
Quick Facts
Biography
David "Dai" Royston "Roy" Bevan (1928 – 12 April 2008) was a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s, playing club level rugby union (RU) for Oldham RUFC, and playing representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain, and Wales, and at club level for Wigan, and Halifax, as a Wing, i.e. number 2 or 5.
Playing career
International honours
Dai Bevan won caps for Wales (RL) while at Wigan 1953 2-caps, and won a cap for Great Britain (RL) while at Wigan in 1952 against Australia.
Dai Bevan also represented Great Britain while at Wigan/Halifax between 1952 and 1956 against France (1 non-Test match).
Championship final appearances
Dai Bevan played for Wigan during the 1951–52 season, but not in Wigan's 13-6 victory over Dewsbury in the Rugby Football League Championship final during the 1951–52 season at Leeds Road, Huddersfield on Saturday 10 May 1952.
Challenge Cup final appearances
Dai Bevan played Left-Wing, i.e. number 5, in Halifax's 4-4 draw with Warrington in the 1954 Challenge Cup final during the 1953–54 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 1 May 1954, and played Left-Wing in the 4-8 defeat by Warrington in the 1954 Challenge Cup final replay during the 1953–54 season at Odsal Stadium, Bradford on Wednesday 5 May 1954, in front of a record crowd of 102,575 or more.
Personal life
Bevan's exact date of birth is not known, but his birth was registered in January–March 1928 in Pontypridd district
Following his retirement from rugby league, Dai Bevan lived in Middleton near Rochdale, and became a teacher at Moorclose School (now named Middleton Technical School).
Death
Dai Bevan died on 12 April 2008, aged 80, in Heywood near Rochdale, just months after his brother and lifelong friend, Gerald Bevan, died. The funeral was on 21 April 2008 at Rochdale Crematorium.