Bury St Edmunds Rugby Football Club pays tribute to ‘legend’ Mark ‘Munro’ Williams
A rugby club has paid tribute to a ‘legend and immensely popular figure’ who ‘did so much to help out in countless aspects of club life’.
Mark ‘Munro’ Williams died on Sunday after a fiercely brave battle against Myeloma, Bury St Edmunds Rugby Football Club announced today.
Mr Williams, who ran Springfield Garage in the town, was a coach at the club before moving into an administrative and managerial role.
In a tribute to the ‘legend’, the club said: “The breadth and depth of the work Mark did behind the scenes for his beloved Wolfpack, will perhaps never be fully comprehensible. But without this work, it is certain they simply would not be where they are today.”
His son Ruaraidh plays for the men's first team.
Mr Williams joined the club in 1994 as its 1st XV forwards coach, arriving from Thurston RFC.
“Over the course of the next few years, Mark had a profound effect in his role and earned immense respect from many,” said the club.
He was invited to be the Men’s Suffolk Seniors coach and he assembled ‘an all-conquering’ Suffolk side against what were largely considered stronger opponents in Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, and Essex.
The club said: “Given his coaching success and prowess, it might have seemed a shame that Mark moved into a more administrative and managerial role at the club thereafter. However, as the 1st XV advanced through the leagues, the demands and support they required increased significantly – and in typical Munro style, the club came first, always.
“Over the years, he did so much to help out in countless aspects of club life, but the Men’s 1st XV in particular owe him a tremendous debt.
“Travel, kit, procedures, policies, regulations, accommodation, governing body directives, player registrations, overseas player registrations, pitches, opponent communications and most importantly match day sweeties, were all part of Mark’s weekly thoughts and workflow.”
Whatever tasks or challenges he faced in his various roles, the club said, he did so with tenacity, efficiency, an unparalleled knowledge of the game and above all, a wholehearted commitment to Bury St Edmunds Rugby Club.
Mr Williams was also an ‘immensely popular figure across the national leagues’ and built strong relationships with many clubs and referees.
His second love was climbing, which inspired his nickname ‘Munro’ as he had scaled all 282 Munros in Scotland.
He led a team of players to do the 3 Peaks Challenge as part of a fund-raising campaign for Andrew Gaskell – who broke his neck playing at the club.
The club added: “Above all, his truest love was his family - who now become our family.
“We shall miss Mark so dearly and our club will be poorer without him – but we will ensure that his memory will always live on at Bury St Edmunds Rugby Club. We shall forever be inspired by the bravery with which he fought this disease and everything that he stood for.
“Come September, there is no doubt that he will be with us – smiling down at the club he loved so much, as Ruaraidh embarks on one of the barnstorming runs that made his dad so proud.
“There will never be another Mark Williams, the ultimate clubman.”
He leaves partner, Lorna, his sister, Deb and his children, Ruaraidh, Megan, and Calum.