About Gareth Edwards (rugby union)
Sir Gareth Owen Edwards (born 12 July 1947) is a Welsh former rugby union player who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey". In 2003, in a poll of international rugby players conducted by Rugby World magazine, Edwards was declared the greatest player of all time. In 2007, former England captain Will Carling published his list of the '50 Greatest Rugby players' in The Daily Telegraph, and ranked Edwards the greatest player ever, stating: "He was a supreme athlete with supreme skills, the complete package. He played in the 1970s, but, if he played now, he would still be the best. He was outstanding at running, passing, kicking and reading the game. He sits astride the whole of rugby as the ultimate athlete on the pitch". Edwards was prominent in the Wales national team that was to the fore in European rugby in the '60s and '70s. He is one of a small group of Welsh players to have won three Grand Slams including Gerald Davies, JPR Williams, Ryan Jones, Adam Jones, Gethin Jenkins and Alun Wyn Jones. Edwards was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1975 Birthday Honours for services to Welsh rugby football; he was promoted to Commander (CBE) in the 2007 New Year Honours, "for services to sport, particularly rugby." He was knighted in the 2015 Birthday Honours, for services to sport and for charitable services. He won a scholarship to the elite Millfield Public School in Somerset. Edwards won his first international cap for Wales on 1 April 1967 at the age of 19 against France in Paris. Between 1967 and 1978 Edwards won 53 caps for Wales, including 13 as captain.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.