27 Facts About Tasker Watkins

Tasker Watkins was President of the Welsh Rugby Union from 1993 to 2004.

Tasker Watkins attended school in Romford where he captained the cricket and football teams and played rugby.

Tasker Watkins was the first Welsh member of the British Army to be awarded a VC during the Second World War.

In North-West Europe on the evening, of 16th August, 1944, Lieutenant Tasker Watkins was commanding a company of the Welch Regiment.

Lieutenant Tasker Watkins directed the fire of his men and then led a bayonet charge, which resulted in the almost complete destruction of the enemy.

Lieutenant Tasker Watkins decided to rejoin his battalion by passing round the flank of the enemy position through which he had advanced but while passing through the cornfields once more, he was challenged by an enemy post at close range.

Tasker Watkins ordered his men to scatter and himself charged the post with a Bren gun and silenced it.

Tasker Watkins then led the remnants of his company back to battalion headquarters.

Tasker Watkins stated in another interview with The Daily Telegraph in 2001:.

Wales rugby coach Graham Henry had Tasker Watkins' citation pinned up on the wall of the Welsh changing room before Six Nations encounters.

Tasker Watkins' VC is on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery in the Imperial War Museum.

Tasker Watkins later achieved the rank of major, and on leaving the Army, studied law.

Tasker Watkins was called to the bar at the Middle Temple in 1948.

Tasker Watkins was deputy chairman of Radnorshire Quarter Sessions between 1962 and 1971, and of Carmarthenshire Quarter Sessions from 1966 until 1971.

Tasker Watkins was Recorder of Merthyr Tydfil between 1968 and 1970 and of Swansea during 1970 and 1971.

Tasker Watkins was Leader of the Wales and Chester Circuit from 1970 to 1971.

Tasker Watkins was a Presiding Judge of the Wales and Chester Circuit from 1975 until he was promoted to the Court of Appeal in 1980.

Tasker Watkins became the first Senior Presiding Judge in 1983.

Tasker Watkins was a chairman of the Mental Health Review Tribunal, Wales Region, between 1960 and 1971 and was chairman of the Judicial Studies Board during 1979 and 1980.

Tasker Watkins played Rugby Union football as an outside-half for the Army, Cardiff RFC and Glamorgan Wanderers.

Tasker Watkins became president of the Welsh Rugby Union in 1993, overseeing the switch from the amateur era to professionalism and the move from club to regional rugby in Wales.

Tasker Watkins stepped down on 26 September 2004 as the first man since Sir David Rocyn Jones in 1953 to hold office for more than one season.

Tasker Watkins was chairman, President of Glamorgan Wanderers, and patron until his death.

Tasker Watkins was appointed an honorary life vice-patron of the WRU.

Tasker Watkins was president of the University of Wales College of Medicine for 11 years from 1987, and was president of the British Legion in Wales from 1947 to 1968.

Tasker Watkins was once asked by the Liberal Party if he would consider becoming a Member of Parliament and a safe seat was offered him, but Tasker Watkins turned the offer down.

Tasker Watkins was made a member of the Privy Council in 1980.