Malcolm Price, a prolific try-scorer on the 1959 Tour of Australia and New Zealand, has died at the age of 86.
The Pontypool-born centre was just 21 when selected in a squad captained by Irishman Ronnie Dawson but made a stunning impact on what would be his sole Tour.
In total, Price crossed 14 times in 19 matches, a haul which included a double in a 24-3 victory over Australia in Sydney that secured a 2-0 series victory for the tourists.
He followed up with two more in the first Test against New Zealand in Dunedin, won 18-17 by the hosts, and featured in three Tests against the All Blacks in a series the Lions lost 3-1.
Price scored a hat-trick against New Zealand Universities and also showed his versatility against the All Blacks, filling in at outside half during the second Test.
The Tour simply continued a remarkable breakthrough year for Price, who helped his hometown club Pontypool win the 1958/59 Welsh Championship and made his Wales debut in the 1959 Five Nations opener against England.
He played in all four games in the 1960 Five Nations and earned nine Wales caps in total before making the switch to rugby league, signing for Oldham – who described him as ‘arguably the greatest player to leave the Principality to turn pro for Oldham’ – in 1962.
Price recovered from emergency surgery on a life-threatening pancreas injury later that year and went on to play for Great Britain, becoming one of the few players to do so in both union and league, while also representing Rochdale Hornets and Salford during what remained of his career.
Away from the rugby field, Price was a talented badminton player – continuing well into his 60s – while he worked as a regional manager Norwest Co-operative Society and later as a warden for Rochdale Pioneers Museum.
The British & Irish Lions sends its condolences to Price’s family and friends.
