Huw Llywelyn Davies retires from S4C Six Nations coverage
The final weekend of the 2014 Six Nations Tournament sees rugby commentator Huw Llywelyn Davies, covering his final international match for S4C.
The Wales-Scotland encounter at the Millennium Stadium this Saturday will see him hanging up his international headphones after 32 years of commentating in Welsh for S4C.
Although stepping down from international commentary, he will continue to commentate on the Pro 12 games for the remainder of the season and contribute to the output of the BBC Cymru Wales Sports Department in the future.
I’ve been fortunate to have worked on so many great sporting occasions for S4C and the BBC; there have been ups and downs on the rugby field, but charting them has meant something very special to me and I’m grateful to my colleagues and to the audience for the superb support over the years. I’m looking forward now to doing other work for the BBC at the end of the Six Nations. – Huw Llywelyn Davies
Huw’s first international commentary was in 1979 for Radio Cymru and then on television for S4C in February 1983 during the first 12 months of the channel, in the then Five Nations Championship, and the Wales-England game which ended in a 13-13 draw.
It’s Wales’ 100th match at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday since it opened in 1999. Huw has commentated on three Grand Slams, five Lions tours and five Rugby World Cups, along with famous wins against Australia and the dramatic Championship decider against England last season
Huw has guided us through so many of the memorable rugby moments over the past 30 years. His unique contribution to BBC Wales output has been enormous and his great fluency of expression and idiom has made it a joy to listen to his commentaries. – Sian Gwynedd, Head of Welsh Language Programmes and Services at BBC Wales
Initially a school teacher at Llandovery College, Huw joined HTV (now ITV Wales) in 1974 before moving to the BBC in 1979. He has worked extensively not only as a sports commentator, but also presenter on the Eisteddfod, chat-shows and light entertainment and Dechrau Canu Dechrau Canmol.
I would like to thank Huw Llywelyn Davies for his invaluable contribution in enriching S4C viewers’ experience of watching international rugby. With his passionate, polished commentary and his vast knowledge of the game, he has set the highest possible high standards for future commentators to emulate. – Dafydd Rhys, S4C’s Director of Content
