The highly-rated forward has impressed on and off the pitch after being named as co-captain of his country

Gwynne was hugely impressive against England(Image: Getty Images)

On a weekend when positives were few and far between in Welsh rugby, Wales U20s provided some encouragement for the future as they came painfully close to sealing a brilliant victory away to England.

Richard Whiffin’s side were 16-0 ahead at half-time and held onto the lead until four minutes from time, when the hosts at Franklin’s Gardens edged ahead to snatch a 19-16 win. While they were put under relentless pressure by England throughout the second half, it would have been a tough result for Wales to stomach, having dominated territory and possession in the opening 40 minutes.

There were several fine performances in a red jersey, with Scarlets fly-half Carwyn Leggatt-Jones catching the eye in Northampton with a virtuoso display at fly-half. But, in the opening stages of the U20s Six Nations, no Welshman has impressed both on and off the pitch quite like co-captain Deian Gwynne.

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The 20-year-old back rower, who is sharing captaincy duties for the tournament with centre Steffan Emanuel, is highly rated at club side Gloucester and has broken into the senior set-up at Kingsholm this season, making 10 appearances for the Cherry & Whites.

A dynamic, powerful ball carrier, the 6ft 3in star brought his class to the international stage on Friday night as he put in an immense shift against England, making 18 carries and topping the tournament charts for dominant contact after the first round of the fixtures.

Away from the action, former Scarlets academy talent Gwynne has won more admirers with how he handles himself, with his intelligence and leadership qualities shining through during media interviews.

He is an impressive young man with a bright future undoubtedly ahead of him, with many within Welsh rugby believing he will be a huge player for Wales’ senior side for years to come. But what he has achieved so far is made all the more remarkable when taking into account the difficult path he has already had to navigate at his tender age.

Gwynne with his late father Dewi(Image: S4C)

Following a period of illness, Gwynne’s father Dewi died aged 58 in May 2024, less than a decade after his uncle Eifion also passed away. Both men captained Aberystwyth RFC, with the 20-year-old following in their footsteps as he represented the club’s junior teams from U7s to U16s.

In a video with S4C, Gwynne has spoken about how he is motivated to make his dad proud, having had him on the sidelines cheering him on even during his illness.

“Just seeing him on the sidelines, urging me on, wanting to do him proud, how much it meant to him and putting a smile on his face, that’s what drives me on every day,” he said. “Making him proud and improving every day.”

Showing the S4C cameras around his former club, Gwynne said: “Here we are, Aberystwyth RFC, Dad captained the club for two seasons, then he took a break and then he was captain for another season in 1998. My uncle Eifion was also captain.

“This is where everything started for me, aged six up to 16. Fond memories up here of playing as a junior, memories I’ll treasure forever.”

The 20-year-old has broken into the senior side at Gloucester(Image: Getty Images)

Gwynne’s mother Nicol said her son was “genuinely chuffed” to be made U20s co-captain, as she spoke about her late husband’s pride at seeing him rise through the ranks of Welsh rugby.

“Dewi was happy, friendly, he’d talk to anyone,” she said. “That’s why he loved rugby. He’d go down to the club but he didn’t [have] time to watch the rugby, he’d just speak to everyone. He was proud to be a father.”

Aberystwyth RFC chairman Emlyn Jones added: “Dewi was one of the club’s heroes, a former captain, former Player of the Year, a hard man on the pitch.

“He was ill for a number of years. He was a strong man, he was an honest man, he lived his life to the full and it was great seeing Deian play against Scotland two years ago.

“Nine years since we lost Eifion, Dewi’s brother, when we heard that Dewi was ill, it was a difficult time,” he added. “They were both former captains of the club, both Player of the Year, they were club heroes and local heroes.

“Through hard times, people unite. Looking back, you have time to reflect on the good times. I think both will be looking down and thinking ‘Wow’. Captaining his country, it’s a wonderful thing.”

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