Location: St. Bride’s Spa Hotel, Pembrokeshire

Join Swansea Bay Business Club for our May Lunch at St. Bride’s Spa Hotel in Pembrokeshire, with guest speaker, Gareth Davies, former Wales and British and Irish Lions international rugby union player and former chairman of the Welsh Rugby Union, sponsored by Team Wales.

On Thursday 8^th May 2025, Swansea Bay Business Club will meet at St. Bride’s Spa Hotel in Pembrokeshire. Attendees at Swansea Bay Business Club’s May Lunch will enjoy a delicious two-course meal, with the opportunity to network with fellow Swansea Bay Business Club members and guests from across the Swansea Bay City Region.

Gareth Davies is a former Wales and British and Irish Lions international rugby union player and former chairman of the Welsh Rugby Union. He is currently the Chair of Team Wales for Commonwealth Games Wales.

Gareth was born in the mining village of Tumble, Carmarthenshire, and was educated at Gwendraeth Grammar School in Drefach near Llanelli.

Gareth started his rugby career at Tumble RFC and Gwendraeth Grammar School. He briefly played for Llanelli RFC whilst still at school before moving to Cardiff RFC where he played for 12 years.

During this time he gained 21 Welsh caps, chosen as Captain on five occasions, winning a Triple Crown in 1979. He also toured with the British and Irish Lions to South Africa in 1980. He resigned from international duties in 1985.

Following his retirement from rugby, he became assistant director of the CBI Wales, and then head of sport for BBC Wales in 1988.

In 1994 he was appointed Chief Executive of Cardiff Athletic Club/Cardiff Rugby Football Club, where in 1995 he re-signed Jonathan Davies back from his time playing Rugby league as Rugby Union turned professional.

In 1999 he joined S4C as Commissioning Editor for Sports and Events. He was also chairman of the Sports Council for Wales, and director of Welsh Affairs for the Royal Mail.

In 2006 he joined the Welsh Development Agency, heading the Sydney office in Australia, then in January 2009 he was appointed as Dean at Leeds Metropolitan University.

In July 2014, Gareth was nominated and appointed on the board of the Welsh Rugby Union, and then elected as Chairman later that year, where he stayed until 2020.

In 2015 he was awarded Honorary Doctorates from Cardiff Metropolitan University and again in 2018 at the University of South Wales. He is also an Honorary Fellow of Cardiff University.

Gareth is currently the Chair of Commonwealth Games Wales, the organisation responsible for preparing and leading Team Wales at the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Youth Games.

This event will be open to members only initially and will open to non-members should capacity not be reached nearer to the event date.

Terms and Conditions for ticket bookings can be found in our Club Policy Document here.