Welsh rugby hero Jonathan Davies has paid a loving tribute to his cousin, who has died almost 10 years after he suffered a serious head injury sustained during a rugby match.
His cousin Dylan Rees suffered an horrific injury when he collapsed after a tackle just 40 seconds before the end of a match while playing centre for Clwb Rygbi Cymru Caerdydd in 2013. Rees underwent an emergency operation before going into a coma.
His family were later told he would require around the clock care for the rest of his life. But sadly, on Friday it was confirmed that the former police officer passed away at a Llanelli care home a day after his 43rd birthday.
In 2014, Davies and several other former Wales internationals including Brynmor Williams, Wayne Proctor, Phil Davies and Tom Shanklin played a fundraising match at Cardigan that raised around £50,000.
"It's really tragic," said Davies, a BBC commentator who played for Wales in both union and league codes. "He was such a nice kid, a real hard rugby player. He was my first cousin. It's very, very sad. It's a real tragedy as he was a lovely kid. It's obviously been tough since the incident."
Following the incident, the local community rallied around the family.
Speaking in 2015, Graham Rees told S4C: “If only he could talk and tell us what’s worrying him that would be a lot more comforting.
“If only we knew how he feels, that he could say how he feels, that would help us to cope with this.
“As he was so lively and full of life, always had been... and now he depends on the care he has from the nurses for everything he needs.”
