondary Modern School and Carmarthen Grammar School.

[edit] Rugby Career

He first played for Llanelli RFC in 1970, going on to captain the club for two seasons from 1980 to 1982. He made his first appearance for Wales against France in 1975 and played in two Grand Slam winning sides, usually as a centre but sometimes as a winger, and also played in all four tests on the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa in 1980. He announced his retirement from international rugby in 1982. His last appearance for Llanelli was in 1985.

[edit] Broadcasting and Acting Career

In 1985 he joined the BBC taking the leading role in Bonner, a BBC Cymru film for the Welsh Language broadcaster S4C. He appeared in the BBC TV movie Filipina Dreamgirls which led to a role as Jeremy Irons' character's chaffeur in the 1992 Louis Malle film Damage. Since then he has presented regular chat and entertainment shows for both BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru.

He is currently a member of the BBC's Welsh language rugby commentary team where he is an interviewer during Celtic League, Powergen Cup and Heineken Cup matches. He also hosts a breakfast radio show on Radio Cymru in West Wales and co-hosts I'll Show You Mine with Frank Hennessy on Radio Wales.