Barry John dies aged 79: Updates as tributes pour in for Wales rugby legend

Wales rugby legend Barry John has died aged 79, his family have confirmed.

Nicknamed 'The King', John was considered one of the sport's all-time greats, winning three Five Nations titles, a Grand Slam and two Triple Crowns with Wales.

He played 25 times for his country and five times for the Lions, while he also represented Llanelli and Cardiff at club level.

He died in hospital on Sunday. A family statement read: "Barry John died peacefully today at the University Hospital of Wales surrounded by his loving wife and four children. He was a loving Dadcu to his 11 grandchildren and much-loved brother."

John had made his Wales debut in the victory over Australia in December 1966, but he would have to wait a year before being partnered up with Sir Gareth Edwards - forming one of the greatest half-back combinations the game has ever seen.

From John's first piece of dry advice to Edwards when the scrum-half asked how he'd like the ball delivered to him - "You throw it, I'll catch it" - the partnership became a defining one in Welsh rugby's golden era.

John was central to Wales' 1971 Grand Slam - their first since 1952 and sealed with a first victory in Paris in 14 years. Later that year, he cemented his legacy against the 1971 All Blacks by playing a starring role in the historic 2-1 win

The hosts would dub John 'The King'. He finished 1971 finishing third in the 1971 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, beaten by winner Princess Anne and runner-up George Best.

He was also one of the inaugural inductees of the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 1997 and in 1999 was inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame. In 2015, John was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.

In recent years, he also wrote a regular column for the