Brian Thomas (18 May 1940 – 9 July 2012)[1] was a Welsh rugby union lock, most notable for his time playing for and later managing Neath RFC.
At the age of 22, he was selected for his first full international cap when he was chosen to represent Wales against England as part of the 1963 Five Nations Championship.
Thomas went on to represent Wales 21 times between 1963 and 1969, each of his caps won as a Neath player, his only senior club.
In his 1989 book The Rugby Clubs of Wales, David Parry-Jones describes' Thomas as bringing a "fresh dimension to the tradition of tough, closely concentrated forward play" who was able to "attract and mould distant talent which might otherwise have found its way into other clubs".
[4] Thomas was father-in-law to Wales international Rowland Phillips and Neath flanker Robin Jones.