Bill Morris

William John Morris (born 16 June 1941) was an Australian born, Welsh international rugby union lock who played club rugby for Wrexham and Newport and international rugby for Wales. Morris also played for the Barbarians and toured with them to South Africa in 1969, during the apartheid era. He is the third of four players known as Bill Morris to represent Wales at rugby union.

Personal history Morris was born in Australia in 1941, the son of a Welsh man who had joined the Colonial Service and while in Australia had joined the Australian Air Force on the outbreak of the Second World War. His mother was a Russian from Vladivostok, who his father had met in China. His family returned to Britain settling in Wrexham, north Wales where Morris attended Grove Park School. On leaving education he gained employment as a solicitor. Whether his poor final minute decision was a factor is unknown, but Morris was not selected for Wales again.

Morris continued to represent Newport, and in 1966 he was part of the team that faced Australia in their 1966/67 tour. Newport drew 3-3, though at one point Morris had thought he had put his team in front with a try, only for it to be disallowed by the referee. It would be four years until he was again called to play, when he was selected to join the team on their 1969 Easter tour. On that tour he played against East Midland, Cardiff and Swansea. 1966 1965